Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from North Bethesda, MD to Seat Pleasant, MD

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

36m

Distance

24.1 mi

39 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown North Bethesda, MD, MD

North Bethesda, MD

Kelly

Downtown Seat Pleasant, MD, MD

Seat Pleasant, MD

Waldemar Brandt

Trip Overview

North Bethesda, MD to Seat Pleasant, MD is 24.1 miles and takes about 36m via Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, connecting the Northeast region of the state. You'll primarily use surface roads, making it a straightforward trip for a quick commute or an easy addition to a larger travel plan. With no recommended stops, this route is best suited for a direct transit, especially if you're looking to minimize travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 12.9 mi 16m
Baltimore-Washington Parkway 5.1 mi 7m
Rockville Pike 1.8 mi 3m
Eastern Avenue Northeast 1.8 mi 3m
Nicholson Lane 0.3 mi <1m
Martin Luther King Jr. Highway 0.3 mi <1m
Kenilworth Avenue Freeway 0.2 mi <1m
Tudor Lane <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 12.9 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between North Bethesda, MD and Seat Pleasant, MD.

1

Start on Tudor Lane

146 ft · 8 sec · Tudor Lane
2

At end of road, turn left onto Tudor Lane

338 ft · 20 sec · Tudor Lane
3

Turn left onto Commonwealth Drive

347 ft · 17 sec · Commonwealth Drive
4

Turn right onto Nicholson Lane

0.3 mi · 58 sec · Nicholson Lane
5

Turn right onto MD 355

1.8 mi · 3 min · Rockville Pike
Use the right lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7

Merge onto I 495

13 mi · 16 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 59 sec
Exit 22B Toward South Washington Use the slight right lane.
9

Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway

5.1 mi · 7 min · Baltimore-Washington Parkway
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 35 sec
Toward US 50 East: Richmond, Annapolis Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on MD 201

0.2 mi · 12 sec · Kenilworth Avenue Freeway
12

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 14 sec
Toward Eastern Avenue, Aquatic Gardens Use the slight right lane.
13

Continue on Kenilworth Avenue

416 ft · 17 sec · Kenilworth Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
14

Turn left onto Eastern Avenue Northeast

1.8 mi · 3 min · Eastern Avenue Northeast
15

Turn sharp left onto MD 704

0.3 mi · 36 sec · Martin Luther King Jr. Highway
16

Arrive at destination

MD 704

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 21.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | MD 355 / Rockville Pike

Turn right onto MD 355 / Rockville Pike

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
2.3 mi into trip | ~5m in

Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
7
15.5 mi into trip | ~22m in

Take the exit toward South Washington

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 22B Toward South Washington
8
21.1 mi into trip | ~30m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 50 East: Richmond, Annapolis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward US 50 East: Richmond, Annapolis
8
21.8 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward Eastern Avenue, Aquatic Gardens

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward Eastern Avenue, Aquatic Gardens

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.00 one way

$7.99 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $4.38 $8.75
premium $4.93 $4.67 $9.35
diesel $5.61 $5.32 $10.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.2 0 $2.53 $1.16
Efficient EV 6 0 $2.11 $0.96
EV Truck/SUV 9.6 0 $3.37 $1.54

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

North Bethesda, MD

Morning in North Bethesda on Tuesday

Local time

8:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Seat Pleasant, MD

Morning in Seat Pleasant on Tuesday

Local time

8:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

2 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

36m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is mostly surface roads, with only 22% of the total distance on highways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 12.9 miles on the Capital Beltway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect to navigate through areas with frequent intersections and traffic signals as you move between main roads like Rockville Pike and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.9 mi on Capital Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near MD 355 / Rockville Pike.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 24.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between North Bethesda, MD and Seat Pleasant, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring, Washington, Annapolis and Aquatic Gardens.

Silver Spring

2.3 mi in | ~5m

Washington

15.5 mi in | ~22m

Annapolis

21.1 mi in | ~30m

Aquatic Gardens

21.8 mi in | ~31m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 24.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.9 miles on Capital Beltway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Seat Pleasant, MD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Seat Pleasant, MD before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Seat Pleasant, MD

Frederick, MD 56 mi · 1h 17m Gwynn Oak, MD 37.9 mi · 1h Baltimore, MD 35.2 mi · 52m Redland, MD 30.6 mi · 49m

More from North Bethesda, MD

Pittsville, MD 128.9 mi · 3h 1m Aberdeen, MD 69.2 mi · 1h 31m Carney, MD 50.2 mi · 1h 10m Riviera Beach, MD 45 mi · 1h 5m Annapolis, MD 40.5 mi · 54m Brooklyn, MD 39.4 mi · 57m

More trips to Seat Pleasant, MD

Essex, MD 43.1 mi
Escape planner: North Bethesda, MD Scenic drives in MD

Explore more options from North Bethesda, MD or browse trips ending in Seat Pleasant, MD.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.