Origin
North Potomac, MD
Morning in North Potomac on Sunday
Local time
6:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Potomac, MD to North Bethesda, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
11.3 mi
18 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Potomac, MD
Mark Stebnicki
North Bethesda, MD
Kelly
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between North Potomac and North Bethesda, Maryland, this 12.2-mile journey is a straightforward local commute. Expect the drive to take roughly 23 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Because the route relies entirely on local roads rather than major interstates, you can anticipate a budget-friendly fuel cost of around $2. This trip is best suited for those who prefer navigating neighborhood corridors over high-speed traffic. Since both locations are situated within the Northeast region, the transition between them is seamless and familiar.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Glen Road | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| Montrose Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Josiah Henson Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Falls Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Travilah Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Turkey Foot Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Old Georgetown Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Towne Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Glen Road
— 4.7 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Potomac, MD and North Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on Query Mill Road
115 ft
·
6 sec
·
Query Mill Road
2
Turn right onto Turkey Foot Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Turkey Foot Road
3
Continue on Travilah Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Travilah Road
4
Turn left onto Glen Road
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Glen Road
5
Continue on Glen Road
194 ft
·
9 sec
·
Glen Road
6
Continue on Glen Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Glen Road
7
At end of road, turn left onto MD 189
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Falls Road
8
Turn right onto Montrose Road
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Montrose Road
9
Continue on Josiah Henson Parkway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Josiah Henson Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Turn sharp right onto Towne Road
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Towne Road
11
Continue on MD 187
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Old Georgetown Road
12
Turn left onto Nicholson Lane
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Nicholson Lane
13
Turn right onto Commonwealth Drive
347 ft
·
17 sec
·
Commonwealth Drive
14
Turn right onto Tudor Lane
338 ft
·
15 sec
·
Tudor Lane
15
Continue on Tudor Lane
146 ft
·
6 sec
·
Tudor Lane
16
Arrive at destination
Tudor Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Turkey Foot Road
Turn right onto Turkey Foot Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Travilah Road
Enter roundabout onto Travilah Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
10.5 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Towne Road
Turn sharp right onto Towne Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
11 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Nicholson Lane
Turn left onto Nicholson Lane
Navigation decision point
5
11.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Tudor Lane
Turn right onto Tudor Lane
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.87 one way
$3.75 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.05 | $4.10 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.19 | $4.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.49 | $4.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.19 | $0.54 |
| Efficient EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.99 | $0.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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.
Destination
North Bethesda, MD
Morning in North Bethesda on Sunday
Local time
6:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
21m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. You will navigate exclusively via Turkey Foot Road, Travilah Road, and Glen Road, as this route maintains a 0% highway share throughout the entire journey. Do not expect long, uninterrupted stretches of open road; instead, focus on the rhythmic nature of local navigation. This path offers a consistent, winding experience that contrasts sharply with the typical Maryland interstate grind. You will find that the personality of this drive is defined by its localized, residential flow rather than raw speed.
Only 9% 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: 4.7 mi on Glen Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Turkey Foot Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 21m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Turkey Foot Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Travilah Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 10.5 miles (Towne Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 11.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (9%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.7 miles on Glen Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (Turkey Foot Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Travilah Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 10.5 miles (Towne Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
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 North Bethesda, 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.
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