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Trip from Olney, MD to Arbutus, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

26.3 mi

42 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Olney, MD, MD

Olney, MD

Wikimedia Commons

census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Arbutus, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Spanning 26.3 miles, this quick trip from Olney to Arbutus, Maryland, is a straightforward commute that typically takes about 42 minutes. Because of the manageable distance, it works perfectly as a simple day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will navigate a mix of roads, including the Patuxent Freeway, Olney Sandy Spring Road, and a segment of I-95. With fuel costs estimated at $4, the journey is quite budget-friendly for a solo driver or a small group. Whether you are heading out for business or visiting friends, the route offers a reliable connection within the Northeast region. It is an ideal choice if you prefer a short, efficient drive rather than a multi-day road adventure.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 7.6 mi 8m
Patuxent Freeway 3.8 mi 5m
Olney Sandy Spring Road 2.9 mi 5m
Hall Shop Road 2.8 mi 4m
Ashton Road 2.4 mi 3m
Guilford Road 1.7 mi 3m
Clarksville Pike 0.8 mi 1m
Hilltop Circle 0.5 mi 2m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 7.6 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Olney, MD and Arbutus, MD.

1

Start on 18000 Georgia Avenue, Olney MD

0.2 mi · 36 sec · 18000 Georgia Avenue, Olney MD
2

Turn left onto Spartan Road

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Spartan Road
3

Turn right onto MD 108

2.9 mi · 5 min · Olney Sandy Spring Road
4

Continue on MD 108

2.4 mi · 3 min · Ashton Road
5

Continue on MD 108

0.8 mi · 1 min · Clarksville Pike
6

Turn right onto Hall Shop Road

2.8 mi · 4 min · Hall Shop Road
7

Turn right onto Guilford Road

1.7 mi · 3 min · Guilford Road
8

At end of road, turn left onto Cedar Lane

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Cedar Lane
9

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward MD 32 East: Annapolis
10

Merge onto MD 32

3.8 mi · 5 min · Patuxent Freeway
11

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 13A Toward I 95 North: Baltimore Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12

Merge onto I 95

7.6 mi · 8 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 22 sec
Exit 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15

Merge onto MD 166

0.4 mi · 25 sec · Metropolitan Boulevard
16

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 36 sec
Toward UMBC Campus Use the slight right lane.
17

Turn straight onto UMBC Boulevard

384 ft · 13 sec · UMBC Boulevard
18

Enter roundabout onto UMBC Boulevard

190 ft · 5 sec · UMBC Boulevard
19

Continue on UMBC Boulevard

0.2 mi · 34 sec · UMBC Boulevard
20

Enter roundabout onto Hilltop Circle

116 ft · 3 sec · Hilltop Circle
21

Continue on Hilltop Circle

0.5 mi · 2 min · Hilltop Circle
22

Turn right onto Poplar Avenue

0.2 mi · 38 sec · Poplar Avenue
23

Turn left onto Shelbourne Road

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Shelbourne Road
24

Arrive at destination

Shelbourne Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 11.1 and 24.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
11.1 mi into trip | ~20m in | Cedar Lane

At end of road, turn left onto Cedar Lane

Navigation decision point

7
15.4 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward I 95 North: Baltimore

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

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 13A Toward I 95 North: Baltimore
8
23.5 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshal...
8
23.8 mi into trip | ~36m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 166: Catonsville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville
6
24.7 mi into trip | ~38m in

Take the exit toward UMBC Campus

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward UMBC Campus

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.36 one way

$8.72 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $4.78 $9.55
premium $4.93 $5.10 $10.20
diesel $5.61 $5.81 $11.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.9 0 $2.76 $1.26
Efficient EV 6.6 0 $2.30 $1.05
EV Truck/SUV 10.5 0 $3.68 $1.68

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (67% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Olney, MD

Late night in Olney on Sunday

Local time

3:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Arbutus, MD

Late night in Arbutus on Sunday

Local time

3:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°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 warmer at arrival

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

Road read

42m 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?

Expect a varied experience as you transition from local roads to the interstate. With a highway share of 43 percent, the drive offers a balance between suburban movement and faster-paced transit. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on I-95, covering 7.6 miles of the total journey. The profile is categorized as a mixed drive, meaning you should be prepared for changing traffic patterns as you move off smaller roads and onto the freeway. This combination ensures that the trip remains engaging without becoming a monotonous interstate grind.

43% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.6 mi on I 95.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.1 miles in near Cedar Lane.

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 16 decision points packed into just 26.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 11.1 miles (Cedar Lane): Navigation decision point; at 15.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

542 ft 141 ft

Total Climb

297 ft

Total Descent

690 ft

Highest Point

542 ft

Elevation Range

401 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Olney, MD and Arbutus, MD, road signs point toward Catonsville and Umbc Campus.

Catonsville

23.5 mi in | ~36m

Umbc Campus

24.7 mi in | ~38m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 26.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (43%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.6 miles on I 95. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 Arbutus, 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 11.1 miles (Cedar Lane): Navigation decision point; at 15.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arbutus, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Arbutus, MD to Olney, MD

Plan the drive back the other way.

26.3 mi 40m

Continue From Arbutus, MD

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