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Trip from Owings, MD to Columbia, MD

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

Drive Time

1h 14m

Distance

51.2 mi

82 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 9m ★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m

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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planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States

Columbia, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Owings, MD to Columbia, MD is 51.2 miles and takes about 1h 14m via Solomons Island Road and I 97, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It primarily uses surface roads, making it a straightforward drive. Given its short duration, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing plenty of time for your destination or other activities.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Solomons Island Road 19.2 mi 30m
I 97 13 mi 14m
Paul T. Pitcher Memorial Highway 12.9 mi 17m
Aris T Allen Boulevard 0.6 mi <1m
New Solomoms Island Road 0.6 mi <1m
Columbia Pike 0.5 mi <1m
East Chesapeake Beach Road 0.2 mi <1m
Old Solomons Island Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Solomons Island Road — 19.2 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Owings, MD and Columbia, MD.

1

Start on this road

105 ft · 3 sec · this road
2

Turn slight right onto MD 778

244 ft · 13 sec · Old Solomons Island Road
3

Turn left

74 ft · 7 sec
4

Turn left

211 ft · 23 sec
5

Turn sharp right

132 ft · 14 sec
6

Turn left

50 ft · 4 sec
7

Turn right

74 ft · 9 sec
8

Turn right onto MD 778

244 ft · 7 sec · Old Solomons Island Road
9

Turn right onto MD 260

0.2 mi · 20 sec · East Chesapeake Beach Road
10

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
11

Merge onto Solomons Island Road

1.2 mi · 1 min · Solomons Island Road
12

Enter roundabout onto MD 2

162 ft · 2 sec · Solomons Island Road
13

Continue on MD 2

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Solomons Island Road
14

Continue on MD 2

0.6 mi · 50 sec · New Solomoms Island Road
15

Continue on MD 2

6.1 mi · 9 min · Solomons Island Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Enter roundabout onto MD 2

34 ft · 0 sec · Solomons Island Road
17

Continue on MD 2

12 mi · 18 min · Solomons Island Road
Use the left lane.
18

Continue on MD 2

155 ft · 9 sec · Solomons Island Road
Use the left lane.
19

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Toward MD 665 West, US 301, I 97, US 50: Aris T Allen Boulevard
20

Merge onto MD 665

0.6 mi · 52 sec · Aris T Allen Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Keep slight left at fork

1.0 mi · 1 min
Toward I 97, US 50 West, US 301 South: Washington, Baltimore
22

Keep slight right at fork

0.6 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 97 North: Baltimore
23

Continue on I 97

6.0 mi · 6 min · I 97
24

Keep slight left at fork onto I 97

7.0 mi · 8 min · I 97
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Exit 14A-B Toward MD 100: Ellicott City, Gibson Island Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 14B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
27

Merge onto MD 100

13 mi · 17 min · Paul T. Pitcher Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
28

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 47 sec
Toward US 29 South: Washington Use the slight left lane.
29

Merge onto US 29

0.5 mi · 30 sec · Columbia Pike
30

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Exit 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice Use the straight / slight right lanes.
31

Arrive at destination

Exit 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Parole, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Parole, MD

26 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Oakland, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Crofton, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.6 miles from Owings, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 26

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 50.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in

Turn sharp right

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

8
35.7 mi into trip | ~52m in

Take the exit toward MD 100: Ellicott City, Gibson Island

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 14A-B Toward MD 100: Ellicott City, Gibson Island
8
36 mi into trip | ~52m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 14B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
7
49.7 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 29 South: Washington

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward US 29 South: Washington
8
50.8 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Take the exit toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice

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 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Searc...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.49 one way

$16.98 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $9.30 $18.59
premium $4.93 $9.93 $19.86
diesel $5.61 $11.30 $22.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.4 0 $5.38 $2.46
Efficient EV 12.8 0 $4.48 $2.05
EV Truck/SUV 20.5 0 $7.17 $3.28

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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 21, 2026

Origin

Owings, MD

Morning in Owings on Tuesday

Local time

8:01 AM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Columbia, MD

Morning in Columbia on Tuesday

Local time

8:01 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°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

3 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

1h 14m 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?

You'll spend about 75% of this 51.2-mile drive on surface roads, with the remaining 25% on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a surface road is 19.2 miles along Solomons Island Road. Expect a relatively consistent pace on the surface roads, transitioning to highway speeds on I 97 and the Paul T. Pitcher Memorial Highway. The frequent exits on the highway sections will require your attention as you approach Columbia.

Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
31 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.2 mi on Solomons Island Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 0.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.2 miles you will encounter 26 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 35.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Owings, MD and Columbia, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore and Gibson Island.

Baltimore

21.2 mi in | ~34m

Gibson Island

35.7 mi in | ~52m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 51.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19.2 miles on Solomons Island Road. 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 Columbia, 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 0.1 miles: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 35.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Columbia, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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