Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Parole, MD to Gaithersburg, MD

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

Drive Time

1h 3m

Distance

47.5 mi

76 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 59m ★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 1m

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 Parole, MD, MD

Parole, MD

Mikhail Nilov

Downtown Gaithersburg, MD, MD

Gaithersburg, MD

Kristopher Hines

Trip Overview

This 47.5-mile drive from Parole, MD to Gaithersburg, MD is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking about 1 hour and 3 minutes. You'll primarily navigate via the John Hanson Highway, the Capital Beltway, and I-270, with a significant portion of the journey on these main arteries. The estimated fuel cost for this route is around $8, making it an economical choice for a short excursion within the Northeast region. Given its relatively short distance and duration, this route offers a straightforward and efficient way to travel between these two Maryland locations without the need for an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John Hanson Highway 16.8 mi 19m
Capital Beltway 16.4 mi 21m
I 270 10.9 mi 14m
West Street 0.9 mi 1m
West Diamond Avenue 0.5 mi <1m
Chestnut Street 0.2 mi <1m
Hicks Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Meem Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: John Hanson Highway — 16.8 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Parole, MD and Gaithersburg, MD.

1

Start on Hicks Avenue

0.2 mi · 40 sec · Hicks Avenue
2

At end of road, turn left onto MD 450

0.9 mi · 1 min · West Street
Use the straight lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward US 50 West, US 301 South: Washington Use the straight / left lanes.
4

Merge onto US 50; US 301

17 mi · 19 min · John Hanson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 57 sec
Exit 7B Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 7B Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway Use the slight left lane.
7

Merge onto I 95; I 495

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

Keep slight left at fork onto I 495

9.5 mi · 12 min · Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270

3.6 mi · 4 min · I 270
Exit 35 Toward I 270 North: Frederick Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270

7.3 mi · 9 min · I 270
Toward I 270 North Use the slight right lane.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward MD 117, MD 124 South: Clopper Road, West Diamond Avenue, Quince Orchard Road
12

Turn left onto MD 117

0.5 mi · 50 sec · West Diamond Avenue
13

Turn left onto Meem Avenue

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Meem Avenue
14

Turn right onto Chestnut Street

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Chestnut Street
15

Turn right onto MD 355

251 ft · 6 sec · North Frederick Avenue
16

Turn right

85 ft · 6 sec
17

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

Downtown College Park, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

College Park, MD

24 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

Bowie, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

College Park, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.8 miles from Parole, 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 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 39.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward US 50 West, US 301 South: Washington

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

Use the straight / left lanes. Toward US 50 West, US 301 South: Washington
9
18.5 mi into trip | ~23m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway

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

Use the slight left lane. Exit 7B Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
8
26 mi into trip | ~33m in | I 495 / Capital Beltway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
8
35.5 mi into trip | ~46m in | I 270

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North: Frederick

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 35 Toward I 270 North: Frederick
7
39.1 mi into trip | ~50m in | I 270

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 270 North

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.87 one way

$15.75 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.62 $17.25
premium $4.93 $9.21 $18.42
diesel $5.61 $10.49 $20.97

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.3 0 $4.99 $2.28
Efficient EV 11.9 0 $4.16 $1.90
EV Truck/SUV 19 0 $6.65 $3.04

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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

Parole, MD

Late night in Parole on Sunday

Local time

3:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Gaithersburg, MD

Late night in Gaithersburg on Sunday

Local time

3:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°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

1h 3m 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 drive with a 'turn-heavy' local feel, though it incorporates substantial highway segments. Approximately 23% of this 47.5-mile route consists of highway driving. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 16.8 miles along the John Hanson Highway. While there are periods of faster travel on the main roads, the overall character suggests you'll be making frequent adjustments and navigating through varied traffic conditions as you progress towards Gaithersburg.

Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.8 mi on John Hanson Highway.

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 1.1 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 47.5 miles you will encounter 15 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 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

On the drive from Parole, MD to Gaithersburg, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Silver Spring along the way.

Silver Spring

18 mi in | ~22m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 47.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 3m 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 16.8 miles on John Hanson Highway. 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 Gaithersburg, 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 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Gaithersburg, 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 Gaithersburg, MD

Boonsboro, MD 88.1 mi · 2h Chesapeake Ranch Estates, MD 83.9 mi · 2h 1m Riverside, MD 70 mi · 1h 31m Lutherville, MD 51.3 mi · 1h 12m

More from Parole, MD

Frederick, MD 68.3 mi · 1h 22m Redland, MD 43.8 mi · 1h 4m Catonsville, MD 27.6 mi · 36m Bowie, MD 13.1 mi · 19m

More trips to Gaithersburg, MD

Delmar, MD 129.5 mi Lonaconing, MD 126.8 mi Frostburg, MD 121.3 mi La Vale, MD 115.1 mi Cumberland, MD 111.6 mi Elkton, MD 95.4 mi
Escape planner: Parole, MD Scenic drives in MD

Explore more options from Parole, MD or browse trips ending in Gaithersburg, MD.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.