Origin
Potomac, MD
Late night in Potomac on Tuesday
Local time
5:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Potomac, MD to Bethesda, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
7.2 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Potomac, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Potomac to Bethesda, Maryland, you are in for a quick 7.2-mile journey that typically takes about 17 minutes. This short transit is perfect for a single-day outing, as it requires no overnight stops or extensive planning. With a fuel cost of just $1, it is an incredibly economical trip through the Northeast region. You will navigate primarily via River Road, Goldsboro Road, and Bradley Boulevard. Because the route is entirely local with no highway driving, it offers a straightforward commute between these two neighboring communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| River Road | 5.7 mi | 12m |
| Goldsboro Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Bradley Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Clarendon Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Fairfax Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bethesda Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Falls Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
River Road
— 5.7 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Potomac, MD and Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on this road
81 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto MD 189
78 ft
·
5 sec
·
Falls Road
3
Turn left onto MD 190
5.7 mi
·
12 min
·
River Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left onto MD 614
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Goldsboro Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto MD 191
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
Bradley Boulevard
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto Fairfax Road
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
Fairfax Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Continue on Clarendon Road
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
Clarendon Road
8
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
156 ft
·
7 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
9
Turn right
44 ft
·
3 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 189 / Falls Road
Turn left onto MD 189 / Falls Road
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 190 / River Road
Turn left onto MD 190 / River Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
5.7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
MD 614 / Goldsboro Road
Turn left onto MD 614 / Goldsboro Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
MD 191 / Bradley Boulevard
Turn right onto MD 191 / Bradley Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
7.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.19 one way
$2.39 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.31 | $2.61 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.40 | $2.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.63 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Destination
Bethesda, MD
Late night in Bethesda on Tuesday
Local time
5:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°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
1 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
17m 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 turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel rather than drifting through a monotonous interstate grind. You will find zero highway miles on this route, meaning you are navigating surface streets for the entire 17-minute duration. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is 5.7 miles along River Road. Because the path relies on local roads rather than high-speed thoroughfares, the pace is consistent and requires your full attention at various intersections throughout the journey.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on River 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 MD 189 / Falls 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 17m drive. You will face about 7 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 (MD 189 / Falls Road): Navigation decision point; near the start (MD 190 / River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles (MD 614 / Goldsboro Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Potomac, MD
Full guide →Potomac is an unincorporated district in Montgomery County, Maryland and a suburb of Washington DC.
Arriving in Bethesda, MD
Full guide →Bethesda is in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1½ miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Wealthy and well-educated, Bethesda is best known for its numerous restaurants and as the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 7.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.7 miles on River 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 (MD 189 / Falls Road): Navigation decision point; near the start (MD 190 / River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles (MD 614 / Goldsboro Road): 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 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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