Origin
Redland, MD
Late night in Redland on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Redland, MD to 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
27m
Distance
15.7 mi
25 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Redland, MD
Stepan Vrany
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Redland, MD to Bethesda, MD is 15.7 miles and takes about 27 minutes via I 270, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive connecting two locations within the Northeast region, entirely within Maryland. Expect a mixed drive that transitions from highway to more urban surface streets as you approach your destination. Given its brevity, this trip is ideal for a quick commute or an easy leg of a larger journey, requiring minimal planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| Shady Grove Road | 3.6 mi | 7m |
| Rockville Pike | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Wisconsin Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Muncaster Mill Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Arlington Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Edgemoor Lane | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Bethesda Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 8.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Redland, MD and Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on Redland Road
96 ft
·
9 sec
·
Redland Road
2
Turn left onto MD 115
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Muncaster Mill Road
3
Turn left onto Shady Grove Road
3.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Shady Grove Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 270 South: Washington
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 270
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
I 270
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
I 270
Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Toward MD 355 South: Bethesda
Use the slight left lane.
8
Turn straight onto MD 355
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Rockville Pike
9
Continue on MD 355
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Wisconsin Avenue
10
Turn right onto Commerce Lane
340 ft
·
17 sec
·
Commerce Lane
11
Continue on Edgemoor Lane
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Edgemoor Lane
12
Turn left onto Arlington Road
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Arlington Road
13
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
510 ft
·
22 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
14
Turn left
44 ft
·
3 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 3.9 and 15.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 270 South: Washington
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 270 South: Washington
5
4.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 270
Merge onto I 270
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
10 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
6
12.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward MD 355 South: Bethesda
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward MD 355 South: Bethesda
5
15.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
Arlington Road
Turn left onto Arlington Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.60 one way
$5.21 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.04 | $6.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.47 | $6.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.65 | $0.75 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.00 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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 Sunday
Local time
1:59 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
27m 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?
This route features a 53% highway share, primarily utilizing I 270 for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 8.2 miles. You'll experience a mixed drive, starting on faster-paced interstate conditions before transitioning to Shady Grove Road and then Rockville Pike. Expect this latter portion to involve more traffic signals and local access, giving the drive a more urban feel as you get closer to Bethesda. The shift from highway to surface streets is the main change in character you'll encounter.
53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.2 mi on I 270.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 3.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.7 miles you will encounter 10 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 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (I 270): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (I 270): 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.
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 Redland, MD to Bethesda, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
College Park
10 mi in
|
~16m
|
via I 270
About the Cities
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 27m. Total distance: 15.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (53%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.2 miles on I 270. 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 Bethesda, 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 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (I 270): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (I 270): 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 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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