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Trip from Rockville, MD to Baden, 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 11m

Distance

49.1 mi

79 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

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 Rockville, MD, MD

Rockville, MD

Jonathan Borba

Downtown Baden, MD, MD

Baden, MD

RDNE Stock project

Trip Overview

This 49.1-mile drive from Rockville, MD to Baden, MD is a straightforward 1 hour and 11 minute journey that's perfect for a single-day trip. You'll primarily be on the Capital Beltway, Brandywine Road, and Branch Avenue, with about 15% of the drive on highways. The estimated fuel cost is around $8, making it an economical choice. This route is a fairly direct, turn-heavy local drive within the Northeast region of Maryland, offering a clear path without requiring an overnight stay. It's a practical option for getting from point A to point B without significant detours.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 25.7 mi 33m
Brandywine Road 6.7 mi 11m
Branch Avenue 6.6 mi 8m
I 270 5.3 mi 7m
MD 337 2.2 mi 4m
Great Falls Road 0.6 mi 1m
West Montgomery Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Falls Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 25.7 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rockville, MD and Baden, MD.

1

Start on South Washington Street

63 ft · 8 sec · South Washington Street
2

Turn left onto West Montgomery Avenue

0.2 mi · 33 sec · West Montgomery Avenue
3

Continue on Great Falls Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Great Falls Road
4

Turn right onto MD 189

432 ft · 17 sec · Falls Road
5

Continue on MD 189

471 ft · 18 sec · Falls Road
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 270 South Use the left lane.
7

Merge onto I 270

2.6 mi · 3 min · I 270
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 270
Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park Use the slight left / straight lanes.
9

Merge onto I 495

26 mi · 33 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 9 Toward MD 337: Andrews Air Force Base Main Gate, Morningside Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn right onto MD 337

426 ft · 12 sec · Forestville Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12

Turn slight right onto MD 337

2.2 mi · 4 min · MD 337
Toward MD 337 South
13

Turn left

0.5 mi · 39 sec
Toward MD 5 South: Waldorf
14

Merge onto MD 5

6.6 mi · 8 min · Branch Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 40 sec
Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn left onto Spine Road

494 ft · 14 sec · Spine Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
17

Turn right onto Brandywine Road

6.7 mi · 11 min · Brandywine Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Arrive at destination

MD 381

Where to Stop

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

census-designated place in Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Forestville, MD

25 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

Chevy Chase, MD

Fuel and coffee

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

New Carrollton, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.6 miles from Rockville, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.9 and 42.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
3.9 mi into trip | ~7m 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
8
32.4 mi into trip | ~44m in

Take the exit toward MD 337: Andrews Air Force Base Main Gate, Morningside

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 9 Toward MD 337: Andrews Air Force Base Main Gate...
6
32.7 mi into trip | ~45m in | MD 337 / Forestville Road

Turn right onto MD 337 / Forestville Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left / right lanes.
6
42.3 mi into trip | ~1h in | Spine Road

Turn left onto Spine Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
6
42.4 mi into trip | ~1h in | Brandywine Road

Turn right onto Brandywine Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.14 one way

$16.28 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.92 $17.83
premium $4.93 $9.52 $19.04
diesel $5.61 $10.84 $21.68

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.2 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 14.7 0 $5.16 $2.36
Efficient EV 12.3 0 $4.30 $1.96
EV Truck/SUV 19.6 0 $6.87 $3.14

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

Rockville, MD

Late night in Rockville on Sunday

Local time

2:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Baden, MD

Late night in Baden on Sunday

Local time

2:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

76°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 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 11m 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' for this 49.1-mile trip. While 15% of your journey will be on highways, the majority of the route involves navigating local roads, indicated by the frequent turns. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 25.7 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a brief period of faster travel before you transition back to more localized routes. This means you'll be actively steering and navigating for a good portion of the 1 hour and 11 minute drive, rather than cruising on a consistent interstate.

Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.7 mi on Capital Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 3.9 miles in near I 270.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 49.1 miles you will encounter 12 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 (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.7 miles (MD 337 / Forestville Road): 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 Rockville, MD and Baden, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Morningside.

College Park

3.9 mi in | ~7m | via I 270

Morningside

32.4 mi in | ~44m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 11m. Total distance: 49.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m 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 25.7 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Baden, 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 (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.7 miles (MD 337 / Forestville 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 Baden, 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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