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Trip from Rockville, MD to Crofton, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

53m

Distance

36.2 mi

58 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 49m ★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 51m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Rockville, MD, MD

Rockville, MD

Jonathan Borba

Downtown Crofton, MD, MD

Crofton, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Rockville, MD to Crofton, MD covers 36.2 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Capital Beltway, John Hanson Highway, I 270 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.3 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.05 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 16.3 mi 21m
John Hanson Highway 6.9 mi 7m
I 270 5.3 mi 7m
North East Crain Highway 2 mi 2m
Robert Crain Highway 1.1 mi 1m
Great Falls Road 0.6 mi 1m
Crofton Parkway 0.3 mi <1m
Stratton Road 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 16.3 mi, about 21m

Traffic on I-495

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~6,323 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~550 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

11.5×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 33 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rockville, MD and Crofton, 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

16 mi · 21 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min
Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto US 50

6.9 mi · 7 min · John Hanson Highway
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 13A-B-C Toward US 301, MD 3: Richmond, Crofton Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Exit 13B-C Toward MD 3 North: Crofton Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 13B Toward MD 3 North: Crofton Use the slight left lane.
15

Merge onto MD 3

2.0 mi · 2 min · North East Crain Highway
16

Continue on MD 3; MD 450

1.1 mi · 1 min · Robert Crain Highway
17

Take the exit onto Clubhouse Gate Road

0.1 mi · 42 sec · Clubhouse Gate Road
18

Turn right onto Crofton Parkway

0.3 mi · 54 sec · Crofton Parkway
19

Turn left onto Spring Green Avenue

0.2 mi · 48 sec · Spring Green Avenue
20

Turn right onto Stratton Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Stratton Road
21

Arrive at destination

Stratton Road

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Adelphi, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Adelphi, MD

18 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

Gambrills, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Adelphi, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.1 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 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.9 and 31.5 — 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
7
23 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
8
30.9 mi into trip | ~42m in

Take the exit toward US 301, MD 3: Richmond, Crofton

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 13A-B-C Toward US 301, MD 3: Richmond, Crofton
8
31.1 mi into trip | ~42m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 3 North: Crofton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 13B-C Toward MD 3 North: Crofton
8
31.5 mi into trip | ~43m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 3 North: Crofton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 13B Toward MD 3 North: Crofton

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.05 one way

$12.10 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $6.66 $13.31
premium $5.01 $7.14 $14.29
diesel $5.60 $7.98 $15.96

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.9 0 $3.80 $1.74
Efficient EV 9.1 0 $3.17 $1.45
EV Truck/SUV 14.5 0 $5.07 $2.32

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 Sep 1, 2026

Origin

Rockville, MD

Morning in Rockville on Friday

Local time

6:29 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

NW 5 mph 17% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:35PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:34PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washingt...

Destination

Crofton, MD

Morning in Crofton on Friday

Local time

6:29 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 5 mph 26% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:35PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:34PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washingt...

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

53m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

36.2 mi in 53m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.3 mi on Capital Beltway.

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 3.9 miles in near I 270.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 36.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.

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 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

455 ft 43 ft

Total Climb

288 ft

Total Descent

643 ft

Highest Point

455 ft

Elevation Range

412 ft

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 Rockville, MD to Crofton, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.

College Park

3.9 mi in | ~7m | via I 270

About the Cities

Starting in Rockville, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1700

Rockville is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is characterized by rolling hills, historic towns, and high tech industries

Top landmarks

  • • Beall-Dawson House — historic home in Rockville, Maryland, United States
  • • New Mark Commons — historic planned community in Rockville, Maryland, United States
  • • Frieda Fromm-Reichmann Cottage — historic house in Maryland, United States

Arriving in Crofton, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1964

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 53m. Total distance: 36.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

53m 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 16.3 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 Crofton, 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 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Crofton, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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