Origin
Rockville, MD
Late night in Rockville on Sunday
Local time
12:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockville, MD to Riverside, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
21.5 mi
35 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockville, MD
Jonathan Borba
Riverside, MD
Sjuan Dogjani
Trip Overview
This straightforward 21.5-mile drive from Rockville to Riverside, Maryland, is a quick 33-minute trip that's perfect for a single day. You'll navigate using a combination of Columbia Pike, the Intercounty Connector, and Norbeck Road, with no significant highway driving involved. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this route is very budget-friendly for a short excursion. Given its brevity and ease, it’s an ideal option if you’re looking for a short, local journey within the Northeast region of Maryland without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Pike | 7.5 mi | 10m |
| Intercounty Connector | 7 mi | 8m |
| Norbeck Road | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Veirs Mill Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| First Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Rivers Edge Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Jefferson Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Columbia Pike
— 7.5 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockville, MD and Riverside, MD.
1
Start on South Washington Street
300 ft
·
16 sec
·
South Washington Street
2
Turn left onto MD 28
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Jefferson Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on MD 28
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Veirs Mill Road
4
Turn left onto MD 28
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
First Street
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on MD 28
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Norbeck Road
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn left onto MD 97
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Georgia Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward MD 200 Toll East
8
Merge onto MD 200 Toll
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Intercounty Connector
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 16A-B
Toward US 29: Silver Spring, Columbia
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 16B
Toward US 29 North: Columbia
11
Merge onto US 29
7.5 mi
·
10 min
·
Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
337 ft
·
11 sec
Toward Rivers Edge
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on Rivers Edge Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Rivers Edge Road
14
Turn left onto Rivers View Court
390 ft
·
17 sec
·
Rivers View Court
15
Arrive at destination
Rivers View Court
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 21 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 28 / West Jefferson Street
Turn left onto MD 28 / West Jefferson Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
12.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward US 29: Silver Spring, Columbia
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 16A-B
Toward US 29: Silver Spring, Columbia
6
13.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 29 North: Columbia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 16B
Toward US 29 North: Columbia
5
13.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
US 29 / Columbia Pike
Merge onto US 29 / Columbia Pike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
21 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward Rivers Edge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward Rivers Edge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.56 one way
$7.13 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.90 | $7.81 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.17 | $8.34 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.75 | $9.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Riverside, MD
Late night in Riverside on Sunday
Local time
12:18 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
2 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
33m 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 on this route, characterized by frequent changes in direction rather than long, uninterrupted stretches. The longest continuous segment you’ll encounter is 7.5 miles on Columbia Pike, offering a brief period of consistent travel. With 0% highway share, this journey keeps you on local roads for its entirety, providing a more connected feel to the communities you pass through. The road's personality is that of a steady, local transit, guiding you efficiently between your starting and ending points in Maryland.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.5 mi on Columbia Pike.
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 0.1 miles in near MD 28 / West Jefferson Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 21.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (MD 28 / West Jefferson Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 Rockville, MD to Riverside, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Columbia along the way.
Columbia
12.8 mi in
|
~19m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 21.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m 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 7.5 miles on Columbia Pike. 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 Riverside, 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 0.1 miles (MD 28 / West Jefferson Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 Riverside, 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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