Origin
Rockville, MD
Late night in Rockville on Friday
Local time
5:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockville, MD to Waldorf, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
50.5 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 23m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockville, MD
Jonathan Borba
Waldorf, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Rockville, MD to Waldorf, MD covers 50.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Indian Head Highway, Capital Beltway (Local) for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.6 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.44 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 22.6 mi | 28m |
| Indian Head Highway | 9.6 mi | 13m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Berry Road | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| I 270 | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| I 270 Spur | 2 mi | 2m |
| McDaniel Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Great Falls Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 22.6 mi, about 28m
Traffic on I-495
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,181 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~310 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 105 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 Waldorf, 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 right at fork onto I 270 Spur
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 270 Spur
Toward I 270 Spur: Washington, Northern Virginia
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Merge onto I 495
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Capital Beltway
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 South: Northern Virginia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
19 mi
·
23 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; I 495
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Capital Beltway (Local)
Toward I 95, I 495: Alexandria
Use the slight right lane.
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 3A
Toward MD 210 South: Indian Head
Use the slight right lane.
14
Continue on this road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
this road
Exit 3A
Toward MD 210 South: Indian Head
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward MD 210 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto MD 210
9.6 mi
·
13 min
·
Indian Head Highway
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on MD 228
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Berry Road
18
Turn right onto Middletown Road
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Middletown Road
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left onto McDaniel Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
McDaniel Road
Use the left lane.
20
At end of road, turn left onto Smallwood Drive West
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Smallwood Drive West
21
Turn left onto Lancaster Circle
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Lancaster Circle
22
Arrive at destination
Lancaster Circle
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.2 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 3.9 and 34.1 — 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 Spur
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 Spur toward I 270 Spur: Washington, Northern Virginia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 270 Spur: Washington, Northern Virgini...
7
7.3 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 South: Northern Virginia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 495 South: Northern Virginia
8
28.6 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local)
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local) toward I 95, I 495: Alexandria
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95, I 495: Alexandria
7
32.9 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward MD 210 South: Indian Head
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3A
Toward MD 210 South: Indian Head
7
34.1 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 210 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MD 210 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.44 one way
$16.88 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $9.29 | $18.57 |
| premium | $5.01 | $9.96 | $19.93 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $11.13 | $22.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.30 | $2.42 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.2 | 0 | $7.07 | $3.23 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Waldorf, MD
Late night in Waldorf on Friday
Local time
5:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
88°F
Rose Hill, VA
25 mi in
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 12m 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?
50.5 mi in 1h 12m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.6 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 Spur.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.5 miles you will encounter 15 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 Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.3 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.6 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
455 ft
-1 ft
Total Climb
531 ft
Total Descent
777 ft
Highest Point
455 ft
Elevation Range
457 ft
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 Waldorf, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Northern Virginia along the way.
Northern Virginia
3.9 mi in
|
~7m
|
via I 270 Spur
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 Waldorf, MD
Full guide →Waldorf is a city in Southern Maryland.
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 1h 12m. Total distance: 50.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m 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 22.6 miles on Capital Beltway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Waldorf, 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 Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.3 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.6 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local)): 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 Waldorf, 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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