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Trip from Silver Spring, MD to Arbutus, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

39m

Distance

28.3 mi

46 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 36m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m

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 Silver Spring, MD, MD

Silver Spring, MD

www.kaboompics.com

census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Arbutus, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel the 28.3 miles from Silver Spring to Arbutus, expect a straightforward, efficient journey that typically takes about 39 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single day, as it is designed as a highway-focused drive that connects two spots within Maryland. You can easily complete the excursion with a modest fuel budget of approximately $5. Given the short duration and distance, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or complex logistics. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that serves as an effective connector between these two Northeast locations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 19.1 mi 22m
Capital Beltway 2.9 mi 3m
Colesville Road 1.4 mi 3m
Hilltop Circle 0.5 mi 2m
Metropolitan Boulevard 0.4 mi <1m
Georgia Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
UMBC Boulevard 0.3 mi <1m
Poplar Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 19.1 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Silver Spring, MD and Arbutus, MD.

1

Start on this road

85 ft · 8 sec · this road
2

Turn right

200 ft · 14 sec
3

Merge onto US 29

0.4 mi · 39 sec · Georgia Avenue
4

Turn right onto US 29

1.4 mi · 3 min · Colesville Road
Use the right lane.
5

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 495 East: College Park
6

Merge onto I 495

2.9 mi · 3 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Exit 27 Toward I 95 North: Baltimore Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

1.1 mi · 2 min
Toward I 95 North: Baltimore, New York
9

Merge onto I 95

19 mi · 22 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 22 sec
Exit 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto MD 166

0.4 mi · 25 sec · Metropolitan Boulevard
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 36 sec
Toward UMBC Campus Use the slight right lane.
14

Turn straight onto UMBC Boulevard

384 ft · 13 sec · UMBC Boulevard
15

Enter roundabout onto UMBC Boulevard

190 ft · 5 sec · UMBC Boulevard
16

Continue on UMBC Boulevard

0.2 mi · 34 sec · UMBC Boulevard
17

Enter roundabout onto Hilltop Circle

116 ft · 3 sec · Hilltop Circle
18

Continue on Hilltop Circle

0.5 mi · 2 min · Hilltop Circle
19

Turn right onto Poplar Avenue

0.2 mi · 38 sec · Poplar Avenue
20

Turn left onto Shelbourne Road

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Shelbourne Road
21

Arrive at destination

Shelbourne Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 5 and 26.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
5 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 95 North: Baltimore

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 27 Toward I 95 North: Baltimore
6
5.3 mi into trip | ~8m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North: Baltimore, New York

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 95 North: Baltimore, New York
8
25.6 mi into trip | ~33m in

Take the exit toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville

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 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshal...
8
25.9 mi into trip | ~33m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 166: Catonsville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville
6
26.7 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward UMBC Campus

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward UMBC Campus

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.69 one way

$9.38 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $5.14 $10.28
premium $4.93 $5.49 $10.98
diesel $5.61 $6.25 $12.50

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.5 0 $2.97 $1.36
Efficient EV 7.1 0 $2.48 $1.13
EV Truck/SUV 11.3 0 $3.96 $1.81

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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

Silver Spring, MD

Late night in Silver Spring on Sunday

Local time

3:33 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Arbutus, MD

Late night in Arbutus on Sunday

Local time

3:33 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

1 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

39m 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 trip defined by its highway-heavy nature, as 68% of your time behind the wheel will be spent on major thoroughfares. You will navigate a mix of Colesville Road and the Capital Beltway before settling into the primary leg of the journey. The experience is dominated by an interstate grind, highlighted by a 19.1-mile uninterrupted stretch along I-95. While the route transitions from local arterial roads to high-speed lanes, the character remains consistent and functional. You should be prepared for a fast-paced drive that prioritizes speed and directness over leisurely pacing.

68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.1 mi on I 95.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Capital Beltway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5 miles in.

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 16 decision points packed into just 28.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.

Between Silver Spring, MD and Arbutus, MD, road signs point toward New York, Catonsville and Umbc Campus.

New York

5.3 mi in | ~8m

Catonsville

25.6 mi in | ~33m

Umbc Campus

26.7 mi in | ~34m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 28.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19.1 miles on I 95. 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 Arbutus, 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 5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arbutus, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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