Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Silver Spring, MD to Capitol Heights, MD

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

25m

Distance

11.8 mi

19 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 24m ★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m ★

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Silver Spring, MD, MD

Silver Spring, MD

www.kaboompics.com

Downtown Capitol Heights, MD, MD

Capitol Heights, MD

Mark Stebnicki

Trip Overview

The drive from Silver Spring, MD to Capitol Heights, MD covers 11.8 miles and takes about 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Chillum Road, Kenilworth Avenue, Eastern Avenue Northeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 2 miles on Chillum Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.97 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Chillum Road 2 mi 4m
Kenilworth Avenue 1.9 mi 2m
Eastern Avenue Northeast 1.8 mi 3m
Eastern Avenue Northwest 1.6 mi 4m
38th Street 0.8 mi 2m
Bladensburg Road 0.8 mi 1m
Fenton Street 0.6 mi 1m
Windom Road 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Chillum Road — 2 mi, about 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

80 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Mayor Lane

204 ft · 14 sec · Mayor Lane
3

Turn left onto Sligo Avenue

525 ft · 18 sec · Sligo Avenue
4

Turn right onto Fenton Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · Fenton Street
5

Turn right onto Takoma Avenue

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Takoma Avenue
6

Continue on Eastern Avenue Northwest

0.3 mi · 43 sec · Eastern Avenue Northwest
7

Turn right onto Cedar Street Northwest

482 ft · 20 sec · Cedar Street Northwest
8

Turn left onto Carroll Street Northwest

0.1 mi · 26 sec · Carroll Street Northwest
9

Turn slight right onto Eastern Avenue Northwest

1.3 mi · 3 min · Eastern Avenue Northwest
10

Turn left onto MD 212

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Riggs Road
11

Turn right onto MD 501

2.0 mi · 4 min · Chillum Road
12

Continue on 34th Street

0.1 mi · 27 sec · 34th Street
13

Turn left onto Windom Road

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Windom Road
14

Turn right onto MD 208

0.8 mi · 2 min · 38th Street
15

Continue on MD 208

0.2 mi · 29 sec · 38th Avenue
16

Turn left onto US 1 Alternate

0.5 mi · 1 min · Bladensburg Road
17

Continue on MD 450

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Bladensburg Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Turn slight right

0.1 mi · 24 sec
19

Turn straight onto MD 201

1.3 mi · 2 min · Kenilworth Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Continue on MD 201

0.6 mi · 38 sec · Kenilworth Avenue
21

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 14 sec
Toward Eastern Avenue, Aquatic Gardens Use the slight right lane.
22

Continue on Kenilworth Avenue

416 ft · 17 sec · Kenilworth Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
23

Turn left onto Eastern Avenue Northeast

1.8 mi · 3 min · Eastern Avenue Northeast
24

Turn right onto 63rd Street Northeast

0.2 mi · 17 sec · 63rd Street Northeast
25

Continue on Southern Avenue Northeast

0.2 mi · 15 sec · Southern Avenue Northeast
26

Continue on Southern Avenue Southeast

427 ft · 15 sec · Southern Avenue Southeast
27

Turn left onto Davey Street

285 ft · 8 sec · Davey Street
28

Turn right onto Chamber Avenue

0.3 mi · 39 sec · Chamber Avenue
29

Arrive at destination

Chamber Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Mayor Lane

Turn right onto Mayor Lane

Navigation decision point

5
1.4 mi into trip | ~3m in | Carroll Street Northwest

Turn left onto Carroll Street Northwest

Navigation decision point

5
5.1 mi into trip | ~12m in | Windom Road

Turn left onto Windom Road

Navigation decision point

7
9 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward Eastern Avenue, Aquatic Gardens

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward Eastern Avenue, Aquatic Gardens
5
11.4 mi into trip | ~25m in | Davey Street

Turn left onto Davey Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.97 one way

$3.94 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $2.17 $4.34
premium $5.01 $2.33 $4.66
diesel $5.60 $2.60 $5.20

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.5 0 $1.24 $0.57
Efficient EV 3 0 $1.03 $0.47
EV Truck/SUV 4.7 0 $1.65 $0.76

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 2, 2026

Origin

Silver Spring, MD

Evening in Silver Spring on Friday

Local time

8:30 PM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 5 mph 22% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:40PM EDT until September 1 at 10:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 9:27PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Capitol Heights, MD

Evening in Capitol Heights on Friday

Local time

8:30 PM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 5 mph 23% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:40PM EDT until September 1 at 10:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 9:27PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

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

25m 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?

11.8 mi in 25m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2 mi on Chillum Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 17 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Mayor Lane.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 11.8 miles you will encounter 17 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: near the start (Mayor Lane): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (Carroll Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (Windom Road): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

342 ft 11 ft

Total Climb

157 ft

Total Descent

379 ft

Highest Point

342 ft

Elevation Range

331 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 Silver Spring, MD to Capitol Heights, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Aquatic Gardens along the way.

Aquatic Gardens

9 mi in | ~20m

About the Cities

Starting in Silver Spring, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1887

Silver Spring is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is considered to be an "edge city". It sits next door to Washington, DC, and had about 82,000 residents in 2018. It has redeveloped its downtown district with an outdoor shopping plaza called "Downtown Silver Spring", and is criss-crossed by four creeks that are the basis for parks offering hiking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and tennis courts.

Arriving in Capitol Heights, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1910

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 25m. Total distance: 11.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 2 miles on Chillum Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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: near the start (Mayor Lane): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (Carroll Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (Windom Road): Navigation decision point.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. 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 Capitol Heights, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Capitol Heights, MD to Silver Spring, MD

Plan the drive back the other way.

12 mi 25m

More from Silver Spring, MD

Elkton, MD 86.4 mi · 1h 51m Boonsboro, MD 72.8 mi · 1h 40m Leonardtown, MD 68.5 mi · 1h 41m Jarrettsville, MD 67.5 mi · 1h 33m Golden Beach, MD 56.5 mi · 1h 28m Myersville, MD 50 mi · 1h 5m

More trips to Capitol Heights, MD

Essex, MD 43.6 mi
Escape planner: Silver Spring, MD Scenic drives in MD

Explore more options from Silver Spring, MD or browse trips ending in Capitol Heights, MD.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.