Origin
Silver Spring, MD
Late night in Silver Spring on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Silver Spring, MD to Ellicott City, 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
24.6 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
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.
Silver Spring, MD
www.kaboompics.com
Ellicott City, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Silver Spring, MD to Ellicott City, MD is 24.6 miles and takes about 39m via Columbia Pike/Colesville Road/Old Columbia Pike, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a local feel for most of this trip, with a good portion of it being on less direct roads. It's a short enough journey that you won't need to worry about overnight stays, making it ideal for a quick day trip or even a commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Pike | 18.2 mi | 25m |
| Colesville Road | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| Old Columbia Pike | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Montgomery Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Long Gate Parkway | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| MD 100 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Columbia Pike
— 18.2 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Silver Spring, MD and Ellicott City, 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
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Colesville Road
Use the right lane.
5
Continue on US 29
18 mi
·
25 min
·
Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 22
Toward MD 100 East: Glen Burnie
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on MD 100
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
MD 100
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 1A
Toward Long Gate Parkway
Use the right lane.
9
Turn right onto Long Gate Parkway
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Long Gate Parkway
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto MD 103
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Montgomery Road
11
Turn right onto Old Columbia Pike
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Columbia Pike
12
Arrive at destination
Old Columbia Pike
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22 — 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
Turn right
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 29 / Georgia Avenue
Merge onto US 29 / Georgia Avenue
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 29 / Colesville Road
Turn right onto US 29 / Colesville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
21.3 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward MD 100 East: Glen Burnie
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 22
Toward MD 100 East: Glen Burnie
8
22 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Long Gate Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 1A
Toward Long Gate Parkway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.08 one way
$8.16 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.47 | $8.93 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.77 | $9.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.43 | $10.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.44 | $1.57 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Ellicott City, MD
Late night in Ellicott City on Sunday
Local time
3:47 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?
This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with only a 3% share on highways. You'll spend most of your time navigating local roads like Columbia Pike, Colesville Road, and Old Columbia Pike. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.2 miles on Columbia Pike. This means you should anticipate frequent turns and changes in speed limits as you make your way through various neighborhoods and business districts.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.2 mi on Columbia Pike.
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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
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 24.6 miles you will encounter 8 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 29 / Georgia Avenue): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 0.4 miles (US 29 / Colesville Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 24.6 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 (3%). 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 18.2 miles on Columbia Pike. 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 29 / Georgia Avenue): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 0.4 miles (US 29 / Colesville Road): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Ellicott City, 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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