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Trip from Silver Spring, MD to Fort Washington, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49m

Distance

24.7 mi

40 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 45m ★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m

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

unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Fort Washington, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel from Silver Spring to Fort Washington, you are looking at a 37.8-mile journey that typically takes about 48 minutes to complete. This trip is well-suited for a single-day excursion, as it does not require an overnight stay. Expect to spend approximately $6 on fuel for the duration of the drive. Navigating through the Northeast region, you will rely primarily on local roads such as Mayor Lane, Sligo Avenue, and Georgia Avenue. Because this route involves no highway driving, it functions best as a direct, local commute rather than a long-distance road trip.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Indian Head Highway 5.7 mi 8m
Anacostia Freeway 5.7 mi 8m
Georgia Avenue 3.7 mi 10m
Southeast Freeway 1.8 mi 3m
Old Fort Road 1.4 mi 2m
9th Street Northwest 1.1 mi 2m
3rd Street Tunnel 0.9 mi 1m
Sherman Avenue Northwest 0.9 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Indian Head Highway — 5.7 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

80 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Mayor Lane

204 ft · 11 sec · Mayor Lane
3

Turn right onto Sligo Avenue

215 ft · 8 sec · Sligo Avenue
Use the left lane.
4

At end of road, turn left onto US 29

3.7 mi · 10 min · Georgia Avenue
Use the left lane.
5

Turn slight right onto New Hampshire Avenue Northwest

0.3 mi · 1 min · New Hampshire Avenue Northwest
6

Keep slight left at fork onto Sherman Avenue Northwest

0.9 mi · 2 min · Sherman Avenue Northwest
7

Continue on Florida Avenue Northwest

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Florida Avenue Northwest
8

Continue on 9th Street Northwest

1.0 mi · 2 min · 9th Street Northwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto 9th Street Northwest

296 ft · 10 sec · 9th Street Northwest
10

Turn left onto K Street Northwest

0.1 mi · 11 sec · K Street Northwest
Use the left lane.
11

Continue on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest

0.3 mi · 1 min · Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
12

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Toward I 395 South Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13

Merge onto I 395

0.9 mi · 1 min · 3rd Street Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Exit 7 Toward I 695 Use the slight left lane.
15

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 30 sec
Toward I 695 East
16

Merge onto I 695

1.3 mi · 2 min · Southeast Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Continue on I 695

0.5 mi · 55 sec · Southeast Freeway
Exit 2A Toward I 295 South
18

Merge onto I 295

5.7 mi · 8 min · Anacostia Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Keep slight right at fork

1.0 mi · 2 min
Toward Indian Head Use the straight / slight left lanes.
20

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Toward MD 210 South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Merge onto MD 210

5.7 mi · 8 min · Indian Head Highway
Use the left lane.
22

Turn right onto Old Fort Road

1.4 mi · 2 min · Old Fort Road
23

Turn left onto Washington Drive

0.2 mi · 46 sec · Washington Drive
24

Continue on Diggers Lane

0.2 mi · 48 sec · Diggers Lane
25

At end of road, turn left onto Reid Lane

314 ft · 17 sec · Reid Lane
26

Turn right onto Warburton Drive

0.1 mi · 32 sec · Warburton Drive
27

Arrive at destination

Warburton Drive

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 19

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 16.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Sligo Avenue

Turn right onto Sligo Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
6.3 mi into trip | ~17m in | K Street Northwest

Turn left onto K Street Northwest

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
7.8 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward I 695

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

Use the slight left lane. Exit 7 Toward I 695
7
15.7 mi into trip | ~32m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Indian Head

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward Indian Head
7
16.7 mi into trip | ~34m 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

$4.09 one way

$8.19 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $4.48 $8.97
premium $4.93 $4.79 $9.58
diesel $5.61 $5.45 $10.91

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 $2.59 $1.19
Efficient EV 6.2 0 $2.16 $0.99
EV Truck/SUV 9.9 0 $3.46 $1.58

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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Silver Spring, MD

Late night in Silver Spring on Tuesday

Local time

5:09 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fort Washington, MD

Late night in Fort Washington on Tuesday

Local time

5:09 AM

EDT

Current temp

68°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

3 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

49m 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?

Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate grind, this route features zero highway miles, keeping you on surface streets for the entire 37.8-mile duration. You will navigate a series of local connectors, which makes the experience feel more like an urban transit than a high-speed cruise. Since there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, the pace of the drive remains steady but requires frequent adjustments to local traffic flow. Expect a consistent, hands-on driving experience as you move through the local road network.

30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on Indian Head Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 Sligo Avenue.

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 19 decision points packed into just 24.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Sligo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (K Street Northwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Fort Washington, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Indian Head along the way.

Indian Head

15.7 mi in | ~32m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 24.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.7 miles on Indian Head Highway. 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 Fort Washington, 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 (Sligo Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (K Street Northwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Fort Washington, 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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