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Trip from Silver Spring, MD to Fulton, MD

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

Drive Time

24m

Distance

14.9 mi

24 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
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 Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Silver Spring, MD, MD

Silver Spring, MD

www.kaboompics.com

Downtown Fulton, MD, MD

Fulton, MD

RDNE Stock project

Trip Overview

Silver Spring, MD to Fulton, MD is 14.9 miles and takes about 24 minutes via Columbia Pike/Colesville Road/MD 216, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Maryland's Northeast region, offering a straightforward local drive. Expect a route with frequent turns rather than long stretches of highway, making it ideal for a quick errand or a brief scenic detour. Given its brevity, this journey is best suited for a same-day excursion with no need for overnight stays.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Columbia Pike 10 mi 14m
Colesville Road 2.7 mi 5m
MD 216 1.4 mi 2m
Georgia Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
Lime Kiln Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Columbia Pike — 10 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

10.0 mi · 14 min · Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 13 Toward MD 216: Maple Lawn, Fulton, Laurel, Park and Ride Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork

280 ft · 7 sec
Toward MD 216: Fulton, Laurel Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Enter roundabout onto MD 216

23 ft · 0 sec · MD 216
9

Continue on MD 216

0.3 mi · 30 sec · MD 216
10

Enter roundabout onto MD 216

165 ft · 3 sec · MD 216
11

Continue on MD 216

0.2 mi · 17 sec · MD 216
12

Enter roundabout onto MD 216

123 ft · 2 sec · MD 216
13

Continue on MD 216

0.1 mi · 13 sec · MD 216
14

Enter roundabout onto MD 216

134 ft · 2 sec · MD 216
15

Continue on MD 216

0.7 mi · 1 min · MD 216
16

Turn slight left onto Lime Kiln Road

153 ft · 3 sec · Lime Kiln Road
17

Arrive at destination

Lime Kiln Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.4 — 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

Turn right

Navigation decision point

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.
8
13.1 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the exit toward MD 216: Maple Lawn, Fulton, Laurel, Park and Ride

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

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 13 Toward MD 216: Maple Lawn, Fulton, Laurel, Park...
9
13.4 mi into trip | ~22m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 216: Fulton, Laurel

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward MD 216: Fulton, Laurel
5
13.4 mi into trip | ~22m in | MD 216

Enter roundabout onto MD 216

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.47 one way

$4.94 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $2.71 $5.41
premium $4.93 $2.89 $5.78
diesel $5.61 $3.29 $6.58

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.5 0 $1.56 $0.72
Efficient EV 3.7 0 $1.30 $0.60
EV Truck/SUV 6 0 $2.09 $0.95

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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

Fulton, MD

Late night in Fulton 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

24m 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 is a turn-heavy local drive, with only about 10% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate through a mix of local roads, including Columbia Pike, Colesville Road, and MD 216. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is approximately 10 miles on Columbia Pike. The profile suggests a route that requires your attention with frequent directional changes, rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience that keeps you engaged.

Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on Columbia Pike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 14.9 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.4 miles (US 29 / Colesville Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.1 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 Fulton, MD, road signs point toward Laurel and Park And Ride.

Laurel

13.1 mi in | ~21m

Park And Ride

13.1 mi in | ~21m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 14.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m 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 10 miles on Columbia Pike. 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 Fulton, 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (US 29 / Colesville Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield 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 Fulton, 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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