Origin
Silver Spring, MD
Late night in Silver Spring on Friday
Local time
5:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Silver Spring, MD to Hampstead, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
52.7 mi
85 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 15m
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
Hampstead, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Silver Spring, MD to Hampstead, MD covers 52.7 miles and takes about 1h 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Columbia Pike, Northwest Expressway, Hanover Pike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.3 miles on Columbia Pike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Pike | 21.3 mi | 29m |
| Northwest Expressway | 8.3 mi | 10m |
| Hanover Pike | 8.3 mi | 13m |
| Baltimore Beltway | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| I 70 | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Colesville Road | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Butler Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Columbia Pike
— 21.3 mi, about 29m
Traffic on I-695
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 20 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,135 veh/hr typical · worst 6,959
Quietest
2 AM
~392 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 94 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Silver Spring, MD and Hampstead, 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
21 mi
·
29 min
·
Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 25A
Toward I 70 East: Baltimore
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 70
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
I 70
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 91B-A
Toward I 695 North, I 695 South: New York, Towson, Baltimore, Glen Burnie
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 91B
Toward I 695 North: New York, Towson
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 695
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
11
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19
Toward I 795 North: Owings Mills, Reisterstown
Use the slight right lane.
12
Continue on I 795
8.3 mi
·
10 min
·
Northwest Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 9A
Toward MD 30 North: Hanover
14
Continue on Butler Road
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
Butler Road
15
Turn left onto MD 30
7.4 mi
·
12 min
·
Hanover Pike
Use the left lane.
16
Enter roundabout onto MD 30 Business
58 ft
·
0 sec
·
Hanover Pike
17
Continue on MD 30 Business
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Hanover Pike
18
Continue on MD 30 Business
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
19
Turn left onto Shiloh Avenue
33 ft
·
1 sec
·
Shiloh Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
Shiloh Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.3 miles from Silver Spring, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 24.4 and 43.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
24.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward I 70 East: Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 25A
Toward I 70 East: Baltimore
8
28.8 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward I 695 North, I 695 South: New York, Towson, Baltimore, Glen Burnie
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 91B-A
Toward I 695 North, I 695 South: New York, Tows...
9
29 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 695 North: New York, Towson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 91B
Toward I 695 North: New York, Towson
8
33.6 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward I 795 North: Owings Mills, Reisterstown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 19
Toward I 795 North: Owings Mills, Reisterstown
6
43.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
|
MD 30 / Hanover Pike
Turn left onto MD 30 / Hanover Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.81 one way
$17.61 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $9.69 | $19.38 |
| premium | $5.01 | $10.40 | $20.80 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $11.62 | $23.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.53 | $2.53 |
| Efficient EV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.61 | $2.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.1 | 0 | $7.38 | $3.37 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Hampstead, MD
Late night in Hampstead on Friday
Local time
5:16 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
4 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 18m 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?
52.7 mi in 1h 18m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.3 mi on Columbia Pike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 24.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 52.7 miles you will encounter 13 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: at 24.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 29 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
913 ft
271 ft
Total Climb
784 ft
Total Descent
212 ft
Highest Point
913 ft
~52.7 mi in
Elevation Range
642 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Hampstead, MD, road signs point toward Towson, Baltimore, Glen Burnie and Reisterstown.
Towson
28.8 mi in
|
~41m
Baltimore
28.8 mi in
|
~41m
Glen Burnie
28.8 mi in
|
~41m
Reisterstown
33.6 mi in
|
~48m
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 Hampstead, MD
Full guide →Founded 1888
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 1h 18m. Total distance: 52.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.3 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 Hampstead, 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 24.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 29 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Hampstead, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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