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Trip from Smithsburg, MD to Fairplay, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

25m

Distance

16.7 mi

27 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

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 27m
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 Smithsburg, MD, MD

Smithsburg, MD

Iqbal farooz

Downtown Fairplay, MD, MD

Fairplay, MD

Iqbal farooz

Trip Overview

Smithsburg to Fairplay is 16.7 miles and takes about 25 minutes via Mapleville Road, Sharpsburg Pike, and Dwight D Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, traversing the Northeast region. Expect a drive that involves frequent turns, making it more of a local journey than a fast-paced highway transit. Given its short length and manageable duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion with plenty of flexibility for spontaneous stops along the way.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Mapleville Road 5.5 mi 9m
Sharpsburg Pike 4.9 mi 7m
Dwight D Eisenhower Highway 4.7 mi 5m
East Water Street 0.6 mi 1m
Spielman Road 0.5 mi <1m
Fairplay Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Mapleville Road — 5.5 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Smithsburg, MD and Fairplay, MD.

1

Start on MD 66

0.6 mi · 1 min · East Water Street
2

Continue on MD 66

4.1 mi · 6 min · Mapleville Road
3

Enter roundabout onto MD 66

155 ft · 2 sec · Mapleville Road
4

Continue on MD 66

1.4 mi · 2 min · Mapleville Road
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
6

Merge onto I 70

4.7 mi · 5 min · Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Exit 29 Toward MD 65: Sharpsburg, Hagerstown Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork

141 ft · 5 sec
Toward MD 65 South: Sharpsburg, National Parks, Maryland Correctional Facilities Use the left lane.
9

Turn left onto MD 65

4.9 mi · 7 min · Sharpsburg Pike
10

Turn right onto MD 63

0.5 mi · 50 sec · Spielman Road
11

Turn slight left onto Fairplay Road

86 ft · 3 sec · Fairplay Road
12

Arrive at destination

Fairplay Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.7 and 16.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
4.7 mi into trip | ~8m in | MD 66 / Mapleville Road

Enter roundabout onto MD 66 / Mapleville Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
6.4 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway

Merge onto I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
11.1 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward MD 65: Sharpsburg, Hagerstown

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 29 Toward MD 65: Sharpsburg, Hagerstown
9
11.3 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 65 South: Sharpsburg, National Parks, Maryland Correctional Facilities

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

Use the left lane. Toward MD 65 South: Sharpsburg, National Parks,...
4
16.2 mi into trip | ~24m in | MD 63 / Spielman Road

Turn right onto MD 63 / Spielman Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.95 one way

$5.91 round trip

$4.49/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.92 $3.23 $6.47
premium $5.24 $3.45 $6.90
diesel $5.35 $3.52 $7.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5 0 $1.75 $0.80
Efficient EV 4.2 0 $1.46 $0.67
EV Truck/SUV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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 Jun 2, 2026

Origin

Smithsburg, MD

Evening in Smithsburg on Wednesday

Local time

5:53 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Scattered Rain Showers

E 2 to 10 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued June 1 at 6:59PM EDT until June 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Destination

Fairplay, MD

Evening in Fairplay on Wednesday

Local time

5:53 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Scattered Rain Showers

E 2 to 9 mph 8% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued June 1 at 6:59PM EDT until June 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

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?

This is a turn-heavy local drive with no highway percentage, meaning you'll be navigating primarily on surface streets and county roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.5 miles on Mapleville Road. As you progress, you'll transition from Mapleville Road to Sharpsburg Pike and eventually merge onto the Dwight D Eisenhower Highway. The character of the drive is consistent, focusing on local connectivity rather than high-speed travel.

Only 0% 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: 5.5 mi on Mapleville 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 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 miles in near MD 66 / Mapleville Road.

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 16.7 miles you will encounter 6 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 4.7 miles (MD 66 / Mapleville Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 6.4 miles (I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

775 ft 467 ft

Total Climb

80 ft

Total Descent

385 ft

Highest Point

775 ft

Elevation Range

308 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Smithsburg, MD and Fairplay, MD, road signs point toward Hagerstown, National Parks and Maryland Correctional Facilities.

Hagerstown

11.1 mi in | ~16m

National Parks

11.3 mi in | ~16m

Maryland Correctional Facilities

11.3 mi in | ~16m

About the Cities

Starting in Smithsburg, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1813

Arriving in Fairplay, MD

Full guide →

Fairplay is a town in the south central region of Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains of the United States of America. It is believed to be the virtual basis of the fictional town of South Park, in the animated series of the same name.

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: 16.7 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 5.5 miles on Mapleville 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: at 4.7 miles (MD 66 / Mapleville Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 6.4 miles (I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Antietam National Battlefield, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and Monocacy National Battlefield (4 total within detour distance). 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 Fairplay, 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.

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