Origin
South Bel Air, MD
Evening in South Bel Air on Wednesday
Local time
5:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Bel Air, MD to Burtonsville, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 9m
Distance
51.5 mi
83 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 4m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Bel Air, MD
Da Khatri
Burtonsville, MD
Carly Dernetz
Trip Overview
South Bel Air, MD to Burtonsville, MD is 51.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 9 minutes via Harbor Tunnel Thruway and I-95, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region toward the same region. Expect a drive that predominantly uses surface roads, making it a straightforward, local-feeling trip. It's a short enough drive that you won't feel rushed, allowing for a relaxed pace.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 12 mi | 15m |
| I 95 | 11.7 mi | 13m |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 8.1 mi | 9m |
| Express Toll Lanes | 7.7 mi | 9m |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Sandy Spring Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Harbor Tunnel Throughway | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
— 12 mi, about 15m
Traffic on I-95
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~6,324 veh/hr typical · worst 8,056
Quietest
2 AM
~710 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 51 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 South Bel Air, MD and Burtonsville, MD.
1
Start on South Shamrock Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
South Shamrock Road
2
At end of road, turn right onto East MacPhail Road
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
East MacPhail Road
3
Turn left onto MD 924
496 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Main Street
4
Continue on MD 924
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Emmorton Road
5
Turn right onto West Ring Factory Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ring Factory Road
6
Turn left onto MD 24
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the left lane.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South: Baltimore
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 95
8.1 mi
·
9 min
·
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
11
Merge onto I 895
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
12
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
13
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 895
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 895
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on I 895
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Merge onto I 95
12 mi
·
13 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 33A; 33B
Toward MD 198 East, MD 198 West: Laurel, Burtonsville
Use the slight right lane.
19
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 33B
Toward MD 198 West: Burtonsville
Use the slight right lane.
20
Turn straight onto MD 198
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Sandy Spring Road
Use the straight lane.
21
Arrive at destination
MD 198
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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.8 miles from South Bel Air, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 5.8 and 48.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
5.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South: Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South: Baltimore
6
14.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Express Toll Lanes
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
6
21 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
Express Toll Lanes
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
8
48.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward MD 198 East, MD 198 West: Laurel, Burtonsville
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 33A; 33B
Toward MD 198 East, MD 198 West: Laurel, Burton...
8
48.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 198 West: Burtonsville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 33B
Toward MD 198 West: Burtonsville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.11 one way
$18.22 round trip
$4.49/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $9.98 | $19.95 |
| premium | $5.24 | $10.63 | $21.27 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $10.85 | $21.69 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.84
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(12 mi)
$0.84
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$1
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 18 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.41 | $2.47 |
| Efficient EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.51 | $2.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.6 | 0 | $7.21 | $3.30 |
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
Burtonsville, MD
Evening in Burtonsville on Wednesday
Local time
5:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
1h 9m 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?
You'll spend about 23% of your 51.5 miles on highways like the Harbor Tunnel Thruway and I-95. The longest continuous stretch on these main roads is 12 miles on the Harbor Tunnel Thruway. After that, the route transitions to mostly surface roads for the remainder of your trip. Be prepared for more frequent intersections and traffic lights as you move off the highway.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12 mi on Harbor Tunnel Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 5.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.5 miles you will encounter 14 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 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
488 ft
16 ft
Total Climb
609 ft
Total Descent
480 ft
Highest Point
488 ft
~51.5 mi in
Elevation Range
472 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 51.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m 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 12 miles on Harbor Tunnel Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.84 in tolls one way, starting with Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas 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 Burtonsville, 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 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. 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 Burtonsville, 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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