Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
45.2 mi
73 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
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
Eldersburg, MD
Jonathan Borba
South Bel Air, MD to Eldersburg, MD is 45.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes via Baltimore Beltway and Liberty Road, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region towards a more western part of the state. It's a relatively short trip, primarily on surface roads, making it a straightforward option for a quick drive. You won't encounter significant highway driving, so expect a more local feel for most of the route. This makes it a good choice if you prefer to avoid high-speed travel and have extra time for spontaneous stops.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Beltway | 12.6 mi | 17m |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 8.8 mi | 10m |
| Liberty Road | 5.9 mi | 10m |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| White Marsh Boulevard | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Lyons Mill Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| McDonogh Road | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Reisterstown Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~3,950 veh/hr typical · worst 5,666
Quietest
2 AM
~274 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 75 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between South Bel Air, MD and Eldersburg, MD.
Start on South Shamrock Road
At end of road, turn right onto East MacPhail Road
Turn left onto MD 924
Continue on MD 924
Turn right onto West Ring Factory Road
Turn left onto MD 24
Take the exit
Merge onto I 95
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto MD 43
Merge onto I 695
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MD 140
Turn left onto McDonogh Road
Turn right onto Painters Mill Road
Turn left onto Lyons Mill Road
Turn straight onto MD 26
Continue on MD 26
Turn right
Turn left
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.6 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 5.8 and 32.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 95 South: Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 43: White Marsh, Middle River
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 43 West: White Marsh
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 140: Pikesville, Garrison
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 140 North: Garrison, Reisterstown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$7.55 one way
$15.10 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $8.31 | $16.62 |
| premium | $5.01 | $8.92 | $17.84 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.96 | $19.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.75 | $2.17 |
| Efficient EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.33 | $2.89 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in South Bel Air on Friday
Local time
8:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Morning in Eldersburg on Friday
Local time
8:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route is almost entirely on surface roads, with a 0% highway share. You'll navigate primarily via Liberty Road, with a brief section on the Baltimore Beltway. The longest continuous stretch on the highway portion is 12.6 miles. Expect to encounter frequent intersections and varying speed limits as you transition from more developed areas to suburban and semi-rural landscapes.
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.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.2 miles you will encounter 18 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 15.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
795 ft
Total Descent
511 ft
Highest Point
643 ft
~45.2 mi in
Elevation Range
588 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between South Bel Air, MD and Eldersburg, MD, road signs point toward Middle River, Garrison and Reisterstown.
Middle River
Garrison
Reisterstown
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 45.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m 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.
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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