South Bel Air, MD to Landover Hills, MD is 58.9 miles and takes about 1h 24m via Baltimore-Washington Parkway and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically within Maryland. It's a pretty straightforward drive that balances highway speeds with some surface road cruising. You'll find it’s a manageable distance for a single day, making it easy to plan around your schedule.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
21.7 mi
29m
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
8.1 mi
9m
Express Toll Lanes
7.7 mi
9m
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
7.3 mi
10m
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
3.9 mi
5m
Capital Beltway
2.3 mi
3m
Annapolis Road
1.7 mi
2m
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
1.4 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
— 21.7 mi, about 29m
Traffic on I-95
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 10 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~6,339 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~623 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 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 Landover Hills, 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: BaltimoreUse 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
1.3 mi·1 min·Harbor Tunnel Thruway
17
Take the exit
0.5 mi·59 sec
Exit 4Toward MD 295 South: Essex, BWI Marshall AirportUse the straight / right lanes.
18
Merge onto MD 295
22 mi·29 min·Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi·1 min
Toward I 95 South, I 495 South: Richmond, Andrews Air Force BaseUse the right lane.
20
Merge onto I 95; I 495
2.3 mi·3 min·Capital Beltway
21
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Exit 20B-AToward MD 450: Bladensburg, LanhamUse the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork
512 ft·12 sec
Toward MD 450 West: BladensburgUse the left / right lanes.
23
Turn straight onto MD 450
1.7 mi·2 min·Annapolis Road
Use the straight lane.
24
Turn left onto 71st Avenue
0.3 mi·1 min·71st Avenue
25
Turn sharp left onto 70th Avenue
172 ft·7 sec·70th Avenue
26
Turn straight onto 71st Avenue
60 ft·2 sec·71st Avenue
27
Arrive at destination
71st Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 29.5 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 19
5 decision points cluster between mile 5.8 and 56.8 — 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
8
31.9 mi into trip|~44m in
Take the exit toward MD 295 South: Essex, BWI Marshall Airport
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 4
Toward MD 295 South: Essex, BWI Marshall Airpor...
7
54 mi into trip|~1h 15m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 495 South: Richmond, Andrews Air Force Base
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 95 South, I 495 South: Richmond, Andre...
8
56.6 mi into trip|~1h 19m in
Take the exit toward MD 450: Bladensburg, Lanham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 20B-A
Toward MD 450: Bladensburg, Lanham
8
56.8 mi into trip|~1h 19m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 450 West: Bladensburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward MD 450 West: Bladensburg
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.39 one way
$18.78 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg21 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$10.39
$20.79
premium
$4.81
$11.15
$22.30
diesel
$4.80
$11.12
$22.24
Estimated Tolls: $0.51
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(7.3 mi)$0.51
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: 20.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
17.7
0
$6.18
$2.83
Efficient EV
14.7
0
$5.15
$2.36
EV Truck/SUV
23.6
0
$8.25
$3.77
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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 Jul 9, 2026
Origin
South Bel Air, MD
Late night
in South Bel Air on Sunday
Local time
2:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Widespread Showers And Thunderstorms
S 6 mph90% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 9 at 11:23AM EDT until July 9 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Destination
Landover Hills, MD
Late night
in Landover Hills on Sunday
Local time
2:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Widespread Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 6 mph90% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 9 at 11:23AM EDT until July 9 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
86°F
Brooklyn Park, MD
29 mi in
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 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 24m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive has a 37% highway share, meaning you’ll spend a good portion of your time on faster roads. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 21.7 miles along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Expect a mix of environments, transitioning from highway cruising to surface streets as you approach your destination. The presence of Express Toll Lanes on parts of the route offers an alternative for managing traffic.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.7 mi on Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.9 miles you will encounter 19 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 31.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 54 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
359 ft14 ft
Total Climb
231 ft
Total Descent
422 ft
Highest Point
359 ft
Elevation Range
345 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between South Bel Air, MD and Landover Hills, MD, road signs point toward Bwi Marshall Airport and Andrews Air Force Base.
Bwi Marshall Airport
31.9 mi in|~44m
Andrews Air Force Base
54 mi in|~1h 15m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 58.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.7 miles on Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.51 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 2 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 Landover Hills, 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 31.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 54 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. 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 Landover Hills, MD before heading back.
