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Trip from South Bel Air, MD to Riverside, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 5m

Distance

47.9 mi

77 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 1m ★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown South Bel Air, MD, MD

South Bel Air, MD

Da Khatri

Downtown Riverside, MD, MD

Riverside, MD

Sjuan Dogjani

Trip Overview

This 47.9-mile drive from South Bel Air to Riverside, Maryland, is best tackled in a single day, taking approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate using the Harbor Tunnel Thruway, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, and Express Toll Lanes, with highway driving making up about 19% of the total mileage. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $8. Given its relatively short distance and straightforward duration, this route is a convenient option for a quick excursion within the Northeast region of Maryland, offering a practical way to travel between these two points without needing an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Harbor Tunnel Thruway 12 mi 15m
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway 8.1 mi 9m
Express Toll Lanes 7.7 mi 9m
I 95 6.6 mi 7m
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway 3.9 mi 5m
Patuxent Freeway 2.6 mi 3m
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 32 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

7 AM

~6,135 veh/hr typical · worst 8,069

Quietest

2 AM

~682 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

9×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 100 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 Riverside, 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

6.6 mi · 7 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 38B Toward MD 32 West: Columbia Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Merge onto MD 32

2.6 mi · 3 min · Patuxent Freeway
20

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Exit 16B Toward US 29 South: Washington Use the right lane.
21

Merge onto US 29

0.6 mi · 51 sec · Columbia Pike
22

Turn right onto Rivers Edge Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Rivers Edge Road
23

Turn left onto Rivers View Court

390 ft · 17 sec · Rivers View Court
24

Arrive at destination

Rivers View Court

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Essex, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Essex, MD

24 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

Kingsville, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

City of Baltimore, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.9 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 5.8 and 46.5 — 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.
7
43.2 mi into trip | ~57m in

Take the exit toward MD 32 West: Columbia

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 38B Toward MD 32 West: Columbia
7
46.5 mi into trip | ~1h 2m in

Take the exit toward US 29 South: Washington

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 16B Toward US 29 South: Washington

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.00 one way

$16.01 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $8.81 $17.62
premium $5.01 $9.45 $18.90
diesel $5.60 $10.56 $21.12

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

$8

Tolls

$1

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.4 0 $5.03 $2.30
Efficient EV 12 0 $4.19 $1.92
EV Truck/SUV 19.2 0 $6.71 $3.07

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 Aug 21, 2026

Origin

South Bel Air, MD

Morning in South Bel Air on Friday

Local time

6:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy

N 7 mph 19% chance Live forecast

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued August 20 at 8:33PM EDT until August 20 at 9:15PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Tornado Watch

Tornado Watch issued August 20 at 7:49PM EDT until August 20 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Destination

Riverside, MD

Morning in Riverside on Friday

Local time

6:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy

N 6 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued August 20 at 8:33PM EDT until August 20 at 9:15PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Tornado Watch

Tornado Watch issued August 20 at 7:49PM EDT until August 20 at 10:00PM 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

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 5m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this 47.9-mile journey. While 19% of the route incorporates highway driving, the overall profile suggests frequent changes in direction and road type. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12 miles on the Harbor Tunnel Thruway, indicating that much of the drive involves more localized navigation. This means you'll likely experience a mix of faster highway segments interspersed with more deliberate, slower-paced local roads as you make your way from South Bel Air to Riverside.

Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 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 47.9 miles you will encounter 16 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

359 ft 0 ft

Total Climb

426 ft

Total Descent

464 ft

Highest Point

359 ft

Elevation Range

359 ft

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 47.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 5m 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 Riverside, 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 Riverside, 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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