Origin
South Laurel, MD
Morning in South Laurel on Sunday
Local time
8:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Laurel, MD to Baltimore, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
23.4 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Laurel, MD
RDNE Stock project
Trip Overview
This straightforward 23.4-mile drive from South Laurel, MD, to Baltimore, MD, is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 36 minutes to complete. The route primarily utilizes the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, with portions of Laurel Bowie Road and Russell Street also included. With a highway share of 82%, expect a focused driving experience. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $4, making it an economical option. Given its short distance and direct nature, this trip is ideal for a quick visit or as a segment within a larger Maryland exploration, connecting two points within the Northeast region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Washington Parkway | 19.1 mi | 26m |
| Laurel Bowie Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Russell Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Baltimore Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Paca Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Deerfield Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Contee Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Fayette Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
— 19.1 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Laurel, MD and Baltimore, MD.
1
Start on this road
133 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
2
Continue on Deerfield Road
0.2 mi
·
50 sec
·
Deerfield Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto Contee Road
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Contee Road
4
Turn right onto MD 197
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Laurel Bowie Road
5
Turn slight left
388 ft
·
14 sec
6
Turn slight left onto MD 197
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Laurel Bowie Road
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Baltimore
8
Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway
19 mi
·
26 min
·
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on MD 295
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Russell Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on MD 295
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
South Paca Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto West Baltimore Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Baltimore Street
Use the straight lane.
12
Turn left
281 ft
·
25 sec
13
At end of road, turn left onto East Fayette Street
212 ft
·
6 sec
·
East Fayette Street
14
Arrive at destination
East Fayette Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 23.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Contee Road
At end of road, turn right onto Contee Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Baltimore
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Baltimore
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
22.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
West Baltimore Street
Turn right onto West Baltimore Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
23.3 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
East Fayette Street
At end of road, turn left onto East Fayette Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.88 one way
$7.76 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.25 | $8.50 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.54 | $9.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Baltimore, MD
Morning in Baltimore on Sunday
Local time
8:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
36m 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?
This drive leans heavily towards a highway-focused experience, with 82% of the journey taking place on high-speed roads. You'll encounter an uninterrupted stretch of 19.1 miles on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, offering a consistent pace. While the profile suggests a predominantly highway feel, there are moments where you'll transition onto roads like Laurel Bowie Road and Russell Street, which may offer a slightly different driving dynamic before rejoining the main parkway. Overall, anticipate a driving experience characterized by efficiency and a focus on covering ground quickly.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.1 mi on Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Laurel Bowie Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Contee Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Contee Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (Baltimore-Washington Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Baltimore, MD
Full guide →“Bodymore, Murderland” · Founded 1729
Slices of American history are around every corner in Baltimore. Maryland's largest city is a gritty old seaport town that's perhaps most famous as the site of Fort McHenry, where, at the height of the War of 1812, the sight of a tattered but defiant American flag flying over the harbor, despite a furious British bombardment, inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that was later adapted into the U.S. national anthem "Star-Spangled Banner". Nowadays, Baltimore's nonstop nightlife, temperate climate, tradition of hospitality (they don't call this place "Charm City" for nothing), and cultural attractions — not to mention its prime location on the juncture of Chesapeake Bay — made it one of the major tourist destinations of the Mid-Atlantic region.
Top landmarks
- • Johns Hopkins Hospital — hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- • Walters Art Museum — art museum in Baltimore, Maryland, US
- • Baltimore Museum of Art — art museum in Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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 36m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.1 miles on Baltimore-Washington Parkway. 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 0.2 miles (Contee Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (Baltimore-Washington Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Baltimore, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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