Origin
Towson, MD
Late night in Towson on Tuesday
Local time
4:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Towson, MD to Baltimore, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
10.9 mi
18 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Towson, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Towson to Baltimore is a quick 10.9-mile journey that typically takes about 21 minutes. Because this trip is short and straightforward, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will primarily navigate via the Jones Falls Expressway, York Road, and East Northern Parkway. With fuel costs estimated at just $2, this is an incredibly budget-friendly commute within the Northeast region of Maryland. You won't need to worry about overnight accommodations or multiple stops, making this a highly efficient trip. Whether you are heading into the city for business or leisure, the route offers a direct connection between these two Maryland hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jones Falls Expressway | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| York Road | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| East Northern Parkway | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Guilford Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Pennsylvania Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Fayette Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Delaware Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Shealy Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jones Falls Expressway
— 5.2 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Towson, MD and Baltimore, MD.
1
Start on Shealy Avenue
198 ft
·
9 sec
·
Shealy Avenue
2
Turn right onto Delaware Avenue
265 ft
·
14 sec
·
Delaware Avenue
3
Turn right onto East Pennsylvania Avenue
356 ft
·
19 sec
·
East Pennsylvania Avenue
4
Turn left onto MD 45
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
York Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto East Northern Parkway
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
East Northern Parkway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 83: Jones Falls Expressway
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 83 South: Downtown
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 83
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Jones Falls Expressway
Use the straight lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward Pleasant Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
157 ft
·
3 sec
Toward Pleasant Street
11
Turn slight right onto East Pleasant Street
144 ft
·
12 sec
·
East Pleasant Street
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto Guilford Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Guilford Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
13
Turn right onto East Fayette Street
325 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Fayette Street
Use the right lane.
14
Arrive at destination
East Fayette Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 10.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
East Northern Parkway
Turn right onto East Northern Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
8
4.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 83 South: Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 83 South: Downtown
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Pleasant Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward Pleasant Street
7
10.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Guilford Avenue
Turn left onto Guilford Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
10.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
East Fayette Street
Turn right onto East Fayette Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.81 one way
$3.61 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.98 | $3.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.11 | $4.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.41 | $4.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Late night in Baltimore on Tuesday
Local time
4:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
87°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 9 mph
13% chance
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
23 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
21m 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 highway-focused drive, as roughly 67% of your time behind the wheel will be spent on major roads. The experience is defined by a blend of urban highway transit and local thoroughfares. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on the Jones Falls Expressway, which covers 5.2 miles of the total distance. The transition from the Towson area into Baltimore feels functional and steady, moving from suburban arterial roads onto faster-paced highway lanes. You will find that the road maintains a predictable rhythm, allowing you to focus on navigating the city-bound traffic effectively.
67% 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: 5.2 mi on Jones Falls Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Jones Falls Expressway and York Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near East Northern Parkway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 10.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (East Northern Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
464 ft
31 ft
Total Climb
90 ft
Total Descent
516 ft
Highest Point
464 ft
~1.6 mi in
Elevation Range
433 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Towson, MD
Full guide →Towson is an unincorporated city in Central Maryland. It is located directly north of Baltimore City and is the county seat of Baltimore County.
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 21m. Total distance: 10.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.2 miles on Jones Falls Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Baltimore, 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 2.6 miles (East Northern Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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