Origin
Towson, MD
Late night in Towson on Tuesday
Local time
4:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Towson, MD to Catonsville, 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
26m
Distance
17.7 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Towson, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Catonsville, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting Towson to Catonsville is a quick 17.7-mile trek that typically takes about 26 minutes to complete. Because of the short distance, this trip is easily managed as a simple day outing, requiring no overnight stays. You can expect to spend roughly $3 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly way to navigate between these two Maryland communities. The route utilizes a mix of the Baltimore Beltway, York Road, and Frederick Road to get you to your destination efficiently. Since both locations are situated in the Northeast region, you will find the transition between these suburban hubs straightforward and familiar.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Beltway | 15.2 mi | 20m |
| York Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Frederick Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East Pennsylvania Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Delaware Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Shealy Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Baltimore Beltway
— 15.2 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Towson, MD and Catonsville, 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
·
16 sec
·
East Pennsylvania Avenue
4
Turn right onto MD 45
476 ft
·
9 sec
·
York Road
5
Enter roundabout onto MD 45
287 ft
·
5 sec
·
York Road
6
Continue on MD 45
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
York Road
7
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 695 West: Pikesville
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto I 695
15 mi
·
20 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 13
Toward MD 144: Catonsville
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto MD 144
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Frederick Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right
37 ft
·
2 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 17.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Pennsylvania Avenue
Turn right onto East Pennsylvania Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 45 / York Road
Turn right onto MD 45 / York Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 45 / York Road
Enter roundabout onto MD 45 / York Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 695 West: Pikesville
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 695 West: Pikesville
7
17.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward MD 144: Catonsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13
Toward MD 144: Catonsville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.93 one way
$5.87 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.21 | $6.43 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.43 | $6.87 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.91 | $7.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
Catonsville, MD
Late night in Catonsville on Tuesday
Local time
4:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
26m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. While you will spend 15.2 miles of the trip utilizing the Baltimore Beltway, the overall highway share for this route is 0%, meaning you are primarily navigating surface streets and transit arteries. The character of the drive shifts as you transition from the local roads like York Road into the Beltway, before finishing your journey via Frederick Road. You should prepare for a varied driving experience that requires shifting gears and navigating suburban traffic patterns. It is a functional, direct route that prioritizes getting you from point A to point B without any prolonged stretches of open highway.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.2 mi on Baltimore Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East Pennsylvania Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 17.7 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (East Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (MD 45 / York Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (MD 45 / York Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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.
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 26m. Total distance: 17.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.2 miles on Baltimore Beltway. 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 0.1 miles (East Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (MD 45 / York Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (MD 45 / York Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Catonsville, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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