Origin
Wheaton, MD
Late night in Wheaton on Sunday
Local time
3:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wheaton, MD to Bethesda, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
6.2 mi
10 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wheaton, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between Wheaton and Bethesda, you are in for a quick 6.3-mile trip that typically takes about 18 minutes. This short commute is entirely local, utilizing Veirs Mill Road, University Boulevard West, and Connecticut Avenue to navigate between these two Maryland communities. Because the distance is so manageable, you can easily complete the entire journey as a simple day trip without needing an overnight stay. Your fuel budget for the drive is estimated at just $1, making it a very economical way to get across the region. Since both locations are situated within the Northeast, you will find the transition between these towns straightforward and familiar. It is the perfect route for a quick errand or a direct visit between neighbors.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| University Boulevard West | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Jones Bridge Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Wisconsin Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Arlington Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Edgemoor Lane | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Veirs Mill Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Rockville Pike | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Connecticut Avenue
— 2.3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wheaton, MD and Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on MD 586
322 ft
·
15 sec
·
Veirs Mill Road
2
Continue on MD 586
405 ft
·
21 sec
·
Veirs Mill Road
3
Turn left onto MD 193
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
University Boulevard West
Use the left lane.
4
Turn straight onto MD 185
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Connecticut Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Turn right onto Jones Bridge Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Jones Bridge Road
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto MD 355
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Rockville Pike
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Continue on MD 355
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Wisconsin Avenue
8
Turn right onto Commerce Lane
340 ft
·
17 sec
·
Commerce Lane
9
Continue on Edgemoor Lane
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Edgemoor Lane
10
Turn left onto Arlington Road
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Arlington Road
11
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
510 ft
·
22 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
12
Turn left
44 ft
·
3 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 6.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 193 / University Boulevard West
Turn left onto MD 193 / University Boulevard West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
Jones Bridge Road
Turn right onto Jones Bridge Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
4.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
MD 355 / Rockville Pike
Turn left onto MD 355 / Rockville Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
5.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Arlington Road
Turn left onto Arlington Road
Navigation decision point
5
6.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Bethesda Avenue
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.03 one way
$2.06 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.13 | $2.25 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.20 | $2.40 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.37 | $2.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.65 | $0.30 |
| Efficient EV | 1.6 | 0 | $0.54 | $0.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Bethesda, MD
Late night in Bethesda on Sunday
Local time
3:28 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
15m 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 rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate through suburban corridors, requiring your full attention as you transition between Veirs Mill Road, University Boulevard West, and Connecticut Avenue. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, the pace of the drive remains steady but requires frequent adjustments to local traffic flow. The personality of this road is defined by its stop-and-go nature, keeping you engaged with the local infrastructure throughout the entire 18-minute duration. You won't have to worry about merging into fast-moving traffic, but you should be prepared for the constant turns and intersections that characterize this specific path.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.3 mi on Connecticut Avenue.
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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near MD 193 / University Boulevard West.
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 6.2 miles you will encounter 8 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 (MD 193 / University Boulevard West): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (Jones Bridge Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bethesda, MD
Full guide →Bethesda is in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1½ miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Wealthy and well-educated, Bethesda is best known for its numerous restaurants and as the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
This 6.2-mile drive is a perfect quick jaunt for a weekend, easily doable as a same-day round trip without feeling rushed.
Family Friendly
At only 6.2 miles and an estimated 15 minutes, this route is short enough to keep younger passengers happy, though the 5/10 complexity means you'll be making quite a few turns.
Solo Traveler
This 6.2-mile drive is well within comfortable solo distance, making it an easy and quick errand or short exploration.
EV Driver
With a total distance of just 6.2 miles, this trip is absolutely no sweat for an EV, even without any DC fast chargers along the way.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.3 miles on Connecticut Avenue. 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 (MD 193 / University Boulevard West): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (Jones Bridge Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield. 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 Bethesda, 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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