Origin
Wheaton, MD
Late night in Wheaton on Sunday
Local time
3:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wheaton, MD to Bowie, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
22.8 mi
37 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 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wheaton, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Wheaton to Bowie covers a 22.8-mile stretch that typically takes about 31 minutes to complete. Because this is a short journey within Maryland, it is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You will navigate using Georgia Avenue and I-495 East, eventually transitioning onto the Capital Beltway. Budgeting approximately $4 for fuel should keep you covered for the entire distance. Since both the origin and destination are located within the Northeast region, you will remain in a familiar environment throughout the transit. It is a straightforward commute that is easy to manage on your own schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 12.4 mi | 15m |
| John Hanson Highway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Georgia Avenue | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| Collington Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Veirs Mill Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Evergreen Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 12.4 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wheaton, MD and Bowie, MD.
1
Start on MD 586
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Veirs Mill Road
2
Turn straight onto MD 97
1.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Georgia Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 495
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 19A
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto US 50
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
John Hanson Highway
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 11
Toward MD 197: Bowie
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
273 ft
·
6 sec
Toward MD 197
Use the left / right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto MD 197
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Collington Road
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto Evergreen Parkway
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Evergreen Parkway
11
Turn right
259 ft
·
20 sec
12
Turn left
110 ft
·
8 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 21.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Baltimore
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge onto I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
14.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 19A
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
7
21.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward MD 197: Bowie
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 11
Toward MD 197: Bowie
7
21.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 197
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward MD 197
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.78 one way
$7.56 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.14 | $8.28 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.42 | $8.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.03 | $10.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 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 | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
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
Bowie, MD
Late night in Bowie on Sunday
Local time
3:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°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
6 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
33m 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 as you transition between arterial roads and the highway system. With a highway share of 0% in terms of dedicated long-distance stretches, your focus will be on navigating through the denser local infrastructure. You won't encounter any exceptionally long, uninterrupted highway segments here, as the route relies on interconnected local paths. The character of the drive shifts from the initial local streets of Wheaton toward the busier flow of the Capital Beltway. Prepare for a more technical experience behind the wheel rather than a monotonous cruise.
Only 1% 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: 12.4 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 2 miles in.
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 10 decision points packed into just 22.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bowie, MD
Full guide →Bowie is a suburban bedroom community of Washington, D.C. in Prince George's County, Maryland.
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 33m. Total distance: 22.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.4 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Bowie, 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 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 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 Bowie, 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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