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Trip from Wheaton, MD to New Carrollton, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

25m

Distance

15.9 mi

26 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

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States

Wheaton, MD

Wikimedia Commons

city in Prince George’s County, Maryland, United States

New Carrollton, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Wheaton, MD to New Carrollton, MD is 15.9 miles and takes about 25 minutes via Capital Beltway and Georgia Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a short, direct drive primarily on surface roads, making it ideal for a quick transit or an add-on to another local excursion. Given the minimal distance and time, you'll likely find this route straightforward and efficient for your travel needs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 11.7 mi 14m
Georgia Avenue 1.6 mi 4m
Riverdale Road 0.7 mi 1m
Lamont Drive 0.6 mi 1m
Veirs Mill Road 0.4 mi 1m
Annapolis Road 0.2 mi <1m
Carrollton Parkway <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 11.7 mi, about 14m

Traffic on I-495

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~6,323 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~550 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

11.5×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 33 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Wheaton, MD and New Carrollton, 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 · 14 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 20B-A Toward MD 450: Bladensburg, Lanham Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork

512 ft · 12 sec
Toward MD 450 West: Bladensburg Use the left / right lanes.
7

Turn straight onto MD 450

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Annapolis Road
Use the straight lane.
8

Turn right onto Riverdale Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Riverdale Road
9

Turn right onto Lamont Drive

0.6 mi · 1 min · Lamont Drive
10

Turn right onto Carrollton Parkway

108 ft · 4 sec · Carrollton Parkway
11

Arrive at destination

Carrollton Parkway

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 14.3 — 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.
8
13.9 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward MD 450: Bladensburg, Lanham

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 20B-A Toward MD 450: Bladensburg, Lanham
8
14.2 mi into trip | ~21m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 450 West: Bladensburg

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes. Toward MD 450 West: Bladensburg
4
14.3 mi into trip | ~21m in | MD 450 / Annapolis Road

Turn straight onto MD 450 / Annapolis Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.66 one way

$5.31 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $2.92 $5.85
premium $5.01 $3.14 $6.27
diesel $5.60 $3.50 $7.01

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.8 0 $1.67 $0.76
Efficient EV 4 0 $1.39 $0.64
EV Truck/SUV 6.4 0 $2.23 $1.02

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.

Forecast as of Aug 11, 2026

Origin

Wheaton, MD

Late night in Wheaton on Sunday

Local time

3:15 AM

EDT

Current temp

88°F

Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

W 7 mph 27% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 11 at 8:58AM EDT until August 11 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 11 at 2:06AM EDT until August 12 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Destination

New Carrollton, MD

Late night in New Carrollton on Sunday

Local time

3:15 AM

EDT

Current temp

90°F

Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

W 7 mph 27% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 11 at 8:58AM EDT until August 11 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 11 at 2:06AM EDT until August 12 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

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

2 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

25m 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?

You'll be on surface roads for the entirety of this 15.9-mile trip, with no highway driving. The longest continuous stretch without exiting is 11.7 miles on the Capital Beltway. Expect a moderate pace with frequent intersections as you navigate through local communities on Georgia Avenue and Riverdale Road. Pay attention to traffic signals and local speed limits as you transition between these different road types.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.7 mi on Capital 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 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in.

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 15.9 miles you will encounter 7 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 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 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

467 ft 79 ft

Total Climb

93 ft

Total Descent

481 ft

Highest Point

467 ft

Elevation Range

388 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Wheaton, MD to New Carrollton, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Lanham along the way.

Lanham

13.9 mi in | ~20m

About the Cities

Starting in Wheaton, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1700

Wheaton is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a suburb of Washington D.C.

Arriving in New Carrollton, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1953

New Carrollton is in 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 25m. Total distance: 15.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m 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 with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.7 miles on Capital 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 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 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 New Carrollton, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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