Origin
Wheaton, MD
Night in Wheaton on Wednesday
Local time
9:16 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wheaton, MD to Temple Hills, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
30 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wheaton, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Temple Hills, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Wheaton, MD to Temple Hills, MD is 30 miles and takes about 44 minutes via Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Maryland and the Northeast region, primarily utilizing surface roads. Given its brevity, this trip is ideal for a quick commute or an easy addition to a longer travel day. You'll navigate through familiar suburban landscapes without needing an overnight stay. Plan for a straightforward drive with minimal complexity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 24 mi | 31m |
| Georgia Avenue | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| Branch Avenue | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Saint Barnabas Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Temple Hill Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Veirs Mill Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Auth Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 24 mi, about 31m
Traffic on I-495
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 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 Temple Hills, 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
24 mi
·
31 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 7A; 7B
Toward MD 5: Waldorf, Silver Hill
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 7B
Toward Silver Hill
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
293 ft
·
14 sec
Toward Auth Road, Strayer University
8
Turn left onto Auth Road
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Auth Road
9
Merge onto MD 5
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Branch Avenue
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Use the right lane.
11
Turn straight onto MD 414
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Saint Barnabas Road
12
Turn left onto Temple Hill Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Temple Hill Road
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on Temple Hill Road
124 ft
·
2 sec
·
Temple Hill Road
14
Arrive at destination
Temple Hill Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 26.5 — 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
26.2 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward MD 5: Waldorf, Silver Hill
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 7A; 7B
Toward MD 5: Waldorf, Silver Hill
9
26.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Silver Hill
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 7B
Toward Silver Hill
7
26.5 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Auth Road, Strayer University
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Auth Road, Strayer University
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.31 one way
$10.61 round trip
$4.49/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $5.81 | $11.62 |
| premium | $5.24 | $6.19 | $12.39 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $6.32 | $12.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (60% 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
Temple Hills, MD
Night in Temple Hills on Wednesday
Local time
9:16 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°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
44m 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?
This route features a 0% highway share, meaning you'll be on surface roads for the entire 30 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 24 miles, which occurs on the Capital Beltway. Expect to encounter numerous intersections and traffic lights as you transition from the Beltway onto local roads like Georgia Avenue and Branch Avenue. The driving experience will be characterized by frequent stops and starts, typical of urban and suburban surface street navigation.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 30 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
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 26.2 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
102 ft
Total Climb
258 ft
Total Descent
454 ft
Highest Point
467 ft
Elevation Range
365 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Wheaton, MD and Temple Hills, MD, road signs point toward Silver Hill and Strayer University.
Silver Hill
26.2 mi in
|
~37m
Strayer University
26.5 mi in
|
~38m
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.
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 44m. Total distance: 30 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24 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 Temple Hills, 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 26.2 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 Temple Hills, 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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