Baltimore to Annapolis: Best Ways to Travel, Drive & Get There

Baltimore to Annapolis is roughly 25–31 miles — a 36–42 minute drive via I-97 in normal traffic. A straightforward regional trip, but one with real options depending on whether you're driving yourself, taking transit, or moving a group. Here's the full breakdown: distance, timing, every transportation option, and how the trip changes if you're starting from BWI Airport instead of downtown Baltimore.

How Far Is Baltimore From Annapolis?

The road distance runs roughly 25–31 miles depending on your exact starting and ending points within each city — a downtown-to-downtown trip measures differently than a suburb-to-suburb one, which is why you'll see slightly different numbers depending on which tool or source you check. The straight-line distance is shorter, around 22.5 miles, with the halfway point landing near Gambrills, MD.

How Long Does It Take to Get From Baltimore to Annapolis?

By car, 36 to 42 minutes in normal traffic via I-97 — the consistently fastest and most direct route. That's the number to plan around for a straightforward drive. Traffic on I-97, especially around rush hour or a Bay Bridge-bound weekend, can add real time on top of that baseline.

Best Ways to Travel From Baltimore to Annapolis

Driving

The fastest, most flexible option for most trips. I-97 South is a direct shot with no complicated routing, and the 36–42 minute drive time holds up well outside of peak traffic windows.

Bus

Maryland Transit operates a real, direct bus connection: Route 215/LocalLink 70, running between Russell St & Bush St in Baltimore and West St & Church Cir in Annapolis. One-way fare runs around $2, with the direct trip taking roughly an hour — a genuinely useful budget option if you don't need a car and your schedule lines up with the MTA Maryland bus timetable. A connecting version of the trip via the Patapsco Light Rail Station exists too, though it runs considerably longer (over 2 hours) than the direct route.

Rideshare

Works well for a straightforward point-to-point trip, generally running close to the driving time (35–45 minutes depending on pickup/drop-off specifics) with pricing that fluctuates based on demand. Reasonable for a single traveler or couple; less cost-efficient once you're coordinating a group.

Private Car Service

A scheduled private car service removes the two real variables of the other options: no bus schedule to plan around, and no rideshare surge pricing or driver availability to gamble on. For business travel, an event with a fixed arrival time, or a group, this is the option that trades a bit more cost for a predictable, door-to-door trip.

What Is the Best Route From Baltimore to Annapolis?

I-97 South is the route every source converges on as the fastest and most direct — a straightforward highway drive without complicated turns, making it the default choice for driving, rideshare, and private car service alike.

Baltimore to Annapolis for Airport, Business & Events

For business travel or an event with a fixed start time, the math shifts in favor of predictability over cost. A meeting, a conference, a government appointment — Annapolis being Maryland's state capital adds a steady stream of this kind of trip — or an evening event all share the same risk: traffic variability on I-97 or a bus that doesn't run on your exact schedule can turn a 40-minute trip into a stressful one if you're cutting it close.

A scheduled car service removes that variable entirely. You know your pickup time and your estimated arrival, regardless of what the bus timetable or rideshare surge pricing looks like that day.

Getting From BWI to Annapolis

If you're flying in rather than starting from downtown Baltimore, the trip is shorter: BWI Airport to Annapolis runs about 23–25 miles, roughly a 30-minute drive, confirmed directly by BWI's own regional-destinations page, with rideshare and taxi pickup available 24/7 from the lower level outside Doors #5 and #13.

For public transit, BWI's own site lays out a real, specific route: take the Light Rail from the Lower Level (Door #19) to the Patapsco station (about 20 minutes), then transfer to the LocalLink 70 bus southbound, exiting at West Street & Church Circle in Annapolis. Total fare runs about $3.80 for both legs combined ($1.90 per leg), with the full trip typically running 1.5 hours or more depending on connection timing.

For a faster, no-transfer option, private airport car service or rideshare covers the same distance in roughly 30–35 minutes — a real time savings worth weighing against the transit fare, especially with luggage or if your flight lands outside of regular bus hours.

How to Get Back From Annapolis to Baltimore

The return trip mirrors the outbound options: I-97 North for driving, the same Route 215/LocalLink 70 running the reverse direction, or a scheduled car service. If your day in Annapolis includes an evening event, dinner, or anything running past when the bus schedule gets sparse, booking a return car service in advance avoids being stuck without an easy way back — the same planning logic that applies to any evening trip dependent on a limited transit schedule.

Baltimore to Annapolis Transportation for Groups

For a group — a business team, a wedding party, a family gathering, or friends heading to an Annapolis event — a private group vehicle solves the coordination problem that driving separately or splitting into multiple rideshares creates. One pickup point, one vehicle, and everyone arrives (and leaves) together, without the group getting split up across separate cars on either end of the trip.

Frequently Asked Questions