Interstate 495 West - Silver Spring to Bethesda

Traffic from I-95 south joins Interstate 495 west ahead of Exit 28 to MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue). MD 650 is an arterial route joining Takoma Park with White Oak, Colesville and Cloverly.

07/14/24

The Federal Research Center lines north of the Capital Beltway along MD 212 (Powder Mill Road). The FDA White Oak Campus is located off MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) north of unincorporated Hillandale.

07/14/24

Reassurance marker posted for Interstate 495 west / outer ahead of the MD 212 (Riggs Road) over crossing at Knollwood.

12/30/24

A directional cloverleaf interchange links I-495 with MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) at Exit 28. New Hampshire Avenue extends north from Washington, D.C. through Takoma Park to Langley Park and the Capital Beltway at Hillandale.

07/14/24

Exit 28 A departs I-495 west beside Elton Road onto MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) north ahead of Powder Mill Road. Powder Mill Road leads east to become part of MD 212 (Riggs Road) at Knollwood. New Hampshire Avenue bends northwest to U.S. 29 (Columbia Pike). MD 650 extends to MD 108 (Laytonsville Road) at Etchison.

07/14/24

Interstate 495 west enters Montgomery County just beyond the Exit 28 A gore point. The beltway remains in the county for the remainder of its course in Maryland.

12/30/24

MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) runs south from Exit 28 B by Adelphi to Langley Park in Prince Georges County. Within D.C., New Hampshire Avenue heads southwest to intersect U.S. 29 (Georgia Avenue) at the Petworth section of the city.

07/14/24

A lane drop occurs along the Capital Beltway westbound ahead of the bridge across the Anacostia River Northwest Branch.

07/14/24

MD 193 (University Boulevard) continues northwest from MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) at Langley Park to meet Interstate 495 at a parclo interchange (Exit 29).

12/30/24

I-495 west spans the Anacostia River Northwest Branch between the Hillandale Heights and Indian Spring Village subdivisions.

07/14/24

MD 193 (University Boulevard) west provides the connection to U.S. 29 (Colesville Road) north from Interstate 495 west. There is only direct access onto U.S. 29 south from Exit 30.

12/30/24

U.S. 29 and MD 193 (University Boulevard) converge at Four Corners just north of the beltway. West from there, MD 193 continues to Wheaton and MD 97 before arcing back southward to Kensington.

07/14/24

University Boulevard constitutes a busy arterial between Wheaton and Langley Park. MD 193 follows the roadway east to the University of Maryland campus and College Park.

12/30/24

U.S. 29 (Colesville Road) meets I-495 at a three quarter cloverleaf interchange (Exit 30) south from MD 193 and Four Corners. U.S. 29 varies between an at-grade arterial and limited access freeway from MD 99 at Mount Hebron south to Silver Spring.

07/14/24

Exit 30 loops onto U.S. 29 (Colesville Road) south. U.S. 29 enters Silver Spring nearby, meeting MD 97 and MD 410 before entering the capital city. Georgia Avenue leads the route south to Petworth and Howard University in D.C.

12/30/24

MD 97 follows Georgia Avenue northwest from U.S. 29 (Colesville) at Silver Spring to the three quarter cloverleaf interchange with the Capital Beltway at Exit 31.

07/14/24

Interstate 495 curves between Argyle Park and Sligo Creek Golf Course by this westbound shield assembly that was removed by 2019.

12/30/12

Crossing over both Sligo Creek Parkway and Sligo Creek, Interstate 495 advances west through Sligo Creek Park to Exit 31. MD 97 is part of a multi state route with PA 97 to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locally the arterial joins Silver Spring, Wheaton and Olney.

07/14/24

Exit 31 leaves I-495 west for MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) south to Downtown Silver Spring and north from Forest Glen to MD 193 (University Boulevard) at Wheaton.

07/14/24

MD 192 (Forest Glen Road) ties into Georgia Avenue just north of Interstate 495 from Kensington.

12/30/24

MD 355 (Rockville Pike) leads north from forthcoming Exit 34 to North Bethesda, where the Music Center at Strathmore and the Montgomery County Conference Center are located. Seminary Road, MD 391 until 1999, spans I-495 here.

12/30/24

The Mormon Temple at Bethesda appears above the tree line where Interstate 495 straddles Rock Creek Park.

12/30/24

Interstate 495 shifts southward across Rock Creek on the one mile leading to the six-ramp parclo interchange with MD 185 (Connecticut Avenue) at Exit 33.

12/30/24

MD 185 follows Connecticut Avenue north from the District of Columbia through Chevy Chase and Kensington to MD 97 at Aspen Hill.

07/14/24

MD 185 (Connecticut Avenue) extends 8.30 miles north from Washington, DC to MD 97 (Georgia Avenue).

07/14/24

Connecticut Avenue continues southeast into Washington, DC to Dupont Circle. Northward from Exit 33, MD 185 meets MD 547 (Knowles Avenue) in 1.5 miles at central Kensington.

07/14/24

Interstate 495 next meets MD 355 (Rockville Pike) and I-270 northwest to Rockville, Gaithersburg and Frederick.

07/14/24

Rockville Pike leads MD 355 south from the Capital Beltway to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.

12/30/24

The Capital Beltway weaves through portions of Rock Creek Park toward MD 355 (Rockville Pike). MD 355 comprises a heavily traveled arterial south through Bethesda and Friendship Heights to the District of Columbia line. Rockville Pike continues the state route northwest to Garrett Park, Montrose and Rockville.

07/14/24

Exit 34 departs westbound I-495 just ahead of the wye interchange (Exit 35) with Interstate 270. MD 355 follows the historic route of U.S. 240 between Washington and Frederick. I-270 supplanted U.S. 240, which was decommissioned in 1972 (Anderson, n.d.).

07/14/24

The roadways for Rockville Pike (MD 355) partition above I-495 where Exit 35 separates for Interstate 270. I-270 travels west initially, meeting MD 187 south of Montrose, before turning northwest to Rockville, Gaithersburg and Frederick.

07/14/24

The Washington Metro Blue Line runs between the roadways for Rockville Pike, spanning the Capital Beltway above Exit 35.

07/14/24

I-495 continues west to I-270 Spur while Interstate 270 branches 33 miles northwest to I-70 and U.S. 40 in Frederick. I-270 historically was designated as Interstate 70S between the Capital Beltway and Frederick.

07/14/24

A diamond interchange (Exit 36) joins I-495 with MD 187 (Old Georgetown Road) between Bethesda and North Bethesda.

12/30/12

MD 187 (Old Georgetown Road) overall comprises a 5.46 mile loop west from MD 355 (Rockville Pike) between the business districts of Bethesda and North Bethesda.

12/30/12

MD 187 (Old Georgetown Road) meets Interstate 270, 1.1 miles to the north. Democracy Boulevard stems west from MD 187 in 0.7 miles to I-270 Spur by Westfield Montgomery Mall and Cabin John Stream Valley Park.

12/30/12

I-270 Spur overtakes the Capital Beltway at the wye interchange where Interstate 495 turns south.

12/30/12

The Capital Beltway outer loop expands to five overall lanes south from the end of I-270 Spur. MD 190 (River Road) is the first of the last three exits from I-495 southbound on the Maryland side of the Potomac.

07/28/25

Clara Barton Parkway, a limited-access route along the Potomac River, is accessible in the eastbound direction via Exit 40 / Cabin John Parkway south and in the westbound direction directly from Exit 41.

07/28/25

MD 190 (River Road) comprises a multi-lane arterial eastward from Exit 39 to Somerset, Friendship Heights and the District of Columbia line. Cabin John Parkway constitutes a limited-access route between Exit 40 and Clara Barton Parkway east at Glen Echo.

07/28/25

West from I-495, MD 190 continues to Campbell Corner and Potomac. The state route travels 15.88 miles overall from Washington, DC to MD 112 (Seneca Road) at Seneca.

07/28/25

A lane drop occurs along Interstate 495 south at the collector distributor roadway (Exit 40) for Cabin John Parkway (I-495X).

07/28/25

Cabin John Parkway branches 1.70 miles southeast from Exit 40 along Cabin John Park to Clara Barton Parkway south at Glen Echo. Clara Barton Parkway continues along the Potomac River to the Chain Bridge and Canal Road in west Washington. Like other DC area Parkways, commercial trucks are prohibited along both roadways.

07/28/25

A three quarter cloverleaf interchange joins Interstate 495 with MD 190 (River Road) at Exit 39.

07/28/25

Inventoried as I-495X by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), Cabin John Parkway runs between wye interchanges with I-495 and Clara Barton Parkway. Access to Glen Echo is via a U-turn ramp along Clara Barton Parkway for MacArthur Boulevard near the Clara Barton House and MD 614 (Goldsboro Road).

07/28/25

Interstate 495 arcs southwest around Cabin John to Carderock and a directional cloverleaf interchange (Exit 41) with Clara Barton Parkway. Access is only available to Clara Barton Parkway west to Cropley and Great Falls from the outer loop.

07/28/25

Persimmon Tree Road (former MD 191) crosses over Interstate 495 a half mile north of Exit 41 near Carderock. MacArthur Boulevard parallels Clara Barton Parkway from 1.75 miles to the west, east to Carderock and Persimmon Tree Road (former MD 191).

07/28/25

MacArthur Boulevard overtakes Clara Barton Parkway west of the Naval Surface Warefare Center Carderock Division. Following C & O Canal National Historic Park, MacArthur Boulevard continues 3.4 miles west from there to Cropley, Truxton and Great Falls.

07/28/25

I-495 crosses the Potomac River ahead of Exit 43 with the north end of George Washington Memorial Parkway. The limited access parkway straddles the Potomac River southeast to Langley, Rosslyn and Arlington.

07/28/25

The American Legion Bridge over the Potomac River is a nondescript span opened to traffic in December 1962 (Kozel, 2007)/

07/28/25