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Major city · United States

Beltsville

Skip as a base: Beltsville is a Route 1 strip of research farms, motels and one music shop. Stay only if you need cheap parking near Greenbelt or BWI.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Beltsville is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, split by US-1 (Baltimore Avenue) and the Beltway, about 25 minutes from Washington, DC by car and 25 minutes from BWI. Almost everything public-facing sits along Route 1. The land around it is dominated by the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the Patuxent Research Refuge, so the draw is green space and cheap beds, not a town centre. Most travellers use it as a motel stop or a half-day refuge walk, then sleep in College Park or Greenbelt.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (humid), late Dec–Feb (ice on trails)
Airports
BWI · DCA · IAD
Nights
1
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide

Checking your follows…
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Beltsville911 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Beltsville, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$2–5
  • Sit-down mealbefore tax and tip$18–35
  • Beerbar draught / six-pack at a store$6–9$10–14
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–30
  • Budget bedRoute 1 motel double room, a night, per roomUS$70
  • Mid-range bedRoute 1 motel double room, a night, per roomUS$110
  • High-end bedRoute 1 motel double room, a night, per roomUS$180

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$60 · Mid US$110 · High US$200

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Beltsville Agricultural Research CenterPatuxent Research RefugeRoute 1 motel stripAtomic Music used-gear shop
Airports
BWI Baltimore-Washington International (About 25 min north on the B-W Parkway; express bus links BWI to Greenbelt Metro.) · DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National (About 30 min south via the B-W Parkway through Washington, DC; Metro from DCA to Greenbelt.) · IAD Washington Dulles International (About 64 km (40 mi) west in Virginia; bus to a Metro station, then to Greenbelt.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    6°C (43°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    8°C (46°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    13°C (55°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    19°C (66°F)

  5. May

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    32°C (90°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    20°C (68°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    14°C (57°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid*

    8°C (46°F)

Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jul–Aug, Dec–Feb. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (32°C (90°F)), coolest Jan (−4°C (25°F) low), wettest May (11 rain days), driest Sep (8). Averages, not a forecast.

* only part of the month (early, mid or late).

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Beltsville: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C (43°F)

−4°C (25°F)

10 rd

Feb

8°C (46°F)

−3°C (27°F)

9 rd

Mar

13°C (55°F)

1°C (34°F)

10 rd

Apr

19°C (66°F)

6°C (43°F)

10 rd

May

24°C (75°F)

12°C (54°F)

11 rd

Jun

29°C (84°F)

17°C (63°F)

10 rd

Jul

32°C (90°F)

20°C (68°F)

10 rd

Aug

31°C (88°F)

19°C (66°F)

9 rd

Sep

27°C (81°F)

15°C (59°F)

8 rd

Oct

20°C (68°F)

8°C (46°F)

8 rd

Nov

14°C (57°F)

3°C (37°F)

9 rd

Dec

8°C (46°F)

−2°C (28°F)

10 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Car is the default: exits 23/25 off the Beltway (I-495/I-95) put you on US-1. Metrobus 89 runs from Greenbelt Metro straight into Beltsville on US-1. MARC Camden Line trains stop at Greenbelt and Muirkirk (north Beltsville) between Washington, DC and Baltimore. Sidewalks are patchy along Route 1 — assume you are driving.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Greenbeltgo

Door to door: About 20–30 min

Car 10 min south on US-1, or Metrobus 89 to Greenbelt Metro

New Deal planned town, Metro Green Line and the NASA Goddard visitor centre nearby.

College Park, Marylandgo

Door to door: About 20–30 min

Car 10 min south on US-1, or bus 89 then Metro

University of Maryland campus, more food and beds than Beltsville.

Laurel, Marylandgo

Door to door: About 20 min

Car north on US-1, about 15 min

Small historic main street and MARC access to Baltimore.

Washington, DC

go

Door to door: About 45–60 min

Car via the B-W Parkway, or bus 89 to Greenbelt then Metro Green Line

Do not drive in: park at Greenbelt Metro and ride in.

Baltimore

go

Door to door: About 1 h

MARC Camden Line from Greenbelt or Muirkirk, or drive I-95 north

MARC runs weekdays mainly; check the timetable before relying on it.

National Harborcaution

Door to door: About 45 min

Car via the Beltway and I-295/I-95 south

Better as a full afternoon than a quick hop; traffic on the Beltway decides it.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue) motel strip

The main cluster of beds; free parking, walkable to little else — you need a car or bus 89.

Powder Mill Road

Quieter motels north of the Beltway, close to the research centre; still car-first.

Greenbelt or College Park (just outside)

Better base if you want Metro, restaurants and a walkable centre; 10–15 min by car.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–100 excl. bed
Mid
$100–170 excl. bed
High
$170+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Route 1 motel double room1 × 1 night × US$110US$110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$110US$220
Rental car, one day, compact1 × US$65 · checkUS$65
Metrobus 89 single ride2 × US$2 · checkUS$4
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$43
Trip total≈ US$236 per person per day, bed includedUS$472

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax added at checkout. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$2–5
Diner or fast-food meal$10–18
Sit-down meal, before tax and tip$18–35
Beer: bar draught / six-pack at a store$6–9 / $10–14
5 mi (8 km) rideshareSurge pricing at rush hour.$15–25
Gasoline, per gallon$3.00–3.80 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Suburban and generally calm; the real risks are Route 1 traffic, patchy sidewalks and unlit refuge trails at dusk. Lock the car and keep valuables out of sight on the motel strip.
  • Route 1 has fast traffic and gaps in the sidewalk: cross at signals only.
  • Most businesses are spread along US-1 with no real town centre; plan stops by car.
  • Patuxent Research Refuge trails can close for managed hunts and ice: check the refuge site before you drive out.
  • Motels on the strip vary a lot in condition; read recent reviews before booking a cheap room.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Prince George's County non-emergency police
301-352-1200
Poison control (24 h)
1-800-222-1222

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BeltsvilleBeltsville

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Prince George's County non-emergency police301-352-1200
  • Poison control (24 h)1-800-222-1222

Embassy

No embassies here; national embassies are in Washington, DC, about 30–45 min away.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Metrobus 89, Greenbelt Metro → Beltsville: about $2, 20–30 min (check)
  • Metro Green Line, Greenbelt → downtown DC: about $3–6 by distance, 30–40 min (check)
  • Rideshare, Beltsville → Greenbelt Metro: $12–18, 10–15 min (check)

Say or show

  • Where is the Metro station? — Where is the Metro station?
  • I have a reservation — I have a reservation
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is parking free here? — Is parking free here?
  • How long is the wait? — How long is the wait?

Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Beltsville. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (humid), late Dec–Feb (ice on trails) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contracts for BWI, DCA and IAD with last-bus and last-Metro cutoffs.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Route 1 strip, Powder Mill Road, Patuxent Research Refuge visitor centre.
  3. Place pages with verified hours for the refuge visitor centre and Atomic Music, plus eat pages with last orders.
  4. Greenbelt and College Park crossover fixtures so the 'sleep next door' advice is one tap.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources

Ask about Beltsville

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