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Major city · United States

LaurelLaurel, Maryland

Skip as a base unless you have a reason: Laurel is a half-day stop between Washington and Baltimore, best paired with a Greenbelt or College Park stay.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), late Jan–Feb (ice)
Airports
BWI · DCA · IAD
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
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.

Laurel is a small residential city of about 30,000 on the Baltimore-Washington corridor, halfway between Washington and Baltimore on US-1 and the MARC Camden Line. Its draw is a compact historic Main Street with an industrial past, a free local museum, a fossil site, and a 2026 one-off: Laurel Park racetrack hosts the Preakness Stakes while Pimlico is rebuilt. Most travellers see it in three to four hours, or use it as a cheap bed between the two cities.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

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

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$3–6
  • Sit-down mealSit-down entree, mid-range$15–28
  • Street or quick mealPupusas or tacos at a US-1 taqueria$3–5 each
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at a store$6–9$2–4
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi or rideshareSurge pricing at peak hours.$12–20
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or mansion entry$0–5 (2026 estimate)
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$150
  • Mid-range bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$150
  • High-end bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$260

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$140 · High US$260

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

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.

Historic Main Street and the Laurel MuseumLaurel Park racetrack (Preakness Stakes host in 2026)Dinosaur Park fossil siteMontpelier MansionMARC Camden Line stop between Washington and Baltimore
Airports
BWI Baltimore-Washington International (About a 25-minute drive west via MD-295 (the Baltimore-Washington Parkway); allow more in rush hour.) · DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National (About 40–50 minutes by car via MD-295 and the DC line.) · IAD Washington Dulles International (Longest of the three, roughly 1 h 15 min by car.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Laurel: 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

−4°C

9 rd

Feb

8°C

−3°C

8 rd

Mar

13°C

1°C

10 rd

Apr

19°C

6°C

10 rd

May

24°C

12°C

11 rd

Jun

29°C

17°C

10 rd

Jul

32°C

20°C

10 rd

Aug

31°C

19°C

9 rd

Sep

27°C

15°C

8 rd

Oct

20°C

9°C

8 rd

Nov

14°C

3°C

8 rd

Dec

8°C

−2°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

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

Getting around

A car is the practical choice: US-1 runs through the centre, I-95 and MD-295 flank it, and MD-198 links both highways to town. Without a car, the MARC Camden Line reaches Laurel and Laurel Racetrack stations, and Metrobus 89 or Connect-A-Ride H run from Greenbelt Metro into Laurel on US-1. Inside town, Main Street is walkable; everything else is a drive.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Greenbeltgo

Door to door: About 30 min

MD-295 south, about 15 min by car; or MARC Camden Line toward Washington

NASA Goddard and Greenbelt Park; easy half-day add-on.

College Parkgo

Door to door: About 40 min

US-1 south, about 20 min by car; MARC Camden Line also stops there

University of Maryland campus and the aviation museum.

Bowie

go

Door to door: About 45 min

MD-197 south then US-50 east, about 25 min by car

Bowie Baysox baseball and the railroad museum.

Beltsville

caution

Door to door: About 30 min

US-1 south, about 15 min by car

Mostly a farm and research stop; only worth it if you are already heading south.

Largo

caution

Door to door: About 50 min

MD-197 south to US-50 east, about 30 min by car

Six Flags America and the Metro Blue/Silver line; better as a full day.

National Harbor

go

Door to door: About 1 h

MD-295 south to I-495/I-95 east, about 40 min by car

Waterfront dining and the Capital Wheel; go for an afternoon.

Hyattsville

caution

Door to door: About 50 min

MD-295 south then US-1, about 30 min by car

Arts district and restaurants; a short evening trip.

Baltimorego

Door to door: About 1 h

MARC Camden Line from Laurel station, about 35–45 min; or I-95 north by car

Inner Harbor, Fort McHenry and Camden Yards; check the MARC schedule, it is weekday-heavy.

Washington, DCgo

Door to door: About 1 h

MARC Camden Line to Union Station, about 40 min; or MD-295 south by car

The main reason to sleep here: DC sights without DC hotel prices.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Main Street / Old Laurel

Historic district, walkable to the museum, cafés and restaurants; few beds, mostly small inns.

Baltimore Avenue (US-1) corridor

Chain hotels with parking, 5–10 min drive from Main Street; best value for a car trip.

Near Laurel MARC station

Pick this if you arrive by train and want to walk to the platform.

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
$110–180 excl. bed
High
$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Chain-hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$150US$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$140US$280
MARC Camden Line, Laurel to Washington Union Station, one way2 × US$8 · 2026 estimateUS$16
Rental car, one day, compact1 × US$60 · 2026 estimateUS$60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$54
Trip total≈ US$295 per person per day, bed includedUS$590

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax is added at checkout and is not included. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Pupusas or tacos at a US-1 taqueria$3–5 each
Sit-down entree, mid-range$15–28
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a store$6–9 / $2–4
5 km taxi or rideshareSurge pricing at peak hours.$12–20
MARC Camden Line ride, Laurel to Washington$8 (2026 estimate)
Museum or mansion entry$0–5 (2026 estimate)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Laurel is a normal Washington-suburb city: daytime Main Street is fine, and the usual advice applies after dark — stay on lit main roads, keep car doors locked at US-1 strip-mall lots, and use 911 for anything urgent.
  • Laurel Park closes permanently after Pimlico reopens in 2027, so the 2026 Preakness is a one-time window — check the official race site for dates and tickets.
  • Dinosaur Park's fenced fossil area opens only on the first and third Saturday of each month, noon–4pm; the garden and signs are open daily dawn–dusk.
  • The Laurel Museum keeps short hours (Wednesday and Friday mornings, Sunday afternoons) — check before you build a day around it.
  • Summer heat and humidity are real; carry water if you walk the Main Street stretch.
  • Suburban roads around US-1 have fast traffic and few crossings; use marked intersections.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Laurel Police (non-emergency)
301-498-0092
Poison Control (US)
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.

LaurelLaurel, Maryland

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Laurel Police (non-emergency)301-498-0092
  • Poison Control (US)1-800-222-1222

Embassy

No embassies in Laurel; national embassies are in Washington, DC, about 40 min by car or MARC plus Metro.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • MARC Camden Line, Laurel → Washington Union Station: about $8 one way, about 40 min (2026 estimate)
  • MARC Camden Line, Laurel → Baltimore Camden Station: about $8 one way, about 40 min (2026 estimate)
  • BWI → Laurel by taxi or rideshare: $35–55, about 25 min (2026 estimate)

Say or show

  • Where is the MARC station? — Where is the MARC station?
  • One ticket to Washington, please — One ticket to Washington, please
  • Is the museum open today? — Is the museum open today?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • How far is Main Street? — How far is Main Street?

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

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 Laurel. 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 (heat and humidity), late Jan–Feb (ice) · 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. 9 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BWI: last MARC and Metrobus departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Three walking clusters with rescue anchors: Main Street and the museum, Baltimore Avenue (US-1) hotels and food, Montpelier and Dinosaur Park.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Laurel Museum, Montpelier Mansion, Dinosaur Park, National Wildlife Visitor Center) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Preakness 2026 fixture so race-day gates can go green, plus a closure note for Laurel Park after 2027.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources