Howard County Transportation Guide: Columbia, Ellicott City and Beyond

Howard County Transportation: Built Around the Car, Close to Everything

Howard County occupies the middle ground between Baltimore and Washington, and that position defines how people move here. The county is laced with highways, close to BWI Marshall Airport and within reach of two major cities. It is also a place with no rail station in its largest community and a transit network that covers the basics rather than every trip. This guide covers the main towns, the roads that connect them and the situations where planning ahead pays off.

The Highway Grid

Five roads shape nearly every trip in the county.

• US-29 runs north to south through the heart of Columbia, continuing south toward Silver Spring and Washington and north to Ellicott City and I-70.
• I-95 runs along the eastern side of the county, the main artery to Baltimore and Washington.
• MD-32 sweeps across the southern and western parts of the county, linking Clarksville and the Columbia area with I-95, Fort Meade and Anne Arundel County.
• MD-100 begins at US-29 in Ellicott City and runs east past I-95 toward the airport area and Glen Burnie.
• MD-175 runs east from Columbia through Jessup toward Fort Meade.

US-1 parallels I-95 through Elkridge and Savage and carries much of the local commercial traffic. Rush-hour congestion is most noticeable on US-29 southbound in the morning, on I-95 in both directions, and on MD-32 near its major interchanges.

Columbia

Columbia is a planned community organized into villages, each with its own village center, connected by curving parkways rather than a street grid. Downtown Columbia, around the Mall in Columbia and the lakefront, is the commercial and entertainment core, and office parks line the MD-175 and Snowden River Parkway corridors.

Two things surprise visitors. First, the road layout is not intuitive, and street names are famously unusual, so allow a moment for navigation. Second, there is no rail service in Columbia itself. Commuters who want a train drive to a station elsewhere. For door-to-door options see Columbia limo service and BWI to Columbia.

Ellicott City

The county seat has two characters. Most of Ellicott City is suburban, spread along US-40, US-29 and MD-100. Old Ellicott City, the historic district, is a steep, narrow Main Street of stone buildings running down to the Patapsco River, full of shops and restaurants.

Parking in the historic district takes patience. Spaces are in a handful of public lots tucked behind and above Main Street, plus limited street parking, and they fill on weekend afternoons and during events. Main Street is narrow enough that stopping to unload holds up traffic. Many visitors find it easiest to be dropped at the top or bottom of the street and walk. See Ellicott City limo service.

Elkridge

Elkridge sits in the county's eastern corner along US-1, I-95 and MD-100, which makes it the Howard County community with the quickest access to BWI. It mixes older neighborhoods, newer developments and a large amount of warehouse and logistics space, so truck traffic on US-1 is a fact of life. See Elkridge limo service.

Clarksville

Clarksville, in the western part of the county along MD-108 and MD-32, is a community of larger lots, horse farms and newer neighborhoods. Transit is minimal out here, and on-demand rides may take longer to arrive than they do in Columbia. Residents typically plan airport rides and evening events in advance. See Clarksville limo service.

Fulton and Maple Lawn

In the southern part of the county where US-29 meets MD-216, Maple Lawn is a mixed-use development of offices, homes, shops and restaurants that has become a business address in its own right. Its position on US-29 gives it a direct route toward Silver Spring and Washington, and it draws employees from both Howard and Montgomery counties. See Fulton limo service.

Savage

Savage is a small historic mill town near the junction of US-1 and MD-32. Historic Savage Mill, a restored textile mill complex, now houses shops, studios and event space and is a popular wedding venue. Nearby, MARC Camden Line commuter trains stop on the county's eastern edge, with service oriented to weekday commuting hours.

Transit: RTA Buses and Commuter Options

Local bus service is provided by the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland, known as RTA, with routes linking Columbia's village centers, the Mall, Ellicott City, Laurel and nearby employment areas. Commuter buses operated by the state run to Baltimore and Washington at peak hours. These services work for regular commutes along their corridors. They are less suited to trips with luggage, late nights or destinations off the route map, so check current schedules before relying on them.

For rail, Howard County residents generally drive to a MARC station on the Camden Line along the county's eastern edge, to a Penn Line station in Anne Arundel County such as the BWI Rail Station or Odenton, or to a Metro station in Montgomery or Prince George's County.

Merriweather Post Pavilion Nights

Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater set in the woods of Downtown Columbia, and on show nights it changes traffic across the center of town. Parking is spread among surrounding lots and garages, the roads near the Mall slow well before doors open, and leaving after the encore takes time as thousands of cars converge on the same few parkways.

Rideshare works for getting there, though pickup after the show can mean a wait as demand spikes. For a group, a pre-arranged vehicle with a set meeting point keeps everyone together and takes driving out of the evening. See Merriweather Post Pavilion transportation.

Airport Access

Howard County's location pays off when you fly.

• BWI is the home airport, reached by MD-100 or MD-175 to I-95 and I-195, or by MD-32 toward the Parkway. From Elkridge it is a very short drive; from Columbia and Ellicott City a bit longer; from Clarksville and the western county, longer still, depending on traffic.
• Reagan National is reached by US-29 or I-95 south and then through or around Washington. Allow for Beltway and downtown congestion.
• Dulles is the farthest, typically by way of the Capital Beltway into Northern Virginia. For international departures, leave a generous margin.

Our airport transportation guide compares the three in detail.

Where BWI Chauffeur Fits

BWI Chauffeur has operated since 2014 from an office next door in Laurel. We provide flat-rate airport transfers confirmed before you ride with no surge pricing, real-time flight tracking, hourly service, corporate accounts with monthly invoicing for the county's business parks, and Sprinter vans and limousines for weddings and concert nights. Car seats are available on request.

Neighboring areas are covered in the BWI corridor guide and the Baltimore neighborhoods guide. To reserve, book online or call our 24/7 dispatch at 877-609-1919.