Baltimore's Historic Charles Street
A 12-mile city byway up Charles Street from Baltimore's Inner Harbor through Mount Vernon, Charles Village and Roland Park to Lutherville.
Also known as Charles Street National Scenic Byway
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source
- Length12 miles[2]
- Drive timeAbout one hour[2]
- RoadsCharles Street[2]
- Start and endBaltimore's Inner Harbor north to Lutherville[2]
- Fees and passesNo fees to drive the byway[1]Some museums along it are free; others charge.
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
Baltimore's Historic Charles Street runs about 12 miles from the Inner Harbor north to Lutherville. It's a city byway, best taken slowly, with museums, churches and historic neighborhoods along the way.
Mount Vernon Place has the 178-foot Washington Monument, the free Walters Art Museum and the George Peabody Library. Farther north, the Baltimore Museum of Art (also free) and the Homewood Museum sit by the Johns Hopkins campus, and Sherwood Gardens blooms with tulips each April.
Near the top, the Hampton National Historic Site tells the story of a Georgian estate and the enslaved and indentured people who worked there.
Stops along the way
-
Walters Art Museum
Free museum with art spanning more than 7,000 years.
Official information · 39.297, -76.61602 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Baltimore Museum of Art
Free museum with the world's largest Matisse collection.
Official information · 39.32582, -76.61972 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Homewood Museum
Federal-style house from 1801 on the Johns Hopkins campus.
Official information · 39.32975, -76.61894 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Sherwood Gardens
Garden known for its April tulips.
Official information · 39.34143, -76.61395 · about 0.2 mi from the route line
-
Hampton National Historic Site
Georgian mansion and grounds near the north end.
Official information · 39.41632, -76.58765 · about 2.2 mi from the route line
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Food along the way
Farmers markets within about 25 miles
- Pratt Street Farmers Market, MD · about 0.1 mi from the route
- State Center Community Farmers' MarketBaltimore, MD · about 0.2 mi from the route
- 32nd Street/Waverly, MD · about 0.4 mi from the route
- University Farmers Market, MD · about 0.4 mi from the route
- Kenilworth Farmers MarketTowson, MD · about 0.6 mi from the route
Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.
Sources
- America's Byways: Baltimore's Historic Charles Street (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Baltimore's Historic Charles Street scenic byway (Visit Maryland, Maryland Office of Tourism) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).