MD 197 serves as the main connection between Bowie and Laurel in northern Prince George's County.

The route becomes a divided highway just south of its underpass of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail and its bridge across Horsepen Branch.

MD 197 meets the northern end of Old Laurel Bowie Road and enters the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

The highway passes the entrances to several research facilities of the wildlife refuge as well as the historic home Snowden Hall.

[1][2] Northwest of Powder Mill Road, which leads to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, MD 197 leaves the wildlife refuge and enters South Laurel.

The state highway meets the eastern end of Muirkirk Road then passes between Patuxent River Park on the east and the grounds of Montpelier Mansion on the west.

As the state highway bears to the northeast, Bowie Road splits to the north and the southbound direction drops to two lanes.

The remaining portions of MD 197 south of US 50 and north of the parkway are National Highway System principal arterials.

[7][9][10] MD 197 was extended south to US 301 along Collington Road, including a bridge across under-construction John Hanson Highway, in 1955.

[16] By 1983, a short segment of state-maintained divided highway connected the bridge to Jericho Park Road on either side of the railroad, including the main entrance to Bowie State University.

The highway's original interchange with US 50, a four-ramp partial cloverleaf with a loop from eastbound US 50, was completed in 1965.

[23] The interchange was rebuilt as the present six-ramp partial cloverleaf in 1990 and 1991 in conjunction with the expansion of both highways in Bowie.