MD 144 heads east from downtown Frederick on two-lane undivided Patrick Street. The state highway crosses Carroll Creek and passes between a residential area to the south and the Frederick Fairgrounds to the north. MD 144 expands to a four-lane undivided street and continues east through an industrial area where the highway intersects Monocacy Boulevard, which is used to access westbound I-70 and Frederick Municipal Airport. Just before reaching I-70, the street's alignment continues straight as an unnamed road, unsigned MD 870G, that receives the westbound Exit 56 ramp from I-70 and is used to access Bowmans Farm Road. MD 144 reduces to two lanes and veers to the southeast to cross I-70 (Baltimore National Pike), then curves back to the original alignment ahead of ramps to and from eastbound I-70 at the intersection with Quinn Orchard Road.