Maryland Route 316 (MD 316) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Appleton Road, the state highway runs 2.67 miles (4.30 km) from MD 279 in Elkton north to MD 277 in Elk Mills in northeastern Cecil County. MD 316 was constructed in two sections in the early 1910s from Elkton to Elk Mills and in early 1920s north of Elk Mills. The state highway was extended south to its present terminus when MD 279 moved to a new alignment north of Elkton in the early 1960s. The northern terminus was moved south to MD 277 in the late 1960s.

MD 316 begins at an intersection with MD 279 (Elkton Road) in Elkton just north of MD 279's crossing of Big Elk Creek. The state highway heads northeast past scattered residences and Gilpin Manor Memorial Park and twice crosses a tributary of Big Elk Creek. MD 316 intersects Belle Hill Road as the highway ascends onto a ridge separating Big Elk Creek from the Christina River, which are parts of the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay drainage basins, respectively. The state highway crosses Interstate 95 (I-95) with no access and passes between a distribution facility and a quarry before reaching its northern terminus east of Elk Mills at MD 277, which heads west as Elk Mills Road and east as Fletchwood Road. Appleton Road continues north along the ridge as a county highway toward the hamlet of Appleton in the northeast corner of Cecil County.

MD 316 was paved as a state-aid road known as Barksdale Road from the northern limit of Elkton to MD 277 by 1915. Another section of highway known as Cowentown Road was planned to begin construction in 1917, but it was cancelled due to World War I. That disjoint portion of MD 316 was constructed from just south of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (now CSX) north to Barksdale Road, including a bridge over the railroad tracks, by 1923. What is now MD 316 south of Belle Hill Road was originally MD 279, which followed Belle Hill Road northeast to its present alignment. The segment of county highway from MD 277 to near the B&O crossing was brought under state maintenance around 1950 to connect the two sections of state highway. In 1963, MD 316 was extended south to its present terminus when MD 279 was moved to a new alignment between Big Elk Creek and I-95. MD 316's northern terminus was rolled back to MD 277 in 1968.

The entire route is in Cecil County.