Origin
Alexandria, VA
Morning in Alexandria on Tuesday
Local time
6:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alexandria, VA to Reston, VA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
27.8 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alexandria, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Reston, VA
Eric Joseph
Trip Overview
Alexandria, VA to Reston, VA is 27.8 miles and takes about 40 minutes via Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, same-day trip primarily within Northern Virginia's Southeast region. Expect a drive that involves frequent turns and local road navigation rather than long highway stretches. It's a straightforward commute-like journey, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a lot of fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 12.5 mi | 15m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 5 mi | 6m |
| Leesburg Pike | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Baron Cameron Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Dulles Toll Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Washington Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Patrick Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Gibbon Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 12.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alexandria, VA and Reston, VA.
1
Start on VA 400
75 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Washington Street
2
Turn right onto King Street
314 ft
·
14 sec
·
King Street
3
Turn right onto South Saint Asaph Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Saint Asaph Street
4
Turn right onto Duke Street
334 ft
·
18 sec
·
Duke Street
5
Turn left onto VA 400
0.2 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Washington Street
6
Turn right onto Gibbon Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Gibbon Street
7
Turn left onto US 1
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
South Patrick Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
438 ft
·
10 sec
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West, I 95 North, I 495 East: Richmond, Baltimore
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 95; I 495
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Capital Beltway (Local)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
0.7 mi
·
47 sec
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on I 495
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Capital Beltway
Exit 170A
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
9.5 mi
·
11 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 45
Toward VA 267 Toll West: Reston, Herndon, Dulles Airport
Use the slight left lane.
15
Merge onto VA 267
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Dulles Toll Road
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
22 sec
17
Merge onto VA 267
263 ft
·
4 sec
·
Dulles Toll Road
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 16
Toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
20
Merge onto VA 7
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Leesburg Pike
21
Turn left onto SR 606
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Baron Cameron Avenue
Use the left lane.
22
Turn left onto Village Road
367 ft
·
15 sec
·
Village Road
Use the left lane.
23
At end of road, turn right onto SR 4726
516 ft
·
23 sec
·
North Shore Drive
24
Turn left onto Washington Plaza North
228 ft
·
16 sec
·
Washington Plaza North
25
Arrive at destination
Washington Plaza North
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 235 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 21.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
0.9 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 495 West, I 95 North, I 495 East: Richmond, Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West, I 95 North, I 49...
8
1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, I 495 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West
8
19.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward VA 267 Toll West: Reston, Herndon, Dulles Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 45
Toward VA 267 Toll West: Reston, Herndon, Dulle...
9
20.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg Pike
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16
Toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg...
9
21.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.35 one way
$8.69 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.75 | $9.51 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.15 | $10.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.14 | $12.28 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.23
Dulles Toll Road
(1.1 mi)
$0.23
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.92 | $1.33 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.89 | $1.78 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Reston, VA
Morning in Reston on Tuesday
Local time
6:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
15 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
40m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is characterized by its turn-heavy local drive, with a 0% highway share. You'll navigate mostly on local roads, including sections of Leesburg Pike, interspersed with segments on the Capital Beltway and its local lanes. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.5 miles on the Capital Beltway. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience with frequent changes in speed and direction as you transition between different road types.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.5 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 23 decision points packed into just 27.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Alexandria, VA and Reston, VA, road signs point toward Herndon, Dulles Airport and Leesburg.
Herndon
19.1 mi in
|
~26m
Dulles Airport
19.1 mi in
|
~26m
Leesburg
20.9 mi in
|
~29m
About the Cities
Starting in Alexandria, VA
Full guide →Alexandria is a city in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., in the United States.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 27.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.5 miles on Capital Beltway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.23 in tolls one way, starting with Dulles Toll Road. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Reston, VA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Reston, VA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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