Origin
Arlington, VA
Late night in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
5:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
29.9 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Belmont, VA
Magda Ehlers
This 29.9-mile drive from Arlington, VA to Belmont, VA is a manageable 43-minute trip, perfect for a single day. You'll primarily navigate using the Dulles Toll Road, Dulles Greenway, and Custis Memorial Parkway, with about 11% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this short excursion is around $5. Given its brevity and character, this route is best enjoyed as a straightforward day trip without the need for an overnight stay. You'll be staying within the Southeast region of Virginia for this entire drive.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dulles Toll Road | 14.7 mi | 19m |
| Dulles Greenway | 7.9 mi | 9m |
| Custis Memorial Parkway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Belmont Ridge Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Wilson Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Glebe Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Fairfax Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Belmont, VA.
Start on Wilson Boulevard
Turn slight right onto VA 120
Turn left onto Fairfax Drive
Continue on this road
Merge onto I 66
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto VA 267
Continue on VA 267
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto SR 659
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 27.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Fairfax Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road toward VA 267 West: Dulles Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road toward VA 267 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward VA 659: Belmont Ridge Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward VA 659 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.68 one way
$9.35 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.11 | $10.22 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.53 | $11.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.60 | $13.20 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.92
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$5
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 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 | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.19 | $1.91 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
5:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Belmont on Tuesday
Local time
5:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a route with a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile. While 11% of the drive utilizes highways, much of your time will be spent on local roads with frequent turns. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 14.7 miles on the Dulles Toll Road. This means you'll experience a dynamic driving experience, shifting between faster toll road segments and more intricate local road navigation. The character of the road will change as you progress, requiring your attention to be on navigating various intersections and road types.
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 0.7 miles in near Fairfax Drive.
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 10 decision points packed into just 29.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Fairfax Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Arlington (along with the cities of Falls Church to the west and Alexandria to the south) forms part of the urban conglomeration around Washington, D.C. - inside the beltway. In Northern Virginia, and directly across the Potomac River from D.C. proper, Arlington is one of America's most densely populated regions. It has a land area 26 sq mi (67 km2) and a population of 230,000. Despite its density, Arlington mixes the best of both big city and suburban environments. Like the greater Washington area, Arlington has grown over the last several decades in part due to growth of the federal government.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 29.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m 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.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Arlington, VA or browse trips ending in Belmont, VA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse VA road trips.