Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
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
Dumfries, VA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Arlington, VA to Dumfries, VA covers 29.1 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, North Glebe Road, Dumfries Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.7 miles on Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.46 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 23.7 mi | 29m |
| North Glebe Road | 2.4 mi | 6m |
| Dumfries Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Richmond Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Oakland Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Pershing Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,166 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~291 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Dumfries, VA.
Start on Wilson Boulevard
Turn right onto North Oakland Street
Turn right onto North Pershing Drive
Turn left onto VA 120
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 395
Continue on I 395
Take the exit
Merge onto VA 234
Turn right onto US 1
Continue on US 1
Turn right onto Liberty Lane
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 27.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto North Oakland Street
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork toward I 395 South: Richmond, Quaker Lane
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 395 South: Richmond
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward VA 234 South: Dumfries
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.46 one way
$8.92 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $4.89 | $9.79 |
| premium | $4.64 | $5.31 | $10.62 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.41 | $12.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
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
Evening in Arlington on Friday
Local time
5:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Evening in Dumfries on Friday
Local time
5:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
29.1 mi in 42m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
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 early in the drive near North Oakland Street.
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 12 decision points packed into just 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Oakland Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
263 ft
Total Descent
500 ft
Highest Point
268 ft
Elevation Range
236 ft
Founded 1801
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.
Top landmarks
Founded 1749
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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