Origin
Arlington, VA
Morning in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
6:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington, VA to Independent Hill, 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
50m
Distance
30.8 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Independent Hill, VA
Anthony Brown
Trip Overview
Arlington, VA to Independent Hill, VA is 30.8 miles and takes about 50m via Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Virginia, taking you from the Southeast region of the state to another part of the Southeast. Expect a route that involves frequent turns, characteristic of local driving, rather than a long, straight highway journey. It's a straightforward, same-day trip perfect for a quick excursion or commute without requiring an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 17.6 mi | 21m |
| Minnieville Road | 6.6 mi | 13m |
| North Glebe Road | 2.4 mi | 6m |
| Dumfries Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Caton Hill Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Bristow Road | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| North Oakland Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Prince William Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
— 17.6 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Independent Hill, VA.
1
Start on Wilson Boulevard
90 ft
·
8 sec
·
Wilson Boulevard
2
Turn right onto North Oakland Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Oakland Street
3
Turn right onto North Pershing Drive
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
North Pershing Drive
4
Turn left onto VA 120
2.4 mi
·
6 min
·
North Glebe Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 395 South: Richmond
6
Keep slight left at fork
315 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 395 South: Richmond, Quaker Lane
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward I 395 South: Richmond
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 395
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 395
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Exit 1A
Toward I 95 South: Richmond
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 158B
Toward VA 294 West: Prince William Parkway, Manassas, Potomac Mills, Strayer University Woodbridge Campus
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto VA 294
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Prince William Parkway
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward SR 849: Caton Hill Road
13
Continue on SR 849
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Caton Hill Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto SR 640
6.6 mi
·
13 min
·
Minnieville Road
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn right onto VA 234
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Dumfries Road
Use the right lane.
16
Turn left onto SR 846
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Bristow Road
17
Arrive at destination
SR 846
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 30.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.4 miles from Arlington, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 3.3 and 29.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 395 South: Richmond, Quaker Lane
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 395 South: Richmond, Quaker Lane
8
3.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 395 South: Richmond
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 395 South: Richmond
5
3.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
21.1 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward VA 294 West: Prince William Parkway, Manassas, Potomac Mills, Strayer University Woodbridge Campus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 158B
Toward VA 294 West: Prince William Parkway, Man...
6
29.2 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
VA 234 / Dumfries Road
Turn right onto VA 234 / Dumfries Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.82 one way
$9.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.27 | $10.53 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.70 | $11.40 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.80 | $13.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.31 | $1.97 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Independent Hill, VA
Morning in Independent Hill on Tuesday
Local time
6:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
51°F
Woodbridge, VA
15 mi in
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
10 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
50m 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 drive leans heavily towards local roads, with a highway share of 1, meaning you'll encounter more turns and varied traffic conditions. While there's a notable stretch of 17.6 miles on the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, the overall profile is a turn-heavy local drive. You'll likely experience a mix of quicker highway segments transitioning into more intricate local routes as you approach your destination. Be prepared for frequent adjustments in speed and direction, making it feel more like navigating a series of connected neighborhoods than a continuous highway cruise.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.6 mi on Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 3.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: 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; at 3.5 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Arlington, VA and Independent Hill, VA, road signs point toward Manassas, Potomac Mills and Strayer University Woodbridge Campus.
Manassas
21.1 mi in
|
~31m
Potomac Mills
21.1 mi in
|
~31m
Strayer University Woodbridge Campus
21.1 mi in
|
~31m
About the Cities
Starting in Arlington, VA
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m 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 17.6 miles on Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Independent Hill, 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 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; at 3.5 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Independent Hill, 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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