Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
23 mi
37 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
Lake Ridge, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Arlington, VA to Lake Ridge, VA is 23 miles and takes about 36 minutes via Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Southeast region of Virginia, making it a straightforward trip without significant geographical changes. It's a practical route for moving between these two nearby communities, primarily utilizing surface roads for the majority of the travel. Consider this for a quick relocation or a simple point-to-point drive.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 15.6 mi | 19m |
| Old Bridge Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| North Glebe Road | 2.4 mi | 6m |
| North Oakland Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Antietam Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Gordon Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Pershing Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Woodfern Court | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Lake Ridge, 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 123
Turn left onto SR 641
Turn right onto SR 2185
Turn right onto Woodfern Court
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.3 and 22.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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 123 North: Occoquan, Lake Ridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto Woodfern Court
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.19 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.93 | $7.87 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.26 | $8.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.08 | $10.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.01 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Morning in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
8:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Scattered Rain Showers
Destination
Morning in Lake Ridge on Tuesday
Local time
8:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°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
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.
This route is almost entirely surface roads, with 0% highway driving. You'll be on surface streets for the whole 23 miles. The longest continuous stretch without a significant turn or change in road type is 15.6 miles on Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway. Expect frequent intersections and traffic signals typical of urban and suburban driving.
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.
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 23 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
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.
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 36m. Total distance: 23 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m 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.
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