Traveling from Arlington to Lawrenceville covers approximately 174.2 miles across the Southeast region of Virginia. Expect to spend about 3 hours and 34 minutes behind the wheel, making this a very manageable one-day trip that does not require an overnight stay. You should budget roughly $28 for fuel to complete the journey. Since this route relies on local roads rather than major interstates, it offers a distinct change of pace from typical high-speed travel. Whether you are heading south for business or a weekend visit, the direct nature of this drive makes it a straightforward trek for any driver.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
87.1 miles from Arlington, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 46m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 95
58.4 mi
1h 5m
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
52.8 mi
1h 2m
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
42.2 mi
50m
Old Stage Road
12.4 mi
18m
Governor Harrison Parkway
2.9 mi
3m
North Glebe Road
2.4 mi
6m
US 58 Business
1.7 mi
3m
North Oakland Street
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 58.4 mi, about 1h 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Lawrenceville, 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: RichmondUse 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
36 mi·43 min·Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Exit 1AToward I 95 South: RichmondUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
58 mi·1 hr 5 min·I 95
Use the straight lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
24 mi·30 min·Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 85
29 mi·32 min·Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Exit 51Toward I 85 South, US 460 West: DurhamUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·39 sec
Exit 39Toward SR 712: RawlingsUse the slight right lane.
14
Turn left onto SR 712
12 mi·18 min·Old Stage Road
15
Turn right onto US 58
2.9 mi·3 min·Governor Harrison Parkway
16
Take the exit onto US 58 Business
0.2 mi·27 sec·US 58 Business
17
Keep slight right at fork onto US 58 Business
1.5 mi·3 min·US 58 Business
18
At end of road, turn right onto US 58 Business; VA 46
10 ft·0 sec·West Hicks Street
19
Arrive at destination
US 58 Business; VA 46
Trip Plan
Given the local nature of these roads, plan for a departure that avoids peak traffic hours to keep your travel time closer to the 3-hour and 34-minute estimate. You only need to build in one stop to stay refreshed throughout the 174.2-mile journey. Since you are navigating local streets, keep a close eye on your navigation system to ensure you don't miss any turns on the smaller connectors like North Pershing Drive. Having your $28 fuel budget ready before you leave will help you stay focused on the road ahead. Flexibility is your biggest advantage here, so feel free to adjust your pace to suit local road conditions as they change.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 87.1 miles from Arlington, VA, or about 1h 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 58.4 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 38 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 87.1 miles or 1h 46m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 52m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lawrenceville, VA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Arlington, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Arlington, VA
This is one driving day of about 174.2 miles and 3h 34m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 38 miles from Arlington, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 95 for about 58.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 17
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.3 and 156.9 — 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
6
45.7 mi into trip|~59m in|I 95
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
9
128.1 mi into trip|~2h 36m in|I 85 / Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto I 85 / Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike toward I 85 South, US 460 West: Durham
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 51
Toward I 85 South, US 460 West: Durham
7
156.9 mi into trip|~3h 8m in
Take the exit toward SR 712: Rawlings
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 39
Toward SR 712: Rawlings
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$27.24 one way
$54.48 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg61 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$29.79
$59.57
premium
$4.70
$32.24
$64.48
diesel
$5.61
$38.46
$76.92
Estimated Tolls: $3.70
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
(28.8 mi)$2.02
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
(24 mi)$1.68
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$27
Tolls
$4
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 60.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
52.3
0
$18.29
$8.36
Efficient EV
43.6
0
$15.24
$6.97
EV Truck/SUV
69.7
0
$24.39
$11.15
Gas CO2
61 kg
EV CO2
20 kg (67% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Arlington, VA
Morning
in Arlington on Sunday
Local time
10:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Lawrenceville, VA
Morning
in Lawrenceville on Sunday
Local time
10:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
23 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
3h 34m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Unlike a standard interstate cruise, this route utilizes North Oakland Street, North Pershing Drive, and North Glebe Road to navigate the landscape. With a highway share of 0%, you won't experience long, monotonous stretches of high-speed pavement here. Instead, the road demands your full attention as you transition through the local infrastructure. You will find that the personality of this drive is defined by constant movement rather than straight-line speed.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 58.4 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. 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 Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 174.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 45.7 miles (I 95): 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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 34m. Total distance: 174.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 58.4 miles on I 95. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $3.70 in tolls one way, starting with Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. 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.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Lawrenceville, VA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 1 rest area along the route for bathroom stops.
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 45.7 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 3.6 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Lawrenceville, VA, but most travelers stay overnight.
