Origin
Arlington, VA
Afternoon in Arlington on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington, VA to Petersburg, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
56.4 mi
91 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Petersburg, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This efficient 56.4-mile drive from Arlington, VA to Petersburg, VA takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. With 92% of the journey on highways, you'll experience a predominantly fast-paced travel profile. The estimated fuel cost is around $9, which is quite budget-friendly for a trip of this length. This route is ideal if you're looking for a straightforward connection between two points within the Southeast region, requiring no overnight stops. You can easily complete this drive and be back home or at your next destination the same day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Custis Memorial Parkway | 51.7 mi | 1h |
| John Marshall Highway | 3 mi | 5m |
| Wilson Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Glebe Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Leeds Manor Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Fairfax Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Custis Memorial Parkway
— 51.7 mi, about 1h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Petersburg, VA.
1
Start on Wilson Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Wilson Boulevard
2
Turn slight right onto VA 120
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Glebe Road
Use the right lane.
3
Turn left onto Fairfax Drive
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Fairfax Drive
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Toward I 66 Toll West
5
Merge onto I 66
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Custis Memorial Parkway
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 66
48 mi
·
56 min
·
Custis Memorial Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 18
Toward SR 688: Markham
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn left onto SR 688
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Leeds Manor Road
9
Turn right onto VA 55
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
John Marshall Highway
10
Arrive at destination
VA 55
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.2 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 53.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
VA 120 / North Glebe Road
Turn slight right onto VA 120 / North Glebe Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Fairfax Drive
Turn left onto Fairfax Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 66 / Custis Memorial Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 66 / Custis Memorial Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
53 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
Take the exit toward SR 688: Markham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 18
Toward SR 688: Markham
4
53.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
VA 55 / John Marshall Highway
Turn right onto VA 55 / John Marshall Highway
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.82 one way
$17.64 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.64 | $19.29 |
| premium | $4.70 | $10.44 | $20.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.45 | $24.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.92 | $2.71 |
| Efficient EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.94 | $2.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.6 | 0 | $7.90 | $3.61 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Petersburg, VA
Afternoon in Petersburg on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Gainesville, VA
28 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
35 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
1h 10m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of this 56.4-mile trip. You'll spend most of your time on roads like the Custis Memorial Parkway and John Marshall Highway, which contribute to its 92% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 51.7 miles on the Custis Memorial Parkway, meaning you can settle in for a good period of consistent driving. This profile suggests a relatively smooth and direct journey, with minimal distractions from local traffic or slower roads once you're on the main thoroughfares.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 51.7 mi on Custis Memorial Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Custis Memorial Parkway and John Marshall Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near VA 120 / North Glebe Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 10m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (VA 120 / North Glebe Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Fairfax Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (I 66 / Custis Memorial Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Arriving in Petersburg, VA
Full guide →Petersburg is a city in Central Virginia.
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 1h 10m. Total distance: 56.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 51.7 miles on Custis Memorial Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.5 miles (VA 120 / North Glebe Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Fairfax Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (I 66 / Custis Memorial Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park and 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 Petersburg, 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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