Trip from Chesapeake, VA to Reston, VA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

4h 6m

Distance

203.9 mi

328 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$32

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min

4 AM

3h 54m ★

6 AM

4h 7m

8 AM

4h 33m

10 AM

4h 16m

12 PM

4h 13m

3 PM

4h 17m

5 PM

4h 31m

8 PM

3h 59m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Chesapeake, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Reston, VA

Eric Joseph

Trip Overview

This 203.9-mile drive from Chesapeake, VA to Reston, VA is best tackled in a single day, taking approximately 4 hours and 6 minutes. You'll primarily be on major highways, including I-95 and I-64, making it a straightforward journey. With a projected fuel cost of around $32, this trip is budget-friendly for a single-day excursion. The route stays within the Southeast region, offering a consistent travel experience. It's a practical option if you're looking for an efficient drive without needing an overnight stop.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

101.9 miles from Chesapeake, VA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 5m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 95	82.3 mi	1h 33m
I 64	61.1 mi	1h 7m
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway	11.9 mi	12m
Capital Beltway	10.5 mi	12m
Hampton Roads Beltway	9.6 mi	12m
Leesburg Pike	4.6 mi	6m
Granby Street	4 mi	9m
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel	3.5 mi	4m

Longest stretch: I 95 — 82.3 mi, about 1h 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chesapeake, VA and Reston, VA.

Start on D Street

412 ft · 20 sec · D Street

At end of road, turn right onto US 460; VA 166

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Poindexter Street

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 18 sec

Toward I 464 North

Merge onto I 464

1.2 mi · 1 min · I 464

Keep slight left at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min

Exit 6B Toward I 264 East: Waterside Drive, Saint Paul Boulevard, Downtown, Norfolk Use the slight left lane.

Keep slight left at fork onto US 460 ALT

0.2 mi · 26 sec · US 460 ALT

Exit 9 Toward Waterside Drive, St Paul's Boulevard Use the slight left lane.

Keep slight left at fork onto US 460 ALT

0.3 mi · 53 sec · US 460 ALT

Toward Saint Paul's Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn right onto US 460 ALT

0.6 mi · 1 min · Saint Pauls Boulevard

Use the straight / right lanes.

Continue on US 460

1.2 mi · 2 min · Monticello Avenue

Turn left onto US 460

486 ft · 13 sec · Church Street

Continue on US 460

4.0 mi · 9 min · Granby Street

Use the left lane.

Turn left

0.2 mi · 26 sec

Toward I 64

Merge onto I 64

3.8 mi · 5 min · Hampton Roads Beltway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 64; US 60

3.5 mi · 4 min · Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

Continue on I 64; US 60

5.9 mi · 7 min · Hampton Roads Beltway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 64

61 mi · 1 hr 7 min · I 64

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 32 sec

Exit 200 Toward I 295, US 60: Washington, Rocky Mount NC Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork

1.3 mi · 2 min

Toward I 295 North: Washington Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 295

12 mi · 12 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Take the exit

2.4 mi · 2 min

Exit 43A Toward I 95 North: Washington Use the slight left lane.

Merge onto I 95

46 mi · 49 min · I 95

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; US 17

1.6 mi · 1 min · I 95; US 17

Keep slight left at fork

1.0 mi · 1 min

Merge onto I 95

35 mi · 41 min · I 95

Use the slight left lane.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 395

0.6 mi · 52 sec · Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway

Exit 170A; 170B Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner Use the straight / slight left lanes.

Take the exit

1.4 mi · 1 min

Exit 170B Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner Use the slight right lane.

Merge onto I 495

1.0 mi · 1 min · Capital Beltway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495

9.5 mi · 11 min · Capital Beltway

Use the straight lane.

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec

Exit 45 Toward VA 267 Toll West: Reston, Herndon, Dulles Airport Use the slight left lane.

Merge onto VA 267

1.1 mi · 1 min · Dulles Toll Road

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 22 sec

Merge onto VA 267

263 ft · 4 sec · Dulles Toll Road

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec

Exit 16 Toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg Pike Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 17 sec

Toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto VA 7

4.6 mi · 6 min · Leesburg Pike

Turn left onto SR 606

1.6 mi · 3 min · Baron Cameron Avenue

Use the left lane.

Turn left onto Village Road

367 ft · 15 sec · Village Road

Use the left lane.

At end of road, turn right onto SR 4726

516 ft · 23 sec · North Shore Drive

Turn left onto Washington Plaza North

228 ft · 16 sec · Washington Plaza North

Arrive at destination

Washington Plaza North

Trip Plan

For this 4-hour drive, leaving early in the morning can help you avoid the bulk of traffic, especially as you approach the Northern Virginia area. With only one recommended stop and a longest stretch of 82.3 miles, you can plan your breaks accordingly. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the $32 estimate is based on the full journey. Since this is a manageable one-day trip, you have the flexibility to depart when it suits you best, but be mindful of potential congestion on I-95 as you get closer to your destination.

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 101.9 miles from Chesapeake, VA, or about 2h 5m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 82.3 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 45 miles or 1h 1m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 101.9 miles or 2h 5m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 18m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Reston, VA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Chesapeake, 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 Chesapeake, VA

This is one driving day of about 203.9 miles and 4h 6m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 45 miles from Chesapeake, 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 82.3 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

census designated place in Henrico County, Virginia, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

East Highland Park, VA

102 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

Williamsburg, VA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 45 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ashland, VA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 101.9 miles from Chesapeake, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 95 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 82.3 miles.

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 33

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 197.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

1.8 mi into trip | ~2m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 264 East: Waterside Drive, Saint Paul Boulevard, Downtown, Norfolk

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Exit 6B Toward I 264 East: Waterside Drive, Saint Paul...

2.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | US 460 ALT

Keep slight left at fork onto US 460 ALT toward Waterside Drive, St Paul's Boulevard

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Exit 9 Toward Waterside Drive, St Paul's Boulevard

182.7 mi into trip | ~3h 36m in | I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 170A; 170B Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Ty...

197 mi into trip | ~3h 54m in

Take the exit toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg Pike

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 16 Toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg...

197.3 mi into trip | ~3h 55m in

Keep slight right at fork toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$31.89 one way

$63.77 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 71 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.34	$34.86	$69.73
premium	$4.70	$37.74	$75.48
diesel	$5.61	$45.02	$90.04

Estimated Tolls: $0.23

Dulles Toll Road (1.1 mi) $0.23

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

$32

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$57–$82

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 71.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	61.2	0	$21.41	$9.79
Efficient EV	51	0	$17.84	$8.16
EV Truck/SUV	81.6	1	$28.55	$13.05

Gas CO2

71 kg

EV CO2

24 kg (66% 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 20, 2026

Origin

Chesapeake, VA

Morning in Chesapeake on Tuesday

Local time

10:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Reston, VA

Morning in Reston on Tuesday

Local time

10:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

51°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

22 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

4h 6m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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 drive for this trip, with 71% of the route utilizing major interstates. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 82.3 miles on I-95, so be prepared for extended periods of high-speed travel. The Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway is also part of your journey. This profile suggests a journey where efficiency is key, with less emphasis on winding country roads and more on covering ground quickly.

71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

40 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 82.3 mi on I 95.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and I 64. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 33 significant decision points across 203.9 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 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.5 miles (US 460 ALT): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 182.7 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Chesapeake, VA and Reston, VA, road signs point toward Rocky Mount and Tysons Corner.

Rocky Mount

83.3 mi in | ~1h 43m

Tysons Corner

182.7 mi in | ~3h 36m | via I 395

About the Cities

Starting in Chesapeake, VA

Full guide →

Chesapeake is a town of 245,000 people (2019) in the Hampton Roads region of Eastern Virginia. Chesapeake is a diverse city in which a few urban areas are located; it also has many square miles of protected farmland, forests, and wetlands, including a substantial portion of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

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 4h 6m. Total distance: 203.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 82.3 miles on I 95. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.23 in tolls one way, starting with Dulles Toll Road. 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.

We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.

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 Reston, 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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.

Possible but tiring. At 4.1 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.2 hours — manageable with a long break at Reston, VA, but most travelers stay overnight.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Trip from Chesapeake, VA to Reston, VA

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Chesapeake, VA

Reston, VA

Same local time

22 degrees cooler at arrival

4h 6m on the road

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

About the Cities

Starting in Chesapeake, VA

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

How do I pay the tolls on this route?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Should I avoid arriving after dark?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

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