Origin
Chesapeake, VA
Late night in Chesapeake on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chesapeake, VA to Woodlake, 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
2h 24m
Distance
105.7 mi
170 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$17
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 14m
★
6 AM
2h 24m
8 AM
2h 44m
10 AM
2h 31m
12 PM
2h 29m
3 PM
2h 32m
5 PM
2h 43m
8 PM
2h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chesapeake, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Woodlake, VA
Daniel Żabiński
Trip Overview
This 105.7-mile drive from Chesapeake to Woodlake, Virginia, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 2 hours and 24 minutes. You'll navigate primarily along James River Drive, Colonial West, and the World War II Veterans Memorial Highway. With a fuel cost estimated at $17, this route offers an economical day trip within the Southeast region. Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' feel, meaning it's not a high-speed interstate journey but rather a more engaging local exploration. Since there are no specific stops recommended, you have the flexibility to tailor the experience to your preferences.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
52.8 miles from Chesapeake, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 12m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| James River Drive | 14.6 mi | 19m |
| Colonial Trail West | 13.3 mi | 15m |
| World War II Veterans Memorial Highway | 13 mi | 14m |
| Benns Church Boulevard | 12.1 mi | 15m |
| Colonial Trail East | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| Western Freeway | 7.4 mi | 9m |
| East Hundred Road | 6.6 mi | 9m |
| Bridge Road | 6.5 mi | 11m |
Longest stretch:
James River Drive
— 14.6 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chesapeake, VA and Woodlake, VA.
1
Start on D Street
412 ft
·
20 sec
·
D Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto US 460; VA 166
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Poindexter Street
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 464 North
4
Merge onto I 464
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 464
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Exit 6A
Toward I 264 West Toll: Downtown Tunnel, Portsmouth
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 264 West Toll: Tunnel
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 264; US 460 ALT
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
I 264; US 460 ALT
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 6
Toward VA 164 West: Martin Luther King Jr Expressway, Norfolk
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on VA 164
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on US 58; VA 164
0.6 mi
·
55 sec
·
Martin Luther King Freeway
11
Continue on VA 164
7.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Western Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on US 17
6.5 mi
·
11 min
·
Bridge Road
Use the straight lane.
13
Continue on US 17
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Carrollton Boulevard
14
Turn left onto Brewers Neck Boulevard
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Brewers Neck Boulevard
15
Merge onto US 258; VA 10
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Benns Church Boulevard
16
Continue on VA 10
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
Colonial Trail East
17
Turn left onto VA 10; VA 31
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Rolfe Highway
18
Turn right onto VA 10
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Colonial Trail West
19
Continue on VA 10
15 mi
·
19 min
·
James River Drive
20
Continue on VA 10; VA 156 BUS
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
East Randolph Road
21
Continue on VA 10
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
East Hundred Road
Use the left lane.
22
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 95 North: Richmond
Use the right lane.
23
Merge onto I 95
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
24
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 62
Toward VA 288 North: Chesterfield
Use the slight right lane.
25
Continue on VA 288
13 mi
·
14 min
·
World War II Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
Toward US 360 West: Hull Street Road, Amelia
Use the right lane.
27
Merge onto US 360
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Hull Street Road
Use the straight lane.
28
Turn right onto SR 3600
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodlake Village Parkway
29
Turn left onto SR 3600
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodlake Village Parkway
30
Turn right
344 ft
·
25 sec
31
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the 2-hour and 24-minute duration, this 105.7-mile trip is perfectly suited for a single day. Consider departing in the morning to maximize your time at your destination or for spontaneous exploration. The estimated fuel cost of $17 is quite reasonable, so you won't need to budget heavily for gas. Since this is a 'turn-heavy local drive,' pay close attention to your GPS and road signs, especially on the 14.6-mile stretch of James River Drive, as frequent turns are part of the experience. With no mandatory stops, you can easily incorporate breaks for refreshments or to simply stretch your legs as needed.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 52.8 miles from Chesapeake, VA, or about 1h 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 14.6 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 23 miles or 35m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 52.8 miles or 1h 12m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 57m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Woodlake, 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 105.7 miles and 2h 24m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Chesapeake, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on James River Drive for about 14.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
53 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 23 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 52.8 miles from Chesapeake, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 100.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
1.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 264 West Toll: Downtown Tunnel, Portsmouth
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6A
Toward I 264 West Toll: Downtown Tunnel, Portsm...
7
1.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 264 West Toll: Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 264 West Toll: Tunnel
8
4.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward VA 164 West: Martin Luther King Jr Expressway, Norfolk
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 6
Toward VA 164 West: Martin Luther King Jr Expre...
7
86.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 57m in
Take the exit toward VA 288 North: Chesterfield
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 62
Toward VA 288 North: Chesterfield
7
100.5 mi into trip
|
~2h 13m in
Take the exit toward US 360 West: Hull Street Road, Amelia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward US 360 West: Hull Street Road, Amelia
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.53 one way
$33.06 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
37 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $18.07 | $36.15 |
| premium | $4.70 | $19.56 | $39.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $23.34 | $46.67 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.08
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
(1.1 mi)
$0.08
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
$17
Tolls
$0
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 37 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 31.7 | 0 | $11.10 | $5.07 |
| Efficient EV | 26.4 | 0 | $9.25 | $4.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 42.3 | 0 | $14.80 | $6.76 |
Gas CO2
37 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (68% 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
Woodlake, VA
Late night in Woodlake on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
52°F
Waverly, VA
53 mi in
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
18 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
2h 24m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Colonial National Historical Park
National Historical Park
On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together – European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
$15
near mile 40.1
Park Closure: Rehabilitation of Colonial Parkway Continues
Fort Monroe National Monument
National Monument
Fort Monroe's story spans from prehistory to the 2000s. Kecoughtan Indians occupied Old Point Comfort before the arrival of English colonists. The first enslaved Africans arrived in 1619. Those escapi...
11 mi from route
~28 min detour
Free
near mile 7.3
View on nps.gov
Petersburg National Battlefield
National Battlefield
Two hundred ninety-two days, eight offensives, over 70,000 casualties, U. S. Colored Troops, and the decline of Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia all describe the Siege of Petersburg. U.S. forces c...
12 mi from route
~31 min detour
Free
near mile 83.8
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a 'turn-heavy local drive' experience on this 105.7-mile journey. Only 13% of this route involves highway travel, so most of your time will be spent on local roads, requiring your attention to navigation. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 14.6 miles on James River Drive. This suggests a drive that winds through communities and varied landscapes rather than a straight, high-speed dash. The character of the drive will likely shift as you transition between these different roadways.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
31 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.6 mi on James River Drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 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 17 significant decision points across 105.7 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 1.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 2h 24m. Total distance: 105.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.6 miles on James River Drive. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.08 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.
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 Woodlake, 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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
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 1.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Colonial National Historical Park, Fort Monroe National Monument and Petersburg National Battlefield. 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 Woodlake, 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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