If you are looking to travel from the riverfront charm of Colonial Beach to the bustling capital of Richmond, you are looking at a straightforward 71-mile journey. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 35 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. You will navigate a mix of local roads and major interstates, budget roughly $11 for fuel to cover the distance. Since both the origin and destination are located in the Southeast region of Virginia, you will find consistent rural-to-urban transitions throughout the drive. This is a practical route for those needing to connect the Northern Neck area directly to the state capital without any complicated detours.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
35.5 miles from Colonial Beach, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 50m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 95
25.9 mi
29m
A.P. Hill Boulevard
11.3 mi
15m
Rogers Clark Boulevard
10.3 mi
13m
Ridge Road
9.6 mi
13m
James Madison Parkway
7 mi
9m
McKinney Boulevard
1.8 mi
3m
East Broaddus Avenue
1.3 mi
2m
Hermitage Road
1.1 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 25.9 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colonial Beach, VA and Richmond, VA.
1
Start on Washington Avenue
32 ft·7 sec·Washington Avenue
2
Turn left onto VA 205Y
0.6 mi·1 min·Colonial Avenue
3
Turn right onto VA 205
1.8 mi·3 min·McKinney Boulevard
4
Continue on VA 205
9.6 mi·13 min·Ridge Road
5
Turn left onto US 301
7.0 mi·9 min·James Madison Parkway
6
Continue on US 301
0.7 mi·1 min·James Madison Memorial Bridge
7
Continue on US 301
11 mi·15 min·A.P. Hill Boulevard
8
Turn right onto US 301 BUS
1.3 mi·2 min·East Broaddus Avenue
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on VA 207 BUS
0.5 mi·58 sec·Rogers Clark Boulevard
10
Turn right onto VA 207
0.1 mi·11 sec·Bowling Green Bypass
11
Continue on VA 207
9.8 mi·12 min·Rogers Clark Boulevard
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi·31 sec
Toward I 95 South
13
Merge onto I 95
26 mi·29 min·I 95
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·40 sec
Exit 78Toward VA 161: Arthur Ashe BoulevardUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto VA 161
0.2 mi·28 sec·North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
16
Turn left onto Robin Hood Road
0.2 mi·30 sec·Robin Hood Road
17
Turn right onto Hermitage Road
1.1 mi·2 min·Hermitage Road
18
Continue on North Meadow Street
0.2 mi·34 sec·North Meadow Street
19
Turn left onto Monument Avenue
0.1 mi·26 sec·Monument Avenue
20
Enter roundabout onto Marcus-David Peters Circle
81 ft·2 sec·Marcus-David Peters Circle
21
Arrive at destination
Marcus-David Peters Circle
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short 1 hour and 35-minute trip, you have plenty of flexibility regarding your departure time. However, because a significant portion of the route relies on I-95, try to avoid peak rush hours to ensure you stay within your estimated travel duration. You will not need to plan for formal stops given the short distance, but keep your fuel budget of $11 in mind if you prefer to fill up before leaving Colonial Beach. My best advice for this route is to pay close attention to your GPS when transitioning between the local boulevards and the interstate entrance. Staying alert during those road changes will keep your commute stress-free and on schedule.
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 35.5 miles from Colonial Beach, VA, or about 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 25.9 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 16 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 35.5 miles or 50m 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 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Richmond, VA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Colonial Beach, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Colonial Beach, VA
This is one driving day of about 71 miles and 1h 35m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Colonial Beach, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 95 for about 25.9 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 31.1 and 71 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
31.1 mi into trip|~44m in|US 301 BUS / East Broaddus Avenue
Turn right onto US 301 BUS / East Broaddus Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
42.8 mi into trip|~1h in
Take the exit toward I 95 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 95 South
5
43.1 mi into trip|~1h in|I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
69 mi into trip|~1h 30m in
Take the exit toward VA 161: Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 78
Toward VA 161: Arthur Ashe Boulevard
5
71 mi into trip|~1h 35m in|Marcus-David Peters Circle
Enter roundabout onto Marcus-David Peters Circle
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.10 one way
$22.21 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$12.14
$24.28
premium
$4.70
$13.14
$26.28
diesel
$5.61
$15.68
$31.35
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.3
0
$7.46
$3.41
Efficient EV
17.8
0
$6.21
$2.84
EV Truck/SUV
28.4
0
$9.94
$4.54
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 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.
Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026
Origin
Colonial Beach, VA
Afternoon
in Colonial Beach on Tuesday
Local time
12:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Richmond, VA
Afternoon
in Richmond on Tuesday
Local time
12:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Bowling Green, VA
36 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
5 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 35m 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.
George Washington Birthplace National Monument
National Monument
George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located in the Northern Neck of Virginia. It encompasses 551 acres of land where seven generations of the Washington family lived and where George Was...
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip offers a mixed driving profile, transitioning from smaller regional roads to the high-speed flow of the interstate. You will spend about 46% of your time on highways, with your longest uninterrupted stretch being a 25.9-mile segment on I-95. The experience begins on local routes like A.P. Hill Boulevard and Rogers Clark Boulevard before merging into the heavier traffic patterns of the main interstate corridor. Be prepared for the shift in pace as you move from secondary roads into the multi-lane highway environment. It is a functional drive that balances lower-speed local navigation with the necessity of highway travel to reach Richmond efficiently.
46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.9 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 31.1 miles in near US 301 BUS / East Broaddus Avenue.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 35m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 31.1 miles (US 301 BUS / East Broaddus Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 43.1 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Richmond is the capital of Virginia. Richmond has a population of 227,000 (2020) and the adjacent counties of Henrico and Chesterfield combine to create a local population of more than 1.3 million people.
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.9 miles on I 95. 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 31.1 miles (US 301 BUS / East Broaddus Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 43.1 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — George Washington Birthplace 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 Richmond, VA before heading back.
