Origin
Colonial Heights, VA
Late night in Colonial Heights on Tuesday
Local time
4:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colonial Heights, VA to Richmond, 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
33m
Distance
23 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colonial Heights, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward transit between Colonial Heights and Richmond, this 23-mile stretch is a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. Expect to spend about 33 minutes behind the wheel, making it an incredibly efficient way to move through the Southeast region of Virginia. With a modest fuel budget of $4, this route is as economical as it is fast. Because the drive is so short, there is no need for an overnight stay, allowing you the flexibility to complete your business or leisure travel and return home within hours. You will primarily navigate the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, the Downtown Expressway, and Route 1 to complete your journey. It is a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you from point A to point B without any unnecessary complexity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike | 15.5 mi | 19m |
| Downtown Expressway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Route 1 | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Woods Edge Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Meadow Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Ellerslie Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Monument Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
— 15.5 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colonial Heights, VA and Richmond, VA.
1
Start on this road
257 ft
·
24 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn left onto East Ellerslie Avenue
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
East Ellerslie Avenue
3
Turn right onto US 1; US 301; VA 144
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Boulevard
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on US 1; US 301; VA 144
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Route 1
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto SR 620
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Woods Edge Road
Use the right lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
7
Merge onto I 95
16 mi
·
19 min
·
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 74A
Toward VA 195 Toll: Downtown Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on VA 195
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Downtown Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Cash Toll, Meadow Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on this road
373 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward Meadow Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn right onto South Meadow Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Meadow Street
14
Turn right onto Monument Avenue
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Monument Avenue
15
Enter roundabout onto Marcus-David Peters Circle
81 ft
·
2 sec
·
Marcus-David Peters Circle
16
Arrive at destination
Marcus-David Peters Circle
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Ellerslie Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto East Ellerslie Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
SR 620 / Woods Edge Road
Turn right onto SR 620 / Woods Edge Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
19.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward VA 195 Toll: Downtown Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 74A
Toward VA 195 Toll: Downtown Expressway
7
21.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Cash Toll, Meadow Street
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.
Toward Cash Toll, Meadow Street
8
22.1 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Meadow Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Meadow Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.93 | $7.87 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.26 | $8.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.08 | $10.16 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.09
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
(15.5 mi)
$1.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.01 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Richmond, VA
Late night in Richmond on Tuesday
Local time
4:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers
SW 10 to 16 mph
17% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 5:52AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 4:18AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
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
12 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
33m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This 23-mile drive is heavily highway-focused, with roughly 81% of your travel occurring on major thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, which features the longest uninterrupted stretch of the trip at 15.5 miles. While the experience is dominated by high-speed interstate driving, the transition onto the Downtown Expressway and Route 1 provides a shift in the road's personality as you approach your destination. Do not expect winding backroads or leisurely scenic overlooks; instead, prepare for a functional, steady pace that prioritizes speed and directness. Navigating this route feels like a standard commute, requiring consistent attention to traffic flow as you transition between these primary roads.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.5 mi on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike and Downtown Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Ellerslie Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 23 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Ellerslie Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (SR 620 / Woods Edge Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
213 ft
0 ft
Total Climb
414 ft
Total Descent
263 ft
Highest Point
213 ft
~23 mi in
Elevation Range
212 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Colonial Heights, VA to Richmond, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Cash Toll along the way.
Cash Toll
21.7 mi in
|
~30m
About the Cities
Arriving in Richmond, VA
Full guide →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.
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 33m. Total distance: 23 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.5 miles on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.09 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 Richmond, VA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: near the start (East Ellerslie Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (SR 620 / Woods Edge Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — 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.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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