Origin
Dale City, VA
Afternoon in Dale City on Sunday
Local time
12:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dale City, VA to McLean, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
28.8 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dale City, VA
Kelly
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 28.8-mile drive from Dale City, VA, to McLean, VA, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 42 minutes. You'll primarily navigate on I-95 and the Capital Beltway, with a portion on Dolley Madison Boulevard, giving you a feel for the Southeast region's transportation arteries. With an estimated fuel cost of $5, this is a budget-friendly excursion. The route offers a practical way to travel between these two Virginia locations without requiring an overnight stay, making it ideal for a quick commute or a short journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 11.5 mi | 14m |
| Capital Beltway | 9.5 mi | 11m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Gideon Drive | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Opitz Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Birchdale Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Old Dominion Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 11.5 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dale City, VA and McLean, VA.
1
Start on Bayfield Drive
41 ft
·
7 sec
·
Bayfield Drive
2
Turn left onto SR 1811
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Birchdale Avenue
3
Turn left onto SR 784
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
Dale Boulevard
4
Turn left onto SR 2068
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Gideon Drive
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto SR 2000
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Opitz Boulevard
6
Continue on SR 2000
192 ft
·
10 sec
·
Opitz Boulevard
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 95 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 95 North: Washington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 95
12 mi
·
14 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
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.
11
Take the exit
1.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 170B
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto I 495
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Capital Beltway
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
8.5 mi
·
10 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 46B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn straight onto VA 123
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn right onto VA 309
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Dominion Drive
Use the right lane.
17
Turn sharp left onto Elm Street
101 ft
·
2 sec
·
Elm Street
18
Arrive at destination
Elm Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North: Washington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 North: Washington
9
14.5 mi into trip
|
~21m 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...
7
15.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 170B
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
6
17.6 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
26.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward VA 123 North: McLean
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.50 one way
$9.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.92 | $9.85 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.33 | $10.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.36 | $12.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.03 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
McLean, VA
Afternoon in McLean on Sunday
Local time
12:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
3 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
42m 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 mixed drive on this route, with about 40% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 11.5 miles on I-95, which will likely feel like a standard interstate experience. As you transition from I-95 to the Capital Beltway and then to Dolley Madison Boulevard, the road character will shift from faster highway speeds to more typical arterial road conditions. This blend means you'll experience both open-road driving and segments with more frequent intersections and traffic signals.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.5 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 28.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Dale City, VA to McLean, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Tysons Corner along the way.
Tysons Corner
14.5 mi in
|
~21m
|
via I 395
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 28.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.5 miles on I 95. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 McLean, 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: at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at McLean, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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