Trip from Exmore, VA to Chesapeake, 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

1h 31m

Distance

61.3 mi

99 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min

4 AM

1h 24m ★

6 AM

1h 31m

8 AM

1h 45m

10 AM

1h 36m

12 PM

1h 35m

3 PM

1h 37m

5 PM

1h 44m

8 PM

1h 27m

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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Exmore, VA

Photography Maghradze PH

Chesapeake, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 61.3-mile journey from Exmore, VA, to Chesapeake, VA, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 1 hour and 31 minutes to complete. You'll navigate primarily via Lankford Highway and Northampton Boulevard, with a significant portion over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel. Expect a fuel cost of around $10 for this trip. Given its relatively short distance and manageable duration, this route is perfectly suited for a day trip, offering flexibility in your schedule. Both your origin and destination are within Virginia's Southeast region, keeping the scenery consistent throughout.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

30.6 miles from Exmore, VA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 43m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Lankford Highway	29.7 mi	41m
Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel	17.7 mi	24m
Northampton Boulevard	6.1 mi	9m
East Princess Anne Road	3.4 mi	6m
Main Street	1.3 mi	3m
Wilson Road	0.7 mi	1m
Campostella Road	0.7 mi	1m
Park Avenue	0.6 mi	1m

Longest stretch: Lankford Highway — 29.7 mi, about 41m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

Start on Westfield Avenue

47 ft · 4 sec · Westfield Avenue

Turn right onto US 13 BUS

1.3 mi · 3 min · Main Street

Turn left onto US 13

29 mi · 39 min · Lankford Highway

Merge onto US 13

1.1 mi · 1 min · Lankford Highway

Continue on US 13

18 mi · 24 min · Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel

Continue on US 13

5.1 mi · 7 min · Northampton Boulevard

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on US 13; VA 166

0.9 mi · 1 min · Northampton Boulevard

Use the straight lane.

Continue on VA 166

3.4 mi · 6 min · East Princess Anne Road

Use the straight lane.

Turn left onto VA 166

0.6 mi · 1 min · Park Avenue

Turn left onto US 460; VA 166; VA 168

0.3 mi · 57 sec · East Brambleton Avenue

Use the left / straight / right lanes.

Continue on US 460; VA 166; VA 168

0.7 mi · 1 min · Campostella Road

Turn right onto US 460; VA 166

0.7 mi · 1 min · Wilson Road

Use the right lane.

Continue on US 460; VA 166

0.3 mi · 27 sec · 22nd Street

Continue on US 460; VA 166

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Poindexter Street

Use the straight lane.

Turn right onto D Street

412 ft · 18 sec · D Street

Arrive at destination

D Street

Trip Plan

With a total duration of just over 1.5 hours, this drive offers ample flexibility for when you depart. Consider leaving in the morning to take advantage of daylight hours, especially if you're not familiar with the route. Since there are no designated stops, you can easily pull over if needed, though the relatively short mileage means you might not require extensive breaks. Keep an eye on your fuel, as the estimated cost is $10, and plan your fill-up accordingly before you begin. A specific tip for this route: be aware that the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel is a toll facility, so have your payment method ready.

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 30.6 miles from Exmore, VA, or about 43m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 29.7 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 13 miles or 19m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 30.6 miles or 43m 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 13m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Exmore, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Exmore, VA

This is one driving day of about 61.3 miles and 1h 31m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 13 miles from Exmore, VA.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

The longest stretch is on Lankford Highway for about 29.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Cape Charles, VA

31 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

Cape Charles, VA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.5 mi from route ~6 min detour

Norfolk, Virginia

Hours: Open 24 hours

Visit website

ChargeSmart EV Charging Station

5.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.1 mi from route ~5 min detour

Norfolk, Virginia

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18887174544

Visit website

Electrify America Charging Station

4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.7 mi from route ~4 min detour

Norfolk, VA

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18336322778

Visit website

Norfolk Botanical Garden

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.5 mi from route ~4 min detour

Norfolk, Virginia

Hours: 9 am–7 pm

+17574415830

Visit website

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.6 mi from route ~4 min detour

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Hours: Closed

+17574250000

Visit website

Pleasure House Point Natural Area

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Later in the drive, short detour

Final third 2.2 mi from route ~5 min detour

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Hours: 6 am–8 pm

+17573853111

Visit website

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.7 mi from route ~4 min detour

Portsmouth, Virginia

Hours: 10 am–4 pm

+17573938591

Visit website

Virginia Zoo

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.1 mi from route ~5 min detour

Norfolk, Virginia

Hours: 9:30 am–4 pm

+17574412374

Visit website

Ferry Plantation House

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, ~9 min detour

Home stretch 3.8 mi from route ~9 min detour

Virginia Beach, Virginia

+17574735182

Visit website

Wishing Tree

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, ~9 min detour

Home stretch 3.4 mi from route ~9 min detour

Norfolk, Virginia

Hours: Open 24 hours

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 61.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 13 BUS / Main Street

Turn right onto US 13 BUS / Main Street

Navigation decision point

29.9 mi into trip | ~42m in | US 13 / Lankford Highway

Merge onto US 13 / Lankford Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining

58.9 mi into trip | ~1h 25m in | US 460; VA 166; VA 168 / East Brambleton Avenue

Turn left onto US 460; VA 166; VA 168 / East Brambleton Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight / right lanes.

59.9 mi into trip | ~1h 28m in | US 460; VA 166 / Wilson Road

Turn right onto US 460; VA 166 / Wilson Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

61.2 mi into trip | ~1h 30m in | D Street

Turn right onto D Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.59 one way

$19.17 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.34	$10.48	$20.96
premium	$4.70	$11.35	$22.69
diesel	$5.61	$13.53	$27.07

Estimated Tolls: $4.00

Chesapeake Bay Bridge $4.00

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

$10

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$39–$64

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	18.4	$6.44	$2.94
Efficient EV	15.3	$5.36	$2.45
EV Truck/SUV	24.5	$8.58	$3.92

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (67% 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 21, 2026

Origin

Exmore, VA

Morning in Exmore on Tuesday

Local time

11:18 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Chesapeake, VA

Morning in Chesapeake on Tuesday

Local time

11:18 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°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

20 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 31m 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.

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 56.4

Park Closure: Road Closure and Fishing Pier Impact

View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

What kind of drive is this?

This route presents a turn-heavy local drive with a 0% highway share, meaning you'll be on surface streets for the entire trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 29.7 miles on Lankford Highway. As you progress, the road character will shift from local Virginia roads to the unique experience of crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel, before returning to more urban surface streets as you approach Chesapeake. Be prepared for frequent turns and varied speed limits throughout the drive.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.

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

Longest single stretch: 29.7 mi on Lankford Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 13 BUS / Main Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 31m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 13 BUS / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 29.9 miles (US 13 / Lankford Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 58.9 miles (US 460; VA 166; VA 168 / East Brambleton Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving 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 1h 31m. Total distance: 61.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 31m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 29.7 miles on Lankford Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $4.00 in tolls one way, starting with Chesapeake Bay Bridge. 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.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

Yes — Fort Monroe National Monument. 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 Chesapeake, 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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Explore more options from Exmore, VA or browse trips ending in Chesapeake, VA.

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Trip from Exmore, VA to Chesapeake, VA

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Stops Along Your Drive

Cafe Stella

Cafe Stella

Mercedes-Benz Charging Station

Tesla Supercharger

Tesla Supercharger

Rivian Adventure Network

Tesla Supercharger

Tesla Supercharger

ChargeSmart EV Charging Station

Electrify America Charging Station

Norfolk Botanical Garden

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

Pleasure House Point Natural Area

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum

Virginia Zoo

Ferry Plantation House

Wishing Tree

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Exmore, VA

Chesapeake, VA

Same local time

20 degrees warmer at arrival

1h 31m on the road

National Parks Near This Route

Fort Monroe National Monument

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

About the Cities

Arriving 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?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Are there national parks near this route?

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

How this page is built

Explore More

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