Origin
Fairfax, VA
Late night in Fairfax on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairfax, VA to Leesburg, 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
43m
Distance
27.8 mi
45 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairfax, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Leesburg, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 27.8 miles, this connection between Fairfax and Leesburg is a straightforward journey that typically takes about 43 minutes. You will primarily utilize a combination of the Dulles Greenway, Route 50, and Sully Road to navigate through Northern Virginia. Given the short duration, this trip is perfectly suited for a single-day outing, requiring no overnight stays. With current fuel costs estimated at $4, it is an economical excursion for commuters or weekend travelers. Whether you are heading out for business or leisure, the route offers a practical link between these two Southeast locations without the need for complex travel logistics.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dulles Greenway | 11.7 mi | 13m |
| Route 50 | 6.2 mi | 10m |
| Sully Road | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| South King Street | 1 mi | 3m |
| Fairfax Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Leesburg Bypass | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dulles Greenway
— 11.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairfax, VA and Leesburg, VA.
1
Start on VA 236
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Continue on US 50
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fairfax Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on US 50
6.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Route 50
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward VA 28 North: Dulles Airport
5
Merge onto VA 28
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Sully Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
2 min
Toward VA 267 West: Leesburg
Use the slight left lane.
7
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
this road
8
Merge onto VA 267
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Dulles Greenway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1A
Toward US 15 South, VA 7 West: Leesburg
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 15; VA 7
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
Leesburg Bypass
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward US 15 Business: Leesburg
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto US 15 BUS
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
South King Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn right onto VA 7 BUS
226 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Market Street
14
Arrive at destination
VA 7 BUS
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 8.3 and 26.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
8.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
VA 28 / Sully Road
Merge onto VA 28 / Sully Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
12.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward VA 267 West: Leesburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward VA 267 West: Leesburg
9
25.8 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 15 South, VA 7 West: Leesburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 1A
Toward US 15 South, VA 7 West: Leesburg
7
26.6 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward US 15 Business: Leesburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 15 Business: Leesburg
6
26.8 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
US 15 BUS / South King Street
Turn right onto US 15 BUS / South King Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.35 one way
$8.69 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.75 | $9.51 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.15 | $10.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.14 | $12.28 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.92
Dulles Greenway
(11.7 mi)
$2.92
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$3
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 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 | 8.3 | 0 | $2.92 | $1.33 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.89 | $1.78 |
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
Leesburg, VA
Late night in Leesburg on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°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
1 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
43m 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 turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. While about 22% of the journey takes place on highways, the experience is defined by shifting between different road types rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will find your longest uninterrupted stretch on the Dulles Greenway, which covers 11.7 miles of the total distance. As you transition between the varied local roads and highway segments, the character of the drive changes frequently. It is not a high-speed sprint, but rather a dynamic route that keeps you engaged as you maneuver toward your destination.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.7 mi on Dulles Greenway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 8.3 miles in near VA 28 / Sully Road.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 10 decision points packed into just 27.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.3 miles (VA 28 / Sully Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
432 ft
240 ft
Total Climb
165 ft
Total Descent
257 ft
Highest Point
432 ft
Elevation Range
192 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Fairfax, VA
Full guide →Fairfax, usually called Fairfax City by the locals, is the county seat of Fairfax County, in the state of Virginia. The city has roots dating back to the 1700s. It has character and an identity of its own not often found in the much newer and largely homogeneous exurban areas in Northern Virginia.
Arriving in Leesburg, VA
Full guide →Founded 1758
Leesburg is in Loudoun County, Virginia. During the War of 1812, Leesburg was used as a temporary capital of the United States when the British occupied Washington.
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 43m. Total distance: 27.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.7 miles on Dulles Greenway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.92 in tolls one way, starting with Dulles Greenway. 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 Leesburg, 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 8.3 miles (VA 28 / Sully Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. 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 Leesburg, 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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