Origin
Franconia, VA
Morning in Franconia on Tuesday
Local time
9:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Franconia, VA to Arlington, 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
21m
Distance
10.9 mi
17 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Franconia, VA
Robert Śliwiński
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
This short 10.9-mile drive from Franconia, VA to Arlington, VA is a quick 21-minute trip, perfect for a single day. With a modest fuel cost of around $2, this route is designed for convenience rather than an extended exploration. You'll primarily navigate local streets, making it a turn-heavy experience. Since both the origin and destination are within the Southeast region of Virginia, you won't be crossing state lines or significantly different geographic areas. This drive is straightforward and requires no overnight stays.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| South Van Dorn Street | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Washington Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Franconia Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Wilson Boulevard | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 10th Street North | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Stevenson Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Walker Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
— 4.5 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Franconia, VA and Arlington, VA.
1
Start on SR 644
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Franconia Road
2
Turn left onto SR 613
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
South Van Dorn Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto Stevenson Avenue
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Stevenson Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto South Walker Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Walker Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto VA 236
140 ft
·
11 sec
·
Duke Street
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 395 North: Washington
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 395
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 8A
Toward VA 27: Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward VA 27 West: Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto VA 27
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Washington Boulevard
Toward Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto VA 237
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
10th Street North
12
Turn slight left
137 ft
·
8 sec
13
Turn left onto Wilson Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Wilson Boulevard
14
Arrive at destination
Wilson Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 2.5 and 8.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Stevenson Avenue
Turn left onto Stevenson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
VA 236 / Duke Street
At end of road, turn left onto VA 236 / Duke Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
7.7 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward VA 27: Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 8A
Toward VA 27: Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pi...
8
8.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward VA 27 West: Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward VA 27 West: Joint Base Myer-Henderson Ha...
6
8.4 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
VA 27 / Washington Boulevard
Merge onto VA 27 / Washington Boulevard toward Columbia Pike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Columbia Pike
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.70 one way
$3.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.86 | $3.73 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.02 | $4.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.41 | $4.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Arlington, VA
Morning in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
9:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
21m 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 distinctly local feel on this 10.9-mile journey, as indicated by its 'Turn-heavy local drive' profile and 0% highway share. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be approximately 4.5 miles along the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, offering a brief period of consistent travel before you re-enter the more intricate network of streets. You'll be navigating through urban and suburban areas, utilizing roads like South Van Dorn Street and Washington Boulevard, which means frequent turns and varying speed limits are part of the experience. This is not a route for high-speed cruising; rather, it's about efficiently moving through local traffic.
Only 0% 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: 4.5 mi on Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 2.5 miles in near Stevenson Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 10.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.5 miles (Stevenson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (VA 236 / Duke Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Arlington, VA
Full guide →Arlington (along with the cities of Falls Church to the west and Alexandria to the south) forms part of the urban conglomeration around Washington, D.C. - inside the beltway. In Northern Virginia, and directly across the Potomac River from D.C. proper, Arlington is one of America's most densely populated regions. It has a land area 26 sq mi (67 km2) and a population of 230,000. Despite its density, Arlington mixes the best of both big city and suburban environments. Like the greater Washington area, Arlington has grown over the last several decades in part due to growth of the federal government.
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 21m. Total distance: 10.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m 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 4.5 miles on Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway. 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 Arlington, 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 2.5 miles (Stevenson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (VA 236 / Duke Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. 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 Arlington, 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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