Origin
Franklin, VA
Evening in Franklin on Sunday
Local time
6:00 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Franklin, VA to Portsmouth Heights, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
37.5 mi
60 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Franklin, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Portsmouth Heights, VA
Daniel Miller
Trip Overview
The drive from Franklin, VA to Portsmouth Heights, VA covers 37.5 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Holland Road, Carrsville Highway, West Military Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.8 miles on Holland Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Holland Road | 20.8 mi | 28m |
| Carrsville Highway | 6.7 mi | 10m |
| West Military Highway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Ruritan Boulevard | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Airline Boulevard | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Elmhurst Lane | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| City Park Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Cherokee Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Holland Road
— 20.8 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Franklin, VA and Portsmouth Heights, VA.
1
Start on North Main Street
88 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn right onto East 2nd Avenue
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
·
East 2nd Avenue
3
Continue on US 58 BUS; US 258 BUS
6.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Carrsville Highway
4
Continue on US 58 BUS
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Ruritan Boulevard
5
At end of road, turn left onto US 58 BUS
21 mi
·
28 min
·
Holland Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 13; US 58; US 460
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
West Military Highway
7
Continue on US 58; US 460 ALT
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
West Military Highway
8
Continue on US 58; US 460 ALT
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Airline Boulevard
9
Turn left onto Elmhurst Lane
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Elmhurst Lane
10
Turn right onto Cherokee Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Cherokee Road
11
Turn left onto City Park Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
City Park Avenue
12
Turn right onto Vick Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Vick Street
13
Arrive at destination
Vick Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 37.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.8 miles from Franklin, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 36.8 — 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 2nd Avenue
Turn right onto East 2nd Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
9.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 58 BUS / Holland Road
At end of road, turn left onto US 58 BUS / Holland Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
35.7 mi into trip
|
~53m in
|
Elmhurst Lane
Turn left onto Elmhurst Lane
Navigation decision point
3
36.4 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
Cherokee Road
Turn right onto Cherokee Road
Navigation decision point
3
36.8 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
City Park Avenue
Turn left onto City Park Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.86 one way
$11.73 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $6.41 | $12.82 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.94 | $13.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.28 | $16.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.94 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.25 | $2.40 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Portsmouth Heights, VA
Evening in Portsmouth Heights on Sunday
Local time
6:00 PM
EDT
Current temp
85°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
35 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
58m 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?
37.5 mi in 58m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.8 mi on Holland Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 2nd Avenue.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Franklin, VA to Portsmouth Heights, VA is easy. At 58m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 2nd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 9.7 miles (US 58 BUS / Holland Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.7 miles (Elmhurst Lane): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 37.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
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 20.8 miles on Holland Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 2nd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 9.7 miles (US 58 BUS / Holland Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.7 miles (Elmhurst Lane): Navigation decision point.
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 Portsmouth Heights, 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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