Origin
Huntington, VA
Late night in Huntington on Tuesday
Local time
5:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Huntington, VA to McLean, 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
29m
Distance
19.6 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Huntington, VA
Wikimedia Commons
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 19.6-mile drive from Huntington, VA, to McLean, VA, is a quick 29-minute trip that stays entirely within the Southeast region of Virginia. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, it's an easy addition to any itinerary or a standalone quick journey. The route primarily utilizes local roads, including Dolley Madison Boulevard, and segments of the Capital Beltway, making it a turn-heavy local drive rather than a highway cruise. Given its brevity and lack of designated stops, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, offering a straightforward connection between these two Virginia locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 11.6 mi | 14m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Huntington Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Old Dominion Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Telegraph Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Blaine Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Elm Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 11.6 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Huntington, VA and McLean, VA.
1
Start on Fairview Terrace
13 ft
·
5 sec
·
Fairview Terrace
2
Turn left onto Blaine Drive
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Blaine Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto SR 1332
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Huntington Avenue
4
Turn right onto VA 241
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Telegraph Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West: Richmond
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 95; I 495
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Capital Beltway (Local)
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
0.7 mi
·
47 sec
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on I 495
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Capital Beltway
Exit 170A
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
8.5 mi
·
10 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 46B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn straight onto VA 123
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
12
Turn right onto VA 309
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Dominion Drive
Use the right lane.
13
Turn sharp left onto Elm Street
101 ft
·
2 sec
·
Elm Street
14
Arrive at destination
Elm Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 17 — 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
|
Blaine Drive
Turn left onto Blaine Drive
Navigation decision point
6
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 South, I 495 West: Richmond
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West: Richmond
6
5.4 mi into trip
|
~9m 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.
6
8.5 mi into trip
|
~12m 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
17 mi into trip
|
~23m 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
$3.07 one way
$6.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.35 | $6.70 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.63 | $7.26 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.33 | $8.65 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Late night in McLean on Tuesday
Local time
5:11 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
29m 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 on this route, with a 0% highway share. While it includes an 11.6-mile stretch on the Capital Beltway, much of the journey will involve navigating local roads like Dolley Madison Boulevard. This means you'll experience a more dynamic driving experience with frequent turns and traffic lights, rather than a monotonous interstate grind. The character of the drive shifts between the faster, albeit limited, highway sections and the more intricate local road segments, requiring your attention throughout the short 29-minute duration.
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: 11.6 mi on Capital Beltway.
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 early in the drive near Blaine Drive.
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 12 decision points packed into just 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Blaine Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.4 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in McLean, VA
Full guide →McLean is a Northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. located in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the southern United States of America.
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 29m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m 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 11.6 miles on Capital Beltway. 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: near the start (Blaine Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.4 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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