Origin
Idylwood, VA
Morning in Idylwood on Sunday
Local time
10:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Idylwood, VA to Arlington, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
12m
Distance
6.7 mi
11 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 11m
★
6 AM
0h 12m
8 AM
0h 14m
10 AM
0h 13m
12 PM
0h 13m
3 PM
0h 13m
5 PM
0h 14m
8 PM
0h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Idylwood, VA
Yaroslav Shuraev
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
Idylwood, VA to Arlington, VA is 6.7 miles and takes about 12m via Custis Memorial Parkway/Wilson Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Virginia, connecting two points in the Southeast region. It’s a quick hop, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a major commitment. Expect a mixed drive that’s mostly on parkways and boulevards, making it a straightforward option for local travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Custis Memorial Parkway | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Idylwood Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Wilson Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Glebe Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Fairfax Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Leesburg Pike | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Custis Memorial Parkway
— 3.9 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Idylwood, VA and Arlington, VA.
1
Start on SR 695
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Idylwood Road
2
Turn right onto VA 7
113 ft
·
2 sec
·
Leesburg Pike
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp
426 ft
·
10 sec
Toward I 66: Metro, Washington, Front Royal
Use the slight right lane.
4
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Toward I 66 East: Metro, Washington
Use the slight left lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 66
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Custis Memorial Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 71
Toward VA 120, VA 237
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on Fairfax Drive
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Fairfax Drive
9
Turn right onto VA 120
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
North Glebe Road
Use the right lane.
10
Turn slight left onto Wilson Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Wilson Boulevard
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
Wilson Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 5.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
VA 7 / Leesburg Pike
Turn right onto VA 7 / Leesburg Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 66: Metro, Washington, Front Royal
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 66: Metro, Washington, Front Royal
8
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 66 East: Metro, Washington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 66 East: Metro, Washington
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward VA 120, VA 237
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 71
Toward VA 120, VA 237
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.05 one way
$2.10 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.15 | $2.29 |
| premium | $4.70 | $1.24 | $2.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.48 | $2.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2 | 0 | $0.70 | $0.32 |
| Efficient EV | 1.7 | 0 | $0.59 | $0.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.94 | $0.43 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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 Sunday
Local time
10:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°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
26 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
12m 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?
This drive offers a mixed experience, with 58% of it being on highway or parkway. You'll spend most of your time on the Custis Memorial Parkway and Wilson Boulevard. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.9 miles on the Custis Memorial Parkway, giving you a good sense of continuous travel before transitioning. The road character shifts subtly as you move from Idylwood towards Arlington, becoming more urbanized.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.9 mi on Custis Memorial Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near VA 7 / Leesburg Pike.
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 8 decision points packed into just 6.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 12m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (VA 7 / Leesburg Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Idylwood, VA and Arlington, VA, road signs point toward Washington and Front Royal.
Washington
0.8 mi in
|
~1m
Front Royal
0.8 mi in
|
~1m
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 12m. Total distance: 6.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.9 miles on Custis Memorial Parkway. 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 0.8 miles (VA 7 / Leesburg Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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