Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 59m
Distance
99.4 mi
160 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakeside, VA
HONG SON
Alexandria, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Lakeside, VA to Alexandria, VA is 99.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 59 minutes via I 95, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Southeast region, entirely within Virginia. Expect a predominantly highway experience for most of the drive, making it a quick connection between these two points. It's a straightforward route suitable for a same-day trip when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
49.7 miles from Lakeside, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 57m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 92 mi | 1h 44m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 2 mi | 2m |
| Dumbarton Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Chamberlayne Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Washington Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Patrick Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Cedar Croft Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Azalea Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 154 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,234 veh/hr typical · worst 3,860
Quietest
2 AM
~453 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Lakeside, VA and Alexandria, VA.
Start on Cedar Croft Street
Turn left onto Dumbarton Road
Continue on US 1
Turn left onto US 301; VA 2
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 95
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; US 17
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto US 1
Continue on US 1
Turn right onto Franklin Street
Turn left onto VA 400
Arrive at destination
Given the relatively short duration of under 2 hours, this trip is easily completed in a single day. Consider leaving outside of peak commuting hours to avoid heavier traffic, especially as you near Alexandria. With only 99.4 miles, you won't need to worry about extensive refueling stops, but it's always wise to start with a full tank. The longest stretch is 92 miles, so plan any necessary breaks before or after this segment. If you decide to take your time, the flexibility of this shorter route allows for spontaneous stops if desired.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 22 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 49.7 miles or 57m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 35m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Alexandria, VA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Lakeside, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Lakeside, VA
This is one driving day of about 99.4 miles and 1h 59m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
50 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.
A short stop after about 22 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 49.7 miles from Lakeside, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 95 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 92 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 97.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 95 North: Ashland, Washington
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 toward I 95 North, I 495 East: Baltimore
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local) toward I 95, I 495: Alexandria
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward US 1: Alexandria, Fort Belvoir
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward US 1 North: Alexandria
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Regular Gas
$15.23 one way
$30.46 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $16.71 | $33.43 |
| premium | $4.64 | $18.15 | $36.29 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $21.91 | $43.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 34.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 29.8 | 0 | $10.44 | $4.77 |
| Efficient EV | 24.9 | 0 | $8.70 | $3.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 39.8 | 0 | $13.92 | $6.36 |
Gas CO2
35 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (66% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Lakeside on Friday
Local time
4:28 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in Alexandria on Friday
Local time
4:28 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Chance Rain Showers
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Battlefield
Two hundred ninety-two days, eight offensives, over 70,000 casualties, U. S. Colored Troops, and the decline of Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia all describe the Siege of Petersburg. U.S. forces c...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This drive is about 93% highway, with the longest continuous stretch of highway being 92 miles on I 95. You'll spend the vast majority of your time on high-speed roads. The transition to surface streets, like Dumbarton Road, will happen towards the end of your drive as you approach Alexandria. Be prepared for numerous exits and entrances along I 95 as you get closer to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Capital Beltway (Local). This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 99.4 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 90.3 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 95.8 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
374 ft
Total Descent
512 ft
Highest Point
264 ft
~49.8 mi in
Elevation Range
227 ft
Founded 1749
Alexandria is a city in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., in the United States.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 59m. Total distance: 99.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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