Origin
Lorton, VA
Afternoon in Lorton on Tuesday
Local time
1:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lorton, 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
20.1 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 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lorton, VA
Wikimedia Commons
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Lorton to McLean covers a concise 20.7-mile distance within Northern Virginia. You can expect the transit to take approximately 26 minutes under normal conditions, making this a straightforward day trip that requires no overnight stops. Your route primarily utilizes Sanger Street, Lorton Road, and I-95 North to navigate through the Southeast region. With a fuel budget of roughly $3, this is an economical commute that avoids the need for complex planning. It is a practical, no-fuss connection between these two suburban locations that fits easily into a single afternoon or morning schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 9.5 mi | 11m |
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 5.8 mi | 6m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Old Dominion Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lorton Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Sanger Street | 0.1 mi | 1m |
| Elm Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 9.5 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lorton, VA and McLean, VA.
1
Start on SR 747
308 ft
·
41 sec
·
Sanger Street
2
Continue on SR 747
417 ft
·
22 sec
·
Sanger Street
3
Turn right onto SR 642
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Lorton Road
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North: Washington
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 95
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 395
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Exit 170A; 170B
Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
1.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 170B
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 495
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Capital Beltway
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 0.1 and 17.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
SR 642 / Lorton Road
Turn right onto SR 642 / Lorton Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 North: Washington
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 95 North: Washington
9
5.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 170A; 170B
Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Ty...
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 170B
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
7
17.5 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
$3.14 one way
$6.29 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.44 | $6.87 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.72 | $7.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.44 | $8.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 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 | 6 | 0 | $2.11 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.81 | $1.29 |
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
Afternoon in McLean on Tuesday
Local time
1:08 PM
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
2 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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?
This trip is defined by a turn-heavy local profile rather than a long-distance highway haul. Because the highway share is 0%, you should prepare for a series of transitions between local surface streets rather than a monotonous interstate grind. You will navigate through various intersections as you move north, requiring your full attention behind the wheel. The absence of long, uninterrupted stretches means you will experience a constantly changing road environment. Expect a hands-on driving experience that prioritizes navigation through local infrastructure over high-speed cruising.
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: 9.5 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.1 miles in near SR 642 / Lorton Road.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 20.1 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: at 0.1 miles (SR 642 / Lorton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): 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.
On the drive from Lorton, VA to McLean, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Tysons Corner along the way.
Tysons Corner
5.9 mi in
|
~8m
|
via I 395
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: 20.1 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.5 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: at 0.1 miles (SR 642 / Lorton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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