Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Newport News, 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

39m

Distance

27.4 mi

44 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 36m ★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
independent city in Virginia, United States

Newport News, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Portsmouth Heights, VA, VA

Portsmouth Heights, VA

Daniel Miller

Trip Overview

Newport News, VA to Portsmouth Heights, VA is 27.4 miles and takes about 39m via Hampton Roads Beltway/I-64, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within the Southeast region of Virginia. Expect a drive that involves a fair amount of turning and navigating local roads, rather than a straight shot on the interstate. It's a good option for a short, straightforward journey, especially if you're looking to get from Point A to Point B efficiently without a major time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Hampton Roads Beltway 12.1 mi 15m
I 64 5.4 mi 6m
Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel 4.3 mi 5m
Portsmouth Boulevard 3.5 mi 6m
Diligence Drive 0.4 mi 1m
Byers Avenue 0.3 mi 1m
Thimble Shoals Boulevard 0.1 mi <1m
Vick Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Hampton Roads Beltway — 12.1 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Newport News, VA and Portsmouth Heights, VA.

1

Start on this road

82 ft · 12 sec · this road
2

Turn left

413 ft · 31 sec
3

At end of road, turn right onto Thimble Shoals Boulevard

0.1 mi · 20 sec · Thimble Shoals Boulevard
4

Turn left onto Diligence Drive

0.4 mi · 1 min · Diligence Drive
5

Turn left onto US 17

407 ft · 13 sec · J Clyde Morris Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward US 64 East: Hampton, Norfolk
7

Merge onto I 64

5.4 mi · 6 min · I 64
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 36 sec
Exit 264 Toward I 664 South: Downtown Newport News, Suffolk, Chesapeake Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Merge onto I 664

6.1 mi · 7 min · Hampton Roads Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on I 664

4.3 mi · 5 min · Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel
11

Continue on I 664

5.9 mi · 7 min · Hampton Roads Beltway
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Exit 11B Toward VA 337 East: Portsmouth Boulevard, Portsmouth Use the right lane.
13

Turn straight onto VA 337

3.5 mi · 6 min · Portsmouth Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
14

Turn left onto Byers Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · Byers Avenue
Use the left lane.
15

Turn right onto Vick Street

464 ft · 20 sec · Vick Street
16

Arrive at destination

Vick Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.3 — 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

Turn left

Navigation decision point

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Thimble Shoals Boulevard

At end of road, turn right onto Thimble Shoals Boulevard

Navigation decision point

5
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward US 64 East: Hampton, Norfolk

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 64 East: Hampton, Norfolk
8
6.4 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the exit toward I 664 South: Downtown Newport News, Suffolk, Chesapeake

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 264 Toward I 664 South: Downtown Newport News, Suff...
8
23.3 mi into trip | ~30m in

Take the exit toward VA 337 East: Portsmouth Boulevard, Portsmouth

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Exit 11B Toward VA 337 East: Portsmouth Boulevard, Ports...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.28 one way

$8.57 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $4.68 $9.37
premium $4.70 $5.07 $10.14
diesel $5.61 $6.05 $12.10

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.2 0 $2.88 $1.32
Efficient EV 6.9 0 $2.40 $1.10
EV Truck/SUV 11 0 $3.84 $1.75

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Newport News, VA

Morning in Newport News on Sunday

Local time

9:57 AM

EDT

Current temp

92°F

Sunny

SW 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 1:12PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 9:43AM EDT until April 16 at 7:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Destination

Portsmouth Heights, VA

Morning in Portsmouth Heights on Sunday

Local time

9:57 AM

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

7 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

39m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route features a significant amount of local driving, with only 20% of it on highways. You'll encounter more turns and traffic lights than you might expect for a trip of this distance. The longest continuous stretch on a major road is 12.1 miles along the Hampton Roads Beltway. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience that shifts between faster highway segments and slower, more intricate local road navigation.

Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.1 mi on Hampton Roads Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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.

Driving Effort 7/10

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 27.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Thimble Shoals Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: 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.

Between Newport News, VA and Portsmouth Heights, VA, road signs point toward Suffolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth.

Suffolk

6.4 mi in | ~9m

Chesapeake

6.4 mi in | ~9m

Portsmouth

23.3 mi in | ~30m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 27.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m 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 12.1 miles on Hampton Roads 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 Portsmouth Heights, 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Thimble Shoals Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Fort Monroe National Monument and Colonial National Historical Park. 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Portsmouth Heights, VA

Clintwood, VA 461.8 mi · 9h Atkins, VA 367.6 mi · 6h 54m Christiansburg, VA 305.7 mi · 5h 48m Cana, VA 300.9 mi · 6h 2m

More from Newport News, VA

Gate City, VA 417.4 mi · 7h 47m Honaker, VA 398.5 mi · 7h 38m Glade Spring, VA 367.1 mi · 6h 47m Bluefield, VA 359.3 mi · 6h 41m Merrimac, VA 283.3 mi · 5h 21m Stuart, VA 274.8 mi · 5h 40m

More trips to Portsmouth Heights, VA

Saltville, VA 393.7 mi Blacksburg, VA 312 mi Cedar Bluff, VA 283.5 mi Buchanan, VA 254.3 mi Horse Pasture, VA 226.5 mi Weyers Cave, VA 213.8 mi
Escape planner: Newport News, VA Scenic drives in VA

Explore more options from Newport News, VA or browse trips ending in Portsmouth Heights, VA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse VA road trips.