Origin
Reston, VA
Morning in Reston on Tuesday
Local time
6:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Reston, VA to Arlington, 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
26m
Distance
16.6 mi
27 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Reston, VA
Eric Joseph
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
Traveling from Reston to Arlington is a quick 16.6-mile journey that typically takes about 26 minutes to complete. Because this is a short trip within the Southeast region of Virginia, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will primarily navigate a combination of the Dulles Toll Road, Leesburg Pike, and the Custis Memorial Parkway. With fuel costs estimated at around $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly commute. Whether you are heading into the city for business or leisure, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. It is a straightforward, practical drive that provides a direct connection between these two Northern Virginia hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dulles Toll Road | 5 mi | 6m |
| Leesburg Pike | 4.9 mi | 7m |
| Custis Memorial Parkway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Baron Cameron Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Wilson Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Glebe Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Fairfax Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Shore Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dulles Toll Road
— 5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Reston, VA and Arlington, VA.
1
Start on Washington Plaza North
228 ft
·
19 sec
·
Washington Plaza North
2
Turn right onto SR 4726
516 ft
·
19 sec
·
North Shore Drive
3
Turn left onto Village Road
196 ft
·
11 sec
·
Village Road
4
Turn right onto SR 606
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Baron Cameron Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto VA 7
4.9 mi
·
7 min
·
Leesburg Pike
Use the left lane.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward VA 267 Toll East: Washington
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto VA 267
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
·
Dulles Toll Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Dulles Toll Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 66
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Custis Memorial Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 71
Toward VA 120, VA 237
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Fairfax Drive
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Fairfax Drive
12
Turn right onto VA 120
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
North Glebe Road
Use the right lane.
13
Turn slight left onto Wilson Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Wilson Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Wilson Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 6.6 and 15.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
6.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward VA 267 Toll East: Washington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward VA 267 Toll East: Washington
6
6.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Merge onto VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
7.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
15.5 mi into trip
|
~23m 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
6
15.9 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
VA 120 / North Glebe Road
Turn right onto VA 120 / North Glebe Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.60 one way
$5.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.84 | $5.68 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.07 | $6.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.67 | $7.33 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.00
Dulles Toll Road
(5 mi)
$1.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.80 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.45 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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 Tuesday
Local time
6:38 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
16 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
26m 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 that keeps you alert throughout the 16.6-mile trip. Only 22 percent of your time behind the wheel will be spent on highways, meaning you will spend the bulk of the journey navigating local intersections and changing road types. You will find your longest uninterrupted stretch on the Dulles Toll Road, which lasts for 5 miles before the character of the road shifts. The transition from high-speed toll road to local parkways requires constant attention to your surroundings. It is less of a monotonous interstate cruise and more of an active, engaging navigation through the local infrastructure.
Only 22% 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: 5 mi on Dulles Toll Road.
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 around 6.6 miles in.
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 11 decision points packed into just 16.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
367 ft
229 ft
Total Climb
295 ft
Total Descent
376 ft
Highest Point
367 ft
~9.5 mi in
Elevation Range
138 ft
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 26m. Total distance: 16.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m 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 5 miles on Dulles Toll Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.00 in tolls one way, starting with Dulles Toll Road. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 6.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): 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 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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