Origin
Richmond, VA
Late night in Richmond on Tuesday
Local time
5:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richmond, VA to Ashland, 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
25m
Distance
17 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 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ashland, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to get from Richmond to Ashland, this 17-mile trek is a straightforward local journey that takes approximately 25 minutes. Because the route is entirely local, you won’t have to deal with highway traffic or interstate speeds. It functions perfectly as a quick day trip, requiring only a single day to complete comfortably. With fuel costs estimated at around $3, it is an incredibly budget-friendly way to travel between these two Southeast Virginia locations. You can easily manage this drive without needing an overnight stay, making it a convenient option for a simple change of scenery.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike | 13.5 mi | 15m |
| Hermitage Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| England Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| East Patrick Henry Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Meadow Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Arthur Ashe Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Robin Hood Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Monument Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
— 13.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond, VA and Ashland, VA.
1
Start on Marcus-David Peters Circle
525 ft
·
14 sec
·
Marcus-David Peters Circle
2
Continue on Monument Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Monument Avenue
3
Turn right onto North Meadow Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Meadow Street
4
Continue on Hermitage Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Hermitage Road
5
Turn left onto Robin Hood Road
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Robin Hood Road
Toward VA 161: Arthur Ashe Boulevard
6
Turn right onto VA 161
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 64 West
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 64; I 95
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward VA 54 West: Ashland
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on VA 54
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
East Patrick Henry Road
12
Continue on VA 54
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
England Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
13
Turn sharp right
68 ft
·
5 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 15.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Meadow Street
Turn right onto North Meadow Street
Navigation decision point
7
1.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Turn right onto VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left toward I 95 North, I 64 West
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 95 North, I 64 West
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 95 / Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 / Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
15.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward VA 54 West: Ashland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward VA 54 West: Ashland
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.66 one way
$5.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.91 | $5.81 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.15 | $6.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.75 | $7.51 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.92
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
(13.2 mi)
$0.92
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: 5.9 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 | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.49 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
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
Ashland, VA
Late night in Ashland on Tuesday
Local time
5:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
21 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
25m 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 rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate through city and suburban streets using Monument Avenue, North Meadow Street, and Hermitage Road to reach your destination. The lack of highway stretches means you should be prepared for constant maneuvers and frequent intersections rather than long, uninterrupted cruising. This character makes for a hands-on driving experience where your attention stays focused on the local road network throughout the entire 17-mile distance.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike and Hermitage Road. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near North Meadow Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 17 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.2 miles (North Meadow Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Richmond, VA
Full guide →Richmond is the capital of Virginia. Richmond has a population of 227,000 (2020) and the adjacent counties of Henrico and Chesterfield combine to create a local population of more than 1.3 million people.
Arriving in Ashland, VA
Full guide →Ashland is in Central Virginia.
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 25m. Total distance: 17 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.5 miles on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.92 in tolls one way, starting with Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. 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 Ashland, 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 0.2 miles (North Meadow Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Petersburg National Battlefield. 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 Ashland, 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
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Ashland, VA
More trips to Ashland, VA
Explore more options from Richmond, VA or browse trips ending in Ashland, VA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse VA road trips.