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Trip from Richmond, VA to Falmouth, VA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 10m

Distance

55.9 mi

90 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 5m ★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Falmouth, VA, VA

Falmouth, VA

Stephen Noulton

Trip Overview

Planning a quick trip from Richmond, VA to Falmouth, VA? This 55.9-mile drive typically takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes, making it an easy day trip. You'll primarily be on major highways, with an estimated fuel cost of $9. The route sticks to the Southeast region, staying within Virginia the entire time. Its highway-focused profile suggests a straightforward journey, ideal if you're looking for efficiency and don't need extensive stops along the way. This is a solid option for a short, direct transit between these two Virginia locations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike 47.3 mi 52m
Emancipation Highway 3.3 mi 6m
Patriot Highway 2.2 mi 4m
Hermitage Road 1.1 mi 2m
Cambridge Street 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
Longest stretch: Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike — 47.3 mi, about 52m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Richmond, VA and Falmouth, 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

47 mi · 51 min · Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 126A Toward US 1 North: Fredericksburg Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn straight onto US 1

2.2 mi · 4 min · Patriot Highway
Use the left lane.
12

Continue on US 1

3.3 mi · 6 min · Emancipation Highway
Use the straight lane.
13

Continue on US 1; US 17 BUS

0.3 mi · 27 sec · Cambridge Street
14

Turn right onto Carter Street

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Carter Street
15

Turn left onto VA 218

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Butler Road
16

Arrive at destination

VA 218

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

town in Virginia, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ashland, VA

28 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Chamberlayne, VA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ashland, VA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28 miles from Richmond, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 49.3 — 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.
7
49.3 mi into trip | ~57m in

Take the exit toward US 1 North: Fredericksburg

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 126A Toward US 1 North: Fredericksburg

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.74 one way

$17.48 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $9.56 $19.12
premium $4.70 $10.35 $20.69
diesel $5.61 $12.34 $24.68

Estimated Tolls: $3.29

Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (47 mi) $3.29

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$3

Total

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.8 0 $5.87 $2.68
Efficient EV 14 0 $4.89 $2.24
EV Truck/SUV 22.4 0 $7.83 $3.58

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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 21, 2026

Origin

Richmond, VA

Late night in Richmond on Tuesday

Local time

4:20 AM

EDT

Current temp

32°F

Clear then Patchy Frost

N 2 to 7 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 7:11PM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Charleston WV

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 5:36PM EDT until April 21 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Destination

Falmouth, VA

Late night in Falmouth on Tuesday

Local time

4:20 AM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

51°F

Ashland, VA

28 mi in

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

25 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

1h 10m 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?

Expect a largely highway-focused experience on this journey, with 85% of the drive utilizing major roadways. The primary arteries you'll navigate include the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, Emancipation Highway, and Patriot Highway. The longest continuous stretch without a significant change in road type is 47.3 miles on the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, indicating long, uninterrupted segments of fast travel. This profile suggests a drive where maintaining speed is generally possible, with minimal time spent on slower, local roads.

85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 47.3 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 Emancipation Highway. You will hit about 10 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 55.9 miles you will encounter 10 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.

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 1h 10m. Total distance: 55.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 47.3 miles on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $3.29 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.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Falmouth, 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 Falmouth, 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.

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