Origin
Waynesboro, VA
Late night in Waynesboro on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waynesboro, VA to Charlottesville, 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
37m
Distance
27.3 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
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waynesboro, VA
Eric Joseph
Charlottesville, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling between Waynesboro and Charlottesville is a quick, straightforward journey covering 28.4 miles. You can expect to spend about 32 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Your route will primarily follow West Main Street, Three Notched Mountain Highway, and I-64 East to connect these two Virginia cities. Budgeting around $5 for fuel should be plenty to cover the transit between these Southeast locations. Because the duration is so brief, this trip offers significant flexibility for your schedule, allowing you to easily complete the drive in a single morning or afternoon.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 64 | 20.1 mi | 22m |
| West Main Street | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| 5th Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Three Notched Mountain Highway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Ridge Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Market Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Water Street West | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Street Southwest | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 64
— 20.1 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waynesboro, VA and Charlottesville, VA.
1
Start on South Wayne Avenue
42 ft
·
5 sec
·
South Wayne Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 340
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
West Main Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Continue on US 250
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Three Notched Mountain Highway
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Use the right lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I-64 East: Charlottesville
6
Merge onto I 64
20 mi
·
22 min
·
I 64
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward VA 631: Charlottesville
8
Turn left onto SR 631
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
5th Street
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on Ridge Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Ridge Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
10
Turn slight right onto Water Street West
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
Water Street West
11
Turn left onto 2nd Street Southwest
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
2nd Street Southwest
12
Turn right onto US 250 BUS
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
·
West Market Street
13
Turn right onto 7th Street Northeast
286 ft
·
15 sec
·
7th Street Northeast
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.8 — 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
|
US 340 / West Main Street
Turn right onto US 340 / West Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I-64 East: Charlottesville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I-64 East: Charlottesville
4
24.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward VA 631: Charlottesville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward VA 631: Charlottesville
5
26.8 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
2nd Street Southwest
Turn left onto 2nd Street Southwest
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.27 one way
$8.54 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.67 | $9.34 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.05 | $10.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.03 | $12.05 |
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 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $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.
Destination
Charlottesville, VA
Late night in Charlottesville on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
94°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 9 to 15 mph
1% chance
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
43 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
37m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind, as this route emphasizes regional roads over high-speed highway travel. You won't be spending much time on the interstate, as the highway share for this trip is effectively zero percent. The path transitions from local streets in Waynesboro onto the Three Notched Mountain Highway, providing a more technical driving experience than a standard freeway commute. You will find that the road surface and traffic patterns change steadily as you navigate the 28.4-mile span. It is a compact drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel without the fatigue of a long-distance haul.
74% 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: 20.1 mi on I 64.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 64 and West Main Street. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 340 / West Main 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 27.3 miles you will encounter 9 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: near the start (US 340 / West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Starting in Waynesboro, VA
Full guide →Waynesboro is a city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.
Arriving in Charlottesville, VA
Full guide →Charlottesville, in central Virginia, is a lovely university town of about 40,000 with lots to offer. Charlottesville is a town steeped in history and culture. Charlottesville is a major cultural center for central Virginia, and features more fine dining, shopping, and entertainment than one might expect for a town of its size. Ensconced in beautiful Albemarle County, Charlottesville is also surrounded by vineyards and horse country.
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 37m. Total distance: 27.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.1 miles on I 64. 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 Charlottesville, 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 (US 340 / West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Charlottesville, 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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