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Winchester, VA Road Trips

Plan drives from Winchester, VA with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

independent city in Virginia, United States

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Trip Routes

2

Longest Drive

230.3 mi

Danville, VA

Quickest Drive

4h 19m

Hampton, VA

Plan Around Winchester, VA

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if Winchester, VA is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

Continue From Winchester, VA

Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.

Trips from Winchester, VA

Winchester, VA by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

27,981

Median Income

$64,648

Median Home Value

$325,900

Median Age

36.7

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

Winchester, VA at a Glance

Founded

1752

Elevation

725 ft

Area

9 mi²

Sister Cities

Ambato

Notable People from Winchester, VA

A sampling of people born in Winchester, VA.

Richard E. Byrd

Richard E. Byrd

1888–1957

American naval officer, explorer (1888-1957)

Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline

1932–1963

American country singer (1932–1963)

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

1958

American politician and commentator (born 1958)

Harry F. Byrd Jr.

Harry F. Byrd Jr.

1914–2013

politician from the United States (1914-2013)

Brian Benben

Brian Benben

1956

actor

Charles Magill Conrad

Charles Magill Conrad

1804–1878

American politician (1804–1878)

James W. Denver

James W. Denver

1817–1892

American politician and Union Army General (1817–1892)

Frederick W. M. Holliday

Frederick W. M. Holliday

1828–1899

American politician (1828-1899)

John S. Carlile

John S. Carlile

1817–1878

American politician (1817-1878)

Landmarks & Historic Sites

Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Winchester, VA.

Patsy Cline House

Patsy Cline House

historic house in Virginia, United States

National Historic Landmark Virginia Historic Landmark
Handley Library

Handley Library

public library in Winchester, Virginia, USA

National Register of Historic Places contributing property Virginia Historic Landmark
Fort Loudoun

Fort Loudoun

British colonial fort in present-day Winchester, Virginia, United States

Virginia Historic Landmark National Register of Historic Places listed place
Abram's Delight

Abram's Delight

United States historic place

Virginia Historic Landmark
Fair Mount

Fair Mount

historic house in Virginia, United States

Virginia Historic Landmark

City data from Wikidata (Q492355), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Winchester, VA

Winchester is a town in the Shenandoah Valley. The town is a good base for exploring the rest of the valley and a picturesque historical site in its own right. It was the first colonial town in the Valley. It has a wonderful historic district with a nice pedestrian mall. The town is full of excellent restaurants, shops and museums. There is one very old inn downtown with a pineapple sign hanging on the porch, plus there is the restored George Washington Hotel.

It was home to 28,000 people in 2020. George Washington spent much of his time in Winchester. The town was important during the French and Indian War, the Revolution, and Civil War. Winchester was also home to country music legend Patsy Cline.

1 Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters, 415 N. Braddock St., ☏ +1 540 667-5505. 2 Handley Library (Handley Regional Library), 100 W. Piccadilly Street (Corner of Rt. 7 and Rt. 11), ☏ +1 540 662-9041. M-W 10AM-8PM, Th-Sa 10AM-5PM. A library ornately designed in the Beaux Arts style that opened to the public in 1913. Includes the Nancy Larrick Children's Room, the Middle Kingdom for teens, Information services and the Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives. 3 Tomb of Lord Fairfax. The final resting place of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, the proprietor of all of Northern Virginia during colonial times. The tomb is on the grounds of the historic Christ Episcopal Church. (updated Sep 2019) 4 Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum (Old Frederick County Courthouse). Civil war museum displaying local artifacts such as insignia and firearms, in a former courthouse built in 1940. (updated Sep 2019) 5 George Washington's Office (Adam Kurtz House). 6 Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, 19 W Cork St, Winchester (Route 50), ☏ +1 540 722 2020. W-Sa 9:30AM–3:30PM, and Su 12:30–3:30PM in the winter. Interactive, hands-on museum for families, which focuses on the science, mathematics, humanities and the arts. $9 per person ages 2 and up, children under age 2 are free. (updated Jan 2024) 7 Mount Hebron Cemetery. Historic cemetery (updated Sep 2019) 8 Winchester National Cemetery. The Union cemetery within Mount Hebron (updated Sep 2019) 9 Stonewall Cemetery. The Confederate cemetery within Mount Hebron (updated Sep 2019) 10 Patsy Cline House.

1 Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, Winchester. Held each spring, usually in late April or early May, this festival includes carnivals, pageants, parades, and a circus as part of the celebrations. (updated Jun 2021) Ghost Tour. Thrilling, chilling, one-and-one-half-hour easy-walking guided tour exploring the ghost haunts of historic downtown Winchester. Guided Walking Tour of Old Town Winchester, 2 N Cameron St, ☏ +1 540 542-1326. May–Oct, 1st and 3rd Fridays at 6PM and 2nd and 4th Sundays at 4PM. $10. (updated Jan 2023) Civil War Walking Tour. Educational 1½-hour easy-walking guided tour exploring the events of the Civil War that were centered in historic downtown Winchester. Civil War Driving Tour. Educational four-hour escorted driving tour exploring the events of the Civil War that were centered in the Winchester area. Follow the Apple Trail. Stop at the Visitor Center by Abrams Delight and pick up a cassette or CD and take a leisurely drive through Winchester and Frederick County.

1 Snow White Grill, 159 N Loudoun St (Along the central pedestrian walkway), ☏ +1 540 662-5955. A cheap and greasy local favorite that serves delicious mini-burgers, birch beer, and milkshakes. Eat inside or out. 2 Cork Street Tavern, 8 W Cork Street (In old town Winchester), ☏ +1 540 667-3777. American food including ribs. Outdoor seating during summer.

1 50/50 Taphouse, 29 Cork St. M-W 4-10PM, Th 4-11PM, F Sa 11:30AM-11PM, Su 11:30AM-10PM. Beer and burgers 2 Alesatian Brewing Company, 21 N Loudoun St, ☏ +1 540 667-2743. Tu-Th 4PM-9PM, F 4-10PM, Sa noon-10PM, Su noon-9PM, closed M. Brewery serving wood-fired pizza. (updated Jan 2023)

1 George Washington Hotel, 103 E Piccadilly St, ☏ +1 540 431-2498. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Luxury suites with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. Spa and pool. 2 Nancy Shepherd House Inn Bed and Breakfast, 618 S Loudoun St (right downtown on Winchester's main street), ☏ +1 540-247-5073. Great value with a fantastic breakfast. Very interesting historic inn right downtown with excellent restaurants, shops, pubs, coffee houses, and museums all around. Four extremely comfortable & cozy bedrooms, two with fireplaces. $79 - 139. 3 L'Auberge Provencale Bed and Breakfast, 13630 Lord Fairfax Hwy, White Post (12 km SE on stare Highway 50), ☏ +1 540 837-1375, toll-free: +1-800-638-1702, [email protected]. Features French cuisine W-Su. $240-470. (updated Oct 2021)

Winchester is located just off of Interstate 81. Winchester is a 1-hour 15-minute drive (75 miles, 120 km) from Washington, D.C., and a 1-hour 45-minute drive (100 miles, 160 km) from Baltimore. The closest airport with scheduled commercial service is Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD IATA), which is a 1-hour drive (51 miles, 82 km) from Winchester. From the airport, either rent a car or take a taxi to Winchester. The closest passenger train station is in Martinsburg, West Virginia, a 30-minute drive (21 miles, 39 km) from Winchester. The closest passenger bus station is in Washington, D.C., a 1-hour 30-minunte drive (79 miles, 127 km) from Winchester.

The historical downtown can be seen on foot, but a car will allow you to explore the nearby Shenandoah National Park and scenic Skyline Drive. Green Circle - The Green Circle is being developed to allow easy access between the Visitor Center and historic sites by bicycle or on foot. The trolley provides easy access around town. Several Limousine Companies are available for winery tours.

Travel tips adapted from Winchester (Virginia) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

Trips to Winchester, VA

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