Origin
Alexandria, VA
Night in Alexandria on Friday
Local time
9:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alexandria, VA to Great Falls, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
27 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alexandria, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Great Falls, VA
Wilson Rodriguez
Trip Overview
Alexandria, VA to Great Falls, VA is 27 miles and takes about 40 minutes via Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within Virginia, moving from the Southeast region to the Southeast region. Expect a mostly local drive with a significant number of turns, rather than a high-speed highway journey. It's a straightforward drive perfect for a short excursion or an easy commute, with minimal time commitment. Consider this route if you're looking for a direct connection between these two points without much fanfare.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 27 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This drive is characterized by its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, with 0% highway share. You won't be cruising on interstates here; instead, anticipate navigating local roads and making frequent turns. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.5 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a brief period of steady progress before transitioning back to more intricate local travel. The route's personality is that of a typical suburban commute, requiring your attention to navigation and traffic signals.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Capital Beltway is the longest continuous segment at about 12.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 0.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 22 decision points packed into just 27 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 22 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
0.9 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 495 West, I 95 North, I 495 East: Richmond, Baltimore
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.
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West, I 95 North, I 49...
8
1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, I 495 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West
8
19.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward VA 267 Toll West: Reston, Herndon, Dulles Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 45
Toward VA 267 Toll West: Reston, Herndon, Dulle...
9
20.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg Pike
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 16
Toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg...
9
21.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Alexandria, VA and Great Falls, VA, road signs point toward Herndon, Dulles Airport and Leesburg.
Herndon
19.1 mi in
|
~26m
Dulles Airport
19.1 mi in
|
~26m
Leesburg
20.9 mi in
|
~29m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 12.5 mi | 15m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 5 mi | 6m |
| Leesburg Pike | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| Walker Road | 2 mi | 4m |
| Dulles Toll Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Colvin Run Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Washington Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Patrick Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 12.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alexandria, VA and Great Falls, VA.
1
Start on VA 400
75 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Washington Street
2
Turn right onto King Street
314 ft
·
14 sec
·
King Street
3
Turn right onto South Saint Asaph Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Saint Asaph Street
4
Turn right onto Duke Street
334 ft
·
18 sec
·
Duke Street
5
Turn left onto VA 400
0.2 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Washington Street
6
Turn right onto Gibbon Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Gibbon Street
7
Turn left onto US 1
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
South Patrick Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
438 ft
·
10 sec
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West, I 95 North, I 495 East: Richmond, Baltimore
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 95; I 495
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Capital Beltway (Local)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
0.7 mi
·
47 sec
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on I 495
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Capital Beltway
Exit 170A
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
9.5 mi
·
11 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 45
Toward VA 267 Toll West: Reston, Herndon, Dulles Airport
Use the slight left lane.
15
Merge onto VA 267
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Dulles Toll Road
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
22 sec
17
Merge onto VA 267
263 ft
·
4 sec
·
Dulles Toll Road
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 16
Toward VA 7: Tysons Corner, Leesburg, Leesburg Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward VA 7 West: Leesburg Pike, Leesburg
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
20
Merge onto VA 7
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Leesburg Pike
21
Turn right onto SR 743
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Colvin Run Road
Use the right lane.
22
Turn right onto SR 681
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Walker Road
23
Turn right onto VA 193
26 ft
·
0 sec
·
Georgetown Pike
Use the right lane.
24
Arrive at destination
VA 193
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.22 one way
$8.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.62 | $9.23 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.96 | $11.92 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.23
Dulles Toll Road
(1.1 mi)
$0.23
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.30 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.78 | $1.73 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Great Falls, VA
Night in Great Falls on Friday
Local time
9:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
76°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
7 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
40m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Alexandria, VA to Great Falls, VA covers 27 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Capital Beltway (Local), Leesburg Pike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.5 miles from Alexandria, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.22 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 22 decision points packed into just 27 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Alexandria, VA and Great Falls, VA, road signs point toward Herndon, Dulles Airport and Leesburg.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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