Origin
Alexandria, VA
Afternoon in Alexandria on Saturday
Local time
2:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alexandria, VA to Idylwood, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
18.5 mi
30 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alexandria, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Idylwood, VA
Yaroslav Shuraev
Trip Overview
The drive from Alexandria, VA to Idylwood, VA covers 18.5 miles and takes about 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Capital Beltway (Local), Custis Memorial Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.89 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 9 mi | 11m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 5 mi | 6m |
| Custis Memorial Parkway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Idylwood Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Leesburg Pike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Washington Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Patrick Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Gibbon Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 9 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alexandria, VA and Idylwood, 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
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 49A
Toward I 66: Washington, Front Royal, Vienna
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 66 East: Washington
16
Merge onto I 66
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Custis Memorial Parkway
17
Take the exit
490 ft
·
11 sec
Exit 66
Toward VA 7: Falls Church, Leesburg Pike
Use the slight right lane.
18
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
Toward VA 7: Leesburg Pike, Falls Church
19
Keep slight left at fork
269 ft
·
8 sec
Toward VA 7 West: Tysons Corner
Use the left / straight lanes.
20
Turn left onto VA 7
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Leesburg Pike
Use the left lane.
21
Turn left onto SR 695
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Idylwood Road
Use the left lane.
22
Arrive at destination
SR 695
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 17.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
15.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward I 66: Washington, Front Royal, Vienna
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 49A
Toward I 66: Washington, Front Royal, Vienna
8
17.1 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward VA 7: Falls Church, Leesburg Pike
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 66
Toward VA 7: Falls Church, Leesburg Pike
8
17.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward VA 7 West: Tysons Corner
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward VA 7 West: Tysons Corner
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.89 one way
$5.79 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.16 | $6.33 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.42 | $6.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.08 | $8.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 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 | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
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
Idylwood, VA
Afternoon in Idylwood on Saturday
Local time
2:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°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
12 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
27m 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?
18.5 mi in 27m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 20 decision points packed into just 18.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
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 15.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Idylwood, VA, road signs point toward Baltimore, Front Royal, Vienna and Falls Church.
Baltimore
0.9 mi in
|
~3m
Front Royal
15.6 mi in
|
~22m
Vienna
15.6 mi in
|
~22m
Falls Church
17.2 mi in
|
~24m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Idylwood, 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 0.9 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 15.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. 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 Idylwood, VA before heading back.
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, 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 Idylwood, VA
More trips to Idylwood, VA
Explore more options from Alexandria, VA or browse trips ending in Idylwood, VA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse VA road trips.