Origin
Alexandria, VA
Late night in Alexandria on Friday
Local time
2:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alexandria, VA to Mantua, VA
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
28m
Distance
16.6 mi
27 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 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alexandria, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Mantua, VA
Serena Koi
Trip Overview
The drive from Alexandria, VA to Mantua, VA covers 16.6 miles and takes about 28m 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), Little River Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.2 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.60 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 16.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 28m drive with frequent turns across 16.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 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 5.2 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
9/10
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 21 decision points packed into just 16.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
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 6.6 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 21 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
6
6.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
11.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward VA 236: Annandale, Fairfax
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 52B-A
Toward VA 236: Annandale, Fairfax
9
12.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward VA 236 West: Fairfax
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 52A
Toward VA 236 West: Fairfax
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 Mantua, VA, road signs point toward Baltimore and Fairfax.
Baltimore
0.9 mi in
|
~3m
Fairfax
11.8 mi in
|
~17m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 5 mi | 6m |
| Little River Turnpike | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Prince William Drive | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Hamilton Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Washington Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Patrick Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Alba Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 5.2 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alexandria, VA and Mantua, 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
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 52B-A
Toward VA 236: Annandale, Fairfax
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward VA 236 West: Fairfax
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 52A
Toward VA 236 West: Fairfax
Use the right lane.
17
Turn straight onto VA 236
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Little River Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
18
Turn right onto SR 3412
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Prince William Drive
Use the right lane.
19
Turn right onto Hamilton Drive
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Hamilton Drive
20
Turn left onto Alba Place
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
Alba Place
21
At end of road, turn right onto Christopher Street
455 ft
·
21 sec
·
Christopher Street
22
Turn right onto Santayana Drive
467 ft
·
20 sec
·
Santayana Drive
23
Arrive at destination
Santayana Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.60 one way
$5.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.84 | $5.68 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.07 | $6.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.67 | $7.33 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.17
Little River Turnpike
(2.4 mi)
$0.17
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 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 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.80 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.45 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
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
Mantua, VA
Late night in Mantua on Friday
Local time
2:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°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
8 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
28m 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 Mantua, VA covers 16.6 miles and takes about 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Capital Beltway (Local), Little River Turnpike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.3 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 $2.60 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 21 decision points packed into just 16.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
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 6.6 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Alexandria, VA and Mantua, VA, road signs point toward Baltimore and Fairfax.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
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