Skip to main content

Trip from Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

17m

Distance

9.2 mi

15 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 16m ★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m ★

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Arlington, VA, VA

Arlington, VA

Dominik Gryzbon

Downtown Alexandria, VA, VA

Alexandria, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA covers 9.2 miles and takes about 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on 10th Street North, US 50 East, Arlington Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.44 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 9.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

17m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 17m drive with frequent turns across 9.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
10th Street North is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA is easy. At 17m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
10th Street North
US 50 East
Arlington Boulevard
Memorial Bridge
George Washington Memorial Parkway
North Washington Street
King Street
South Columbus Street

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: 10th Street North — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Alexandria, VA.

1

Start on Wilson Boulevard

0.4 mi · 1 min · Wilson Boulevard
2

Turn straight

207 ft · 9 sec
3

Turn straight onto 10th Street North

0.7 mi · 2 min · 10th Street North
4

At the end of the road, turn left onto US 50 East

0.2 mi · 21 sec · US 50 East
5

Continue on US 50 East: Washington

0.1 mi · 14 sec · US 50 East: Washington
6

Merge slight right onto Arlington Boulevard

0.8 mi · 1 min · Arlington Boulevard
7

Take the exit slight right toward Memorial Bridge, George Washington Parkway, Arlington Cemetery

0.4 mi · 46 sec · Memorial Bridge, George Washington Parkway, Arlington Cemetery
8

Merge slight left onto George Washington Memorial Parkway

5.8 mi · 11 min · George Washington Memorial Parkway
9

Continue on North Washington Street

0.7 mi · 2 min · North Washington Street
10

Turn right onto King Street

315 ft · 18 sec · King Street
11

Turn left onto South Columbus Street

413 ft · 26 sec · South Columbus Street
12

Turn left onto Prince Street

312 ft · 13 sec · Prince Street
13

Turn left onto South Washington Street

371 ft · 20 sec · South Washington Street
14

Arrive at your destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.44 one way

$2.88 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $1.57 $3.15
premium $4.70 $1.70 $3.41
diesel $5.61 $2.03 $4.06

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.8 0 $0.97 $0.44
Efficient EV 2.3 0 $0.80 $0.37
EV Truck/SUV 3.7 0 $1.29 $0.59

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Arlington, VA

Evening in Arlington on Friday

Local time

8:59 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Alexandria, VA

Evening in Alexandria on Friday

Local time

8:59 PM

EDT

Current temp

69°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

17 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

17m 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 Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA covers 9.2 miles and takes about 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are 10th Street North, US 50 East, Arlington Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 4.6 miles from Arlington, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.44 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.

The drive from Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA is easy. At 17m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Arlington, VA to Alexandria, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Alexandria, VA to Arlington, VA

Plan the drive back the other way.

9.4 mi 20m

Explore more options from Arlington, VA or browse trips ending in Alexandria, VA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse VA road trips.