Origin
Arlington, VA
Morning in Arlington on Saturday
Local time
7:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington, VA to Woodlawn, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
18.3 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 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Woodlawn, VA
Eric Joseph
Trip Overview
Arlington, VA to Woodlawn, VA is 18.3 miles and takes about 30m via Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Southeast region of Virginia, offering a straightforward local drive. Given its brief duration, it's perfect for a quick excursion or a segment of a larger journey. You'll navigate through a mix of highway and local roads, making it an easy and manageable drive for most vehicles. Plan for a quick commute that requires minimal preparation.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m 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
This route is characterized by its turn-heavy local driving profile, with only 16% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.7 miles on the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway. As you progress, expect to transition between faster highway speeds and more frequent turns and traffic lights typical of local roads. The drive is primarily composed of navigating through suburban areas, so keep an eye out for changes in speed limits and road conditions. It's a more engaging drive than a simple interstate cruise, demanding a bit more attention to navigation.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 9.7 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 early in the drive near North Oakland Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 18.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Oakland Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Oakland Street
Turn right onto North Oakland Street
Navigation decision point
6
3.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 395 South: Richmond, Quaker Lane
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 395 South: Richmond, Quaker Lane
8
3.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 395 South: Richmond
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 395 South: Richmond
5
3.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
13.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward VA 286 South: Fairfax County Parkway, Newington, Fort Belvoir
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 166A
Toward VA 286 South: Fairfax County Parkway, Ne...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Arlington, VA and Woodlawn, VA, road signs point toward Newington and Fort Belvoir.
Newington
13.2 mi in
|
~21m
Fort Belvoir
13.2 mi in
|
~21m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 9.7 mi | 12m |
| Fairfax County Parkway | 3 mi | 4m |
| North Glebe Road | 2.4 mi | 6m |
| Richmond Highway | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| North Oakland Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North Pershing Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Wilson Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
— 9.7 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, VA and Woodlawn, VA.
1
Start on Wilson Boulevard
90 ft
·
8 sec
·
Wilson Boulevard
2
Turn right onto North Oakland Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Oakland Street
3
Turn right onto North Pershing Drive
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
North Pershing Drive
4
Turn left onto VA 120
2.4 mi
·
6 min
·
North Glebe Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 395 South: Richmond
6
Keep slight left at fork
315 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 395 South: Richmond, Quaker Lane
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward I 395 South: Richmond
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 395
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 395
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Exit 1A
Toward I 95 South: Richmond
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
Exit 166A
Toward VA 286 South: Fairfax County Parkway, Newington, Fort Belvoir
Use the right lane.
11
Merge onto VA 286
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Fairfax County Parkway
12
At end of road, turn left onto US 1
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Richmond Highway
13
Arrive at destination
US 1
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.86 one way
$5.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.13 | $6.26 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.39 | $6.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.04 | $8.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 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 | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.56 | $1.17 |
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
Woodlawn, VA
Morning in Woodlawn on Saturday
Local time
7:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°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
13 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
30m 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 Woodlawn, VA covers 18.3 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, Fairfax County Parkway, North Glebe Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.2 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 $2.86 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 11 decision points packed into just 18.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Oakland Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Arlington, VA and Woodlawn, VA, road signs point toward Newington and Fort Belvoir.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
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.
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