Origin
Ashburn, VA
Morning in Ashburn on Friday
Local time
10:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ashburn, VA to McLean, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
23.9 mi
39 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 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ashburn, VA
Curtis Adams
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ashburn, VA to McLean, VA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dulles Toll Road, Dulles Greenway, Claiborne Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.1 miles on Dulles Toll Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m 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 36m drive with frequent turns across 23.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dulles Toll Road is the longest continuous segment at about 12.1 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 2.5 miles in.
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 9 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.8 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward VA 267 Toll East: Washington
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward VA 267 Toll East: Washington
5
10 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Merge onto VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
19.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
22.1 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward VA 123 North: McLean
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 19B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
5
23.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive
Turn right onto VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dulles Toll Road | 12.1 mi | 16m |
| Dulles Greenway | 7.1 mi | 9m |
| Claiborne Parkway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Hay Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Old Dominion Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Elm Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ashburn Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dulles Toll Road
— 12.1 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ashburn, VA and McLean, VA.
1
Start on SR 641
59 ft
·
6 sec
·
Ashburn Road
2
Turn right onto SR 642
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Hay Road
3
Turn left onto SR 901
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Claiborne Parkway
4
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward VA 267 Toll East: Washington
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto VA 267
7.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Dulles Greenway
6
Merge onto VA 267
9.8 mi
·
13 min
·
Dulles Toll Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 267
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Dulles Toll Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 19B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn straight onto VA 123
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto VA 309
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Dominion Drive
Use the right lane.
11
Turn sharp left onto Elm Street
101 ft
·
2 sec
·
Elm Street
12
Arrive at destination
Elm Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.74 one way
$7.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.42 | $8.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.19
Dulles Toll Road
(12.1 mi)
$2.41
Dulles Greenway
(7.1 mi)
$1.78
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$4
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
McLean, VA
Morning in McLean on Friday
Local time
10:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
6 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
36m 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 Ashburn, VA to McLean, VA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dulles Toll Road, Dulles Greenway, Claiborne Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12 miles from Ashburn, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.74 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 9 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.8 miles (VA 267 / Dulles Toll Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Ashburn, VA to McLean, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
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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