Origin
Bellwood, VA
Afternoon in Bellwood on Friday
Local time
3:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
87°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bellwood, VA to Richmond, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bellwood, VA
Francesco Ungaro
Trip Overview
The drive from Bellwood, VA to Richmond, VA covers 11.9 miles and takes about 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, Downtown Expressway, Route 1 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.8 miles on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 18m highway drive covering 11.9 miles, with most of the trip on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike and Downtown Expressway. The longest continuous stretch is about 5.8 miles on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 5.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike and Downtown Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 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 11 decision points packed into just 11.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
7
1.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 95: Richmond, Petersburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95: Richmond, Petersburg
7
2.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North: Richmond
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 95 North: Richmond
7
8.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward VA 195 Toll: Downtown Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 74A
Toward VA 195 Toll: Downtown Expressway
7
10.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward Cash Toll, Meadow Street
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 Cash Toll, Meadow Street
8
11 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Meadow Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Meadow Street
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bellwood, VA and Richmond, VA, road signs point toward Petersburg and Cash Toll.
Petersburg
1.7 mi in
|
~2m
Cash Toll
10.6 mi in
|
~15m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Downtown Expressway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Route 1 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Meadow Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Monument Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Pocahontas Parkway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Marcus-David Peters Circle | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
— 5.8 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bellwood, VA and Richmond, VA.
1
Start on US 1; US 301
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Route 1
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward VA 150 South
3
Merge onto VA 150
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
·
Pocahontas Parkway
4
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 95: Richmond, Petersburg
Use the slight right lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North: Richmond
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto I 95
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 74A
Toward VA 195 Toll: Downtown Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Continue on VA 195
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Downtown Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Cash Toll, Meadow Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on this road
373 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward Meadow Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto South Meadow Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Meadow Street
13
Turn right onto Monument Avenue
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Monument Avenue
14
Enter roundabout onto Marcus-David Peters Circle
81 ft
·
2 sec
·
Marcus-David Peters Circle
15
Arrive at destination
Marcus-David Peters Circle
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.86 one way
$3.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.03 | $4.07 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.20 | $4.40 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.40
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
(5.8 mi)
$0.40
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$0
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Richmond, VA
Afternoon in Richmond on Friday
Local time
3:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°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
15 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
18m 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 Bellwood, VA to Richmond, VA covers 11.9 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, Downtown Expressway, Route 1. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6 miles from Bellwood, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.86 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 11.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Bellwood, VA and Richmond, VA, road signs point toward Petersburg and Cash Toll.
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.
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