Origin
Buena Vista, VA
Morning in Buena Vista on Friday
Local time
7:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
55.9 mi
90 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 1m
5 PM
1h 6m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buena Vista, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Roanoke, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA covers 55.9 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Sycamore Avenue, Beech Avenue, West 29th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 55.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m 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 56m drive with frequent turns across 55.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Sycamore Avenue 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 Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA is easy. At 56m 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 Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Avenue | — | — |
| Beech Avenue | — | — |
| West 29th Street | — | — |
| East Midland Trail | — | — |
| I 581 | — | — |
| US 11 South | — | — |
| Salem Avenue Southeast | — | — |
| South Jefferson Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Sycamore Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buena Vista, VA and Roanoke, VA.
1
Start on East 21st Street
443 ft
·
24 sec
·
East 21st Street
2
Turn right onto Sycamore Avenue
482 ft
·
6 sec
·
Sycamore Avenue
3
Turn straight onto Beech Avenue
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Beech Avenue
4
Turn left onto West 29th Street
0.6 mi
·
43 sec
·
West 29th Street
5
Continue on East Midland Trail
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
East Midland Trail
6
Take the exit slight left
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
7
Merge slight left
45 mi
·
48 min
8
Take the exit slight left toward I 581, US 220 South: Airport, Roanoke
5.9 mi
·
8 min
·
I 581, US 220 South: Airport, Roanoke
9
Take the exit slight right toward US 11 South, US 220 Business South: Downtown
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
US 11 South, US 220 Business South: Downtown
10
Keep slight left
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
11
Turn right onto Salem Avenue Southeast
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Salem Avenue Southeast
12
Turn left onto South Jefferson Street
476 ft
·
20 sec
·
South Jefferson Street
13
Turn right onto Kirk Avenue Southwest
377 ft
·
22 sec
·
Kirk Avenue Southwest
14
Turn left
115 ft
·
14 sec
15
Turn left
131 ft
·
10 sec
16
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27.9 mi from Buena Vista, VA · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.9 miles from Buena Vista, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Roanoke, VA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Roanoke, VA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.74 one way
$17.48 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.56 | $19.12 |
| premium | $4.70 | $10.35 | $20.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.34 | $24.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.87 | $2.68 |
| Efficient EV | 14 | 0 | $4.89 | $2.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.4 | 0 | $7.83 | $3.58 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Roanoke, VA
Morning in Roanoke on Friday
Local time
7:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Buchanan, VA
28 mi in
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
33 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
56m 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 Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA covers 55.9 miles and takes about 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Sycamore Avenue, Beech Avenue, West 29th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.9 miles from Buena Vista, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.74 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.
The drive from Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA is easy. At 56m 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 Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Buena Vista, VA to Roanoke, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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