The drive from Chamberlayne, VA to Suffolk, VA covers 100.2 miles and takes about 2h 6m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, James River Drive, Colonial Trail West for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.5 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.67 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
50.1 miles from Chamberlayne, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 1m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 6m. Total distance: 100.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 2h 6m drive with frequent turns across 100.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 25.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near US 301; VA 2 / Chamberlayne Road.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 100.2 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (US 301; VA 2 / Chamberlayne Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (I 295 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.4 mi into trip|~0m in|US 301; VA 2 / Chamberlayne Road
Turn right onto US 301; VA 2 / Chamberlayne Road
Navigation decision point
4
1.7 mi into trip|~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 295 South: Norfolk, Rocky Mount NC
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 295 South: Norfolk, Rocky Mount NC
5
2.3 mi into trip|~4m in|I 295 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 295 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
27.7 mi into trip|~31m in
Take the exit toward VA 10 East: Hopewell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 15A
Toward VA 10 East: Hopewell
5
100.2 mi into trip|~2h 5m in|South Saratoga Street
Turn left onto South Saratoga Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
25.5 mi
27m
James River Drive
14.6 mi
19m
Colonial Trail West
13.3 mi
15m
Old Stage Highway
12 mi
15m
Colonial Trail East
9.8 mi
11m
Godwin Boulevard
8.9 mi
10m
Benns Church Boulevard
4.3 mi
5m
East Hundred Road
2.9 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
— 25.5 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chamberlayne, VA and Suffolk, VA.
1
Start on Wilkinson Road
0.4 mi·42 sec·Wilkinson Road
2
Turn right onto US 301; VA 2
1.3 mi·2 min·Chamberlayne Road
3
Take the ramp
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 295 South: Norfolk, Rocky Mount NC
4
Merge onto I 295
25 mi·27 min·Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi·47 sec
Exit 15AToward VA 10 East: HopewellUse the right lane.
6
Merge onto VA 10
2.9 mi·3 min·East Hundred Road
7
Continue on VA 10
2.9 mi·4 min·West Randolph Road
8
Continue on VA 10; VA 156 BUS
15 mi·19 min·James River Drive
9
Continue on VA 10
13 mi·15 min·Colonial Trail West
10
At end of road, turn left onto VA 10; VA 31
1.0 mi·1 min·Rolfe Highway
11
Take the exit
149 ft·6 sec
12
Merge onto VA 10
9.8 mi·11 min·Colonial Trail East
13
Continue on VA 10
12 mi·15 min·Old Stage Highway
Use the left lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto VA 10
4.3 mi·5 min·Benns Church Boulevard
15
Continue on VA 10; VA 32
8.4 mi·9 min·Godwin Boulevard
16
Continue on VA 10; VA 32
0.5 mi·48 sec·Godwin Boulevard
17
Turn left onto US 460 BUS; VA 10; VA 32
366 ft·6 sec·Pruden Boulevard
18
Continue on US 460 BUS; VA 10; VA 32
2.2 mi·5 min·North Main Street
19
Turn right onto VA 337
454 ft·17 sec·West Washington Street
20
Turn left onto South Saratoga Street
165 ft·4 sec·South Saratoga Street
21
Arrive at destination
South Saratoga Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 50.1 miles from Chamberlayne, VA, or about 1h 1m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 25.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 22 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 50.1 miles or 1h 1m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Suffolk, VA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Chamberlayne, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Chamberlayne, VA
This is one driving day of about 100.2 miles and 2h 6m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 22 miles from Chamberlayne, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway for about 25.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 50.1 mi from Chamberlayne, VA
· 1h 1m into the drive
The midpoint is around 50.1 miles from Chamberlayne, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Suffolk, VA
The final approach into Suffolk, VA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Suffolk, VA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Colonial National Historical Park
National Historical Park
On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together – European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
$15
near mile 69.1
Park Closure: Rehabilitation of Colonial Parkway Continues
Two hundred ninety-two days, eight offensives, over 70,000 casualties, U. S. Colored Troops, and the decline of Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia all describe the Siege of Petersburg. U.S. forces c...
13 mi from route
~32 min detour
Free
near mile 31.1
Fort Monroe's story spans from prehistory to the 2000s. Kecoughtan Indians occupied Old Point Comfort before the arrival of English colonists. The first enslaved Africans arrived in 1619. Those escapi...
17 mi from route
~42 min detour
Free
near mile 86.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.67 one way
$31.34 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg35 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$17.13
$34.27
premium
$4.70
$18.54
$37.09
diesel
$5.61
$22.12
$44.25
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 35.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
30.1
0
$10.52
$4.81
Efficient EV
25.1
0
$8.77
$4.01
EV Truck/SUV
40.1
0
$14.03
$6.41
Gas CO2
35 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (66% 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 16, 2026
Origin
Chamberlayne, VA
Late night
in Chamberlayne on Friday
Local time
4:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Suffolk, VA
Late night
in Suffolk on Friday
Local time
4:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
52°F
Waverly, VA
50 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
2 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
2h 6m 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 Chamberlayne, VA to Suffolk, VA covers 100.2 miles and takes about 2h 6m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, James River Drive, Colonial Trail West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 50.1 miles from Chamberlayne, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.67 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 100.2 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (US 301; VA 2 / Chamberlayne Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (I 295 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Chamberlayne, VA to Suffolk, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Colonial National Historical Park, Petersburg National Battlefield and Fort Monroe National Monument.
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.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
