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Trip from Charlottesville, VA to Broadlands, VA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 28m

Distance

102.5 mi

165 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
2h 19m ★
6 AM
2h 29m
8 AM
2h 49m
10 AM
2h 36m
12 PM
2h 34m
3 PM
2h 37m
5 PM
2h 48m
8 PM
2h 23m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Charlottesville, VA, VA

Charlottesville, VA

Wikimedia Commons

census designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States

Broadlands, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Charlottesville, VA to Broadlands, VA covers 102.5 miles and takes about 2h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on James Madison Highway, Seminole Trail, James Monroe Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 34.4 miles on James Madison Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.03 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

51.2 miles from Charlottesville, VA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 14m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 28m. Total distance: 102.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (13%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 28m drive with frequent turns across 102.5 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
James Madison Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 34.4 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 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 250 BUS / East Market Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 102.5 miles you will encounter 16 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: near the start (US 250 BUS / East Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (7th Street Northeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (SR 743 / Hydraulic Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 250 BUS / East Market Street

Turn left onto US 250 BUS / East Market Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | 7th Street Northeast

Turn right onto 7th Street Northeast

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
2.7 mi into trip | ~6m in | SR 743 / Hydraulic Road

Enter roundabout onto SR 743 / Hydraulic Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
2.9 mi into trip | ~7m in | US 29 / Seminole Trail

Turn right onto US 29 / Seminole Trail

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
70.3 mi into trip | ~1h 39m in | US 15; US 29

Keep slight left at fork onto US 15; US 29 toward US 15 North, US 29 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 15 North, US 29 North

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
James Madison Highway 34.4 mi 46m
Seminole Trail 33.9 mi 48m
James Monroe Highway 10 mi 12m
US 15 8.1 mi 11m
Northstar Boulevard 4.1 mi 7m
Little River Turnpike 3.7 mi 5m
Eastern Bypass 2.4 mi 3m
Belmont Ridge Road 1.6 mi 2m
Longest stretch: James Madison Highway — 34.4 mi, about 46m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Charlottesville, VA and Broadlands, VA.

1

Start on this road

233 ft · 22 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto US 250 BUS

180 ft · 9 sec · East Market Street
3

Turn right onto 7th Street Northeast

0.1 mi · 31 sec · 7th Street Northeast
Use the straight / right lanes.
4

Turn left onto US 250 BUS

315 ft · 14 sec · East High Street
5

Turn right onto Park Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Park Street
6

Turn left

252 ft · 7 sec
7

Take the ramp

141 ft · 3 sec
Toward US 250 West
8

Merge onto US 250

1.5 mi · 2 min · U.S. 250 Bypass
9

Turn right onto SR 743

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Hydraulic Road
10

Enter roundabout onto SR 743

94 ft · 2 sec · Hydraulic Road
11

Continue on SR 743

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Hydraulic Road
12

Turn right onto US 29

34 mi · 48 min · Seminole Trail
Use the straight / right lanes.
13

Continue on US 29

7.7 mi · 9 min · James Monroe Highway
14

Continue on US 15; US 29

23 mi · 30 min · James Madison Highway
15

Continue on US 15; US 17; US 29

2.4 mi · 3 min · Eastern Bypass
16

Keep slight left at fork onto US 15; US 29

8.1 mi · 11 min · US 15; US 29
Toward US 15 North, US 29 North
17

Turn left onto US 15

11 mi · 16 min · James Madison Highway
Use the left lane.
18

Continue on US 15

2.3 mi · 3 min · James Monroe Highway
19

Enter roundabout onto SR 884

12 ft · 0 sec · Howsers Branch Drive
20

Continue on SR 884

0.4 mi · 46 sec · Howsers Branch Drive
21

Enter roundabout onto US 50

8 ft · 0 sec · Little River Turnpike
22

Continue on US 50

0.4 mi · 52 sec · Little River Turnpike
23

Enter roundabout onto US 50

86 ft · 2 sec · Little River Turnpike
24

Continue on US 50

3.3 mi · 4 min · Little River Turnpike
25

Turn left onto SR 3171

4.1 mi · 7 min · Northstar Boulevard
26

Continue on SR 659

1.6 mi · 2 min · Belmont Ridge Road
27

Turn right onto SR 2119

1.0 mi · 1 min · Truro Parish Drive
28

Turn left onto Chickacoan Trail Drive

165 ft · 5 sec · Chickacoan Trail Drive
29

Arrive at destination

Chickacoan Trail Drive

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 51.2 miles from Charlottesville, VA, or about 1h 14m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 34.4 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 23 miles or 36m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 51.2 miles or 1h 14m 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 59m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Broadlands, VA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Charlottesville, 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 Charlottesville, VA

This is one driving day of about 102.5 miles and 2h 28m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Charlottesville, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on James Madison Highway for about 34.4 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 51.2 mi from Charlottesville, VA · 1h 14m into the drive

city in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Culpeper, VA

51 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

Lexington, VA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 23 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Culpeper, VA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 51.2 miles from Charlottesville, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Broadlands, VA

The final approach into Broadlands, 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 Broadlands, VA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$16.03 one way

$32.06 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 36 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $17.53 $35.05
premium $4.70 $18.97 $37.94
diesel $5.61 $22.63 $45.26

Estimated Tolls: $0.23

Little River Turnpike (3.3 mi) $0.23

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$16

Tolls

$0

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$41–$66

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 35.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 30.8 0 $10.76 $4.92
Efficient EV 25.6 0 $8.97 $4.10
EV Truck/SUV 41 0 $14.35 $6.56

Gas CO2

36 kg

EV CO2

12 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Charlottesville, VA

Morning in Charlottesville on Friday

Local time

6:30 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Broadlands, VA

Morning in Broadlands on Friday

Local time

6:30 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

26 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 28m 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 Charlottesville, VA to Broadlands, VA covers 102.5 miles and takes about 2h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are James Madison Highway, Seminole Trail, James Monroe Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 51.2 miles from Charlottesville, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.03 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 102.5 miles you will encounter 16 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: near the start (US 250 BUS / East Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (7th Street Northeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (SR 743 / Hydraulic Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

The route from Charlottesville, VA to Broadlands, 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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