Trip from Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA

Drive Time

2h 41m

Distance

129.7 mi

209 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$21

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 31 min
4 AM
2h 31m ★
6 AM
2h 41m
8 AM
3h 2m
10 AM
2h 49m
12 PM
2h 47m
3 PM
2h 50m
5 PM
3h 1m
8 PM
2h 35m

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

Downtown Colonial Beach, VA, VA

Colonial Beach, VA

Sarah O'Shea

Downtown Chesapeake, VA, VA

Chesapeake, VA

Willians Huerta

Trip Overview

The drive from Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA covers 129.7 miles and takes about 2h 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Colonial Avenue, McKinney Boulevard, James Monroe Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $20.76 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.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

64.8 miles from Colonial Beach, VA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 20m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 41m drive with frequent turns across 129.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Colonial 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.

Route Complexity 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

The drive from Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA is easy. At 2h 41m 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 Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Colonial Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
McKinney Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
James Monroe Highway Unavailable Refreshing
Kings Highway Unavailable Refreshing
Flat Iron Road Unavailable Refreshing
Newland Road Unavailable Refreshing
Richmond Road Unavailable Refreshing
South Water Lane Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Colonial Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Colonial Beach, VA and Chesapeake, VA.

1

Start on Washington Avenue

33 ft · 8 sec · Washington Avenue
2

Turn left onto Colonial Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Colonial Avenue
3

Turn left onto McKinney Boulevard

0.3 mi · 29 sec · McKinney Boulevard
4

Continue on James Monroe Highway

5.4 mi · 7 min · James Monroe Highway
5

Turn left onto Kings Highway

5.2 mi · 7 min · Kings Highway
6

Turn right onto Flat Iron Road

3.9 mi · 6 min · Flat Iron Road
7

Continue on Newland Road

14 mi · 24 min · Newland Road
8

Turn right onto Richmond Road

4.1 mi · 5 min · Richmond Road
9

Turn left onto South Water Lane

0.4 mi · 57 sec · South Water Lane
10

Turn right onto Wright Street

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Wright Street
11

At the end of the road, turn left onto Tappahannock Boulevard

1.9 mi · 3 min · Tappahannock Boulevard
12

Keep slight left

67 mi · 1 hr 33 min
13

Take the exit straight toward US 64 East: Hampton, Norfolk

0.3 mi · 44 sec · US 64 East: Hampton, Norfolk
14

Merge slight left

10.0 mi · 12 min
15

Keep slight left to continue on Hampton Roads Beltway

341 ft · 5 sec · Hampton Roads Beltway
16

Continue on Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

3.5 mi · 4 min · Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
17

Continue on Hampton Roads Beltway

6.7 mi · 8 min · Hampton Roads Beltway
18

Take the exit slight right toward VA 194 South: Chesapeake Boulevard

0.2 mi · 32 sec · VA 194 South: Chesapeake Boulevard
19

Turn straight onto Chesapeake Boulevard

2.1 mi · 3 min · Chesapeake Boulevard
20

Turn straight

135 ft · 8 sec
21

Turn left onto Ballentine Boulevard

1.1 mi · 1 min · Ballentine Boulevard
22

Turn right onto East Princess Anne Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Princess Anne Road
23

Turn left onto Park Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Park Avenue
24

Turn left onto East Brambleton Avenue

0.3 mi · 58 sec · East Brambleton Avenue
25

Continue on Campostella Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Campostella Road
26

Turn right onto Wilson Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Wilson Road
27

Continue on 22nd Street

0.3 mi · 27 sec · 22nd Street
28

Continue on Poindexter Street

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Poindexter Street
29

Turn right onto D Street

413 ft · 18 sec · D Street
30

Arrive at your destination

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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 64.8 miles from Colonial Beach, VA, or about 1h 20m into the drive.

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 80 miles or 1h 39m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 64.8 miles or 1h 20m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 12m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Colonial Beach, 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 Colonial Beach, VA

This is one driving day of about 129.7 miles and 2h 41m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Colonial Beach, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 64.8 mi from Colonial Beach, VA · 1h 20m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Middletown, MD

65 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

Middletown, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Middletown, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 64.8 miles from Colonial Beach, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Chesapeake, VA

The final approach into Chesapeake, 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 Chesapeake, 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

$20.76 one way

$41.51 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 45 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $22.62 $45.23
premium $4.78 $24.40 $48.80
diesel $5.64 $28.81 $57.63

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$21

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$46–$71

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 45.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 38.9 0 $13.62 $6.23
Efficient EV 32.4 0 $11.35 $5.19
EV Truck/SUV 51.9 0 $18.16 $8.30

Gas CO2

45 kg

EV CO2

15 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Colonial Beach, VA

Evening in Colonial Beach on Sunday

Local time

7:40 PM

EDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Chesapeake, VA

Evening in Chesapeake on Sunday

Local time

7:40 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

86°F

Middletown, MD

65 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 41m 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 Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA covers 129.7 miles and takes about 2h 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Colonial Avenue, McKinney Boulevard, James Monroe Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 64.8 miles from Colonial Beach, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $20.76 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
The drive from Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA is easy. At 2h 41m 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 Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Colonial Beach, VA to Chesapeake, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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