Origin
Gretna, VA
Late night in Gretna on Friday
Local time
4:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gretna, 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
1h 21m
Distance
53.9 mi
87 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gretna, VA
ᛟᛞᚨᛚᚹ ᚨᚱᚲᛟᚾᛊᚲᛁ
Roanoke, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Gretna, VA to Roanoke, VA is 53.9 miles and takes about 1 hour 21 minutes via Old Franklin Turnpike, West Gretna Road, and Jubal Early Highway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Southeast region, primarily in Virginia. Expect a mixed drive that isn't overly long, making it a solid option for a single-day excursion. It’s a straightforward journey that doesn't require extensive planning, allowing for a relaxed pace.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 21m. Total distance: 53.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 42% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches on roads like Old Franklin Turnpike, West Gretna Road, and Jubal Early Highway. The longest continuous segment you'll navigate is 15.6 miles on Old Franklin Turnpike. This suggests a blend of faster-paced travel and potentially more local road sections as you progress towards Roanoke.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Old Franklin Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 15.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near SR 1309 / Huffmond Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 21m drive. You will face about 13 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (SR 1309 / Huffmond Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (SR 1302 / Leftwich Street): Navigation decision point; at 50.9 miles (VA 116 / Riverland Road Southeast): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
SR 1309 / Huffmond Street
At end of road, turn left onto SR 1309 / Huffmond Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
SR 1302 / Leftwich Street
At end of road, turn left onto SR 1302 / Leftwich Street
Navigation decision point
5
50.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
|
VA 116 / Riverland Road Southeast
Enter roundabout onto VA 116 / Riverland Road Southeast
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
53.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
53.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Old Franklin Turnpike | 15.6 mi | 21m |
| West Gretna Road | 13.7 mi | 18m |
| Jubal Early Highway | 9.5 mi | 12m |
| VA 122 | 7.1 mi | 10m |
| JAE Valley Road | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| 9th Street Southeast | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Riverland Road Southeast | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Mount Pleasant Boulevard Southeast | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Old Franklin Turnpike
— 15.6 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gretna, VA and Roanoke, VA.
1
Start on SR 792
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Northside Drive
2
Continue on SR 1307
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Center Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto SR 1309
347 ft
·
10 sec
·
Huffmond Street
4
Turn right onto SR 792
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Henry Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto SR 1302
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Leftwich Street
6
At end of road, turn right onto VA 40
14 mi
·
18 min
·
West Gretna Road
7
Continue on VA 40
16 mi
·
21 min
·
Old Franklin Turnpike
8
Turn right onto VA 122
7.1 mi
·
10 min
·
VA 122
9
Turn left onto VA 116
9.5 mi
·
12 min
·
Jubal Early Highway
10
Continue on VA 116
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
JAE Valley Road
11
Continue on VA 116
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Mount Pleasant Boulevard Southeast
12
Continue on VA 116
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Riverland Road Southeast
13
Enter roundabout onto VA 116
184 ft
·
6 sec
·
Riverland Road Southeast
14
Continue on VA 116
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Riverland Road Southeast
15
Turn right onto 9th Street Southeast
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
9th Street Southeast
16
Turn left onto VA 24
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Jamison Avenue Southeast
17
Continue on VA 24
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Elm Avenue Southeast
Use the straight lane.
18
Turn right onto VA 116
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jefferson Street
19
Turn left onto Kirk Avenue Southwest
379 ft
·
22 sec
·
Kirk Avenue Southwest
20
Turn left
115 ft
·
13 sec
21
Turn left
132 ft
·
9 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.9 mi from Gretna, VA · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 26.9 miles from Gretna, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Roanoke, VA
The final approach into Roanoke, VA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.43 one way
$16.86 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.22 | $18.43 |
| premium | $4.70 | $9.98 | $19.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.90 | $23.80 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.09
Old Franklin Turnpike
(15.6 mi)
$1.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$1
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.72 | $2.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.55 | $3.45 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Late night in Roanoke on Friday
Local time
4:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Rocky Mount, VA
27 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
31 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
1h 21m 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 Gretna, VA to Roanoke, VA covers 53.9 miles and takes about 1h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Old Franklin Turnpike, West Gretna Road, Jubal Early Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.9 miles from Gretna, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.43 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 straightforward 1h 21m drive. You will face about 13 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (SR 1309 / Huffmond Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (SR 1302 / Leftwich Street): Navigation decision point; at 50.9 miles (VA 116 / Riverland Road Southeast): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Gretna, 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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