Origin
Harrisonburg, VA
Afternoon in Harrisonburg on Saturday
Local time
2:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Harrisonburg, VA to Buena Vista, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
64 mi
103 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Harrisonburg, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Buena Vista, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Harrisonburg, VA to Buena Vista, VA covers 64 miles and takes about 1h 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 81, East Midland Trail, South High Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 57.2 miles on I 81. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.01 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 57.2 mi | 1h 2m |
| East Midland Trail | 3 mi | 3m |
| South High Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| 29th Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Port Republic Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Maryland Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Beech Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Market Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 57.2 mi, about 1h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Harrisonburg, VA and Buena Vista, VA.
1
Start on US 11; US 33
114 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn left onto US 33
260 ft
·
7 sec
·
Court Square
3
Continue on US 33
169 ft
·
5 sec
·
Court Square
4
Turn right onto US 33
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
West Market Street
5
Turn left onto VA 42
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South High Street
6
Turn left onto Maryland Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Maryland Avenue
7
Continue on VA 253
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Port Republic Road
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
9
Merge onto I 81
54 mi
·
59 min
·
I 81
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
I 81
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward US 60 East: Buena Vista
12
Continue on US 60
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
East Midland Trail
13
Continue on US 60
0.6 mi
·
39 sec
·
29th Street
14
Take the exit
302 ft
·
8 sec
15
Merge onto US 501
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
Beech Avenue
16
Continue on US 501
483 ft
·
13 sec
·
Sycamore Avenue
17
Turn left onto West 21st Street
444 ft
·
19 sec
·
West 21st Street
18
Arrive at destination
East 21st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32 miles from Harrisonburg, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 63.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 33 / Court Square
Turn left onto US 33 / Court Square
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 33 / West Market Street
Turn right onto US 33 / West Market Street
Navigation decision point
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Maryland Avenue
Turn left onto Maryland Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
56.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
|
I 81
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
63.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
|
West 21st Street
Turn left onto West 21st Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.01 one way
$20.02 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $10.94 | $21.89 |
| premium | $4.70 | $11.85 | $23.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.13 | $28.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.2 | 0 | $6.72 | $3.07 |
| Efficient EV | 16 | 0 | $5.60 | $2.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.6 | 0 | $8.96 | $4.10 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Buena Vista, VA
Afternoon in Buena Vista on Saturday
Local time
2:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
24 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
1h 14m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
64 mi in 1h 14m, mostly highway — 57.2 mi of that is on I 81.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 57.2 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and East Midland Trail. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 33 / Court Square.
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 64 miles you will encounter 10 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 33 / Court Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 33 / West Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (Maryland Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 64 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 57.2 miles on I 81. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 33 / Court Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 33 / West Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (Maryland Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Shenandoah National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Buena Vista, VA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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