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Trip from Huntington, VA to McLean, VA

Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology

Drive Time

29m

Distance

19.6 mi

32 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 27m ★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m

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

Downtown Huntington, VA, VA

Huntington, VA

Wikimedia Commons

census-designated place and unincorporated community in Virginia, United States

McLean, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 19.6-mile drive from Huntington, VA, to McLean, VA, is a quick 29-minute trip that stays entirely within the Southeast region of Virginia. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, it's an easy addition to any itinerary or a standalone quick journey. The route primarily utilizes local roads, including Dolley Madison Boulevard, and segments of the Capital Beltway, making it a turn-heavy local drive rather than a highway cruise. Given its brevity and lack of designated stops, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, offering a straightforward connection between these two Virginia locations.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with a 0% highway share. While it includes an 11.6-mile stretch on the Capital Beltway, much of the journey will involve navigating local roads like Dolley Madison Boulevard. This means you'll experience a more dynamic driving experience with frequent turns and traffic lights, rather than a monotonous interstate grind. The character of the drive shifts between the faster, albeit limited, highway sections and the more intricate local road segments, requiring your attention throughout the short 29-minute duration.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Capital Beltway is the longest continuous segment at about 11.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Blaine Drive.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Blaine Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.4 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Blaine Drive

Turn left onto Blaine Drive

Navigation decision point

6
1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 95 South, I 495 West: Richmond

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 95 South, I 495 West: Richmond
6
5.4 mi into trip | ~9m in | I 495 / Capital Beltway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
6
8.5 mi into trip | ~12m in | I 495 / Capital Beltway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
17 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward VA 123 North: McLean

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 46B Toward VA 123 North: McLean

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 11.6 mi 14m
Capital Beltway (Local) 3.7 mi 4m
Dolley Madison Boulevard 1.7 mi 4m
Huntington Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Old Dominion Drive 0.5 mi 1m
Telegraph Road 0.2 mi <1m
Blaine Drive 0.1 mi <1m
Elm Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 11.6 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Huntington, VA and McLean, VA.

1

Start on Fairview Terrace

13 ft · 5 sec · Fairview Terrace
2

Turn left onto Blaine Drive

0.1 mi · 31 sec · Blaine Drive
3

At end of road, turn left onto SR 1332

0.6 mi · 1 min · Huntington Avenue
4

Turn right onto VA 241

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Telegraph Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the ramp

0.8 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 South, I 495 West: Richmond Use the slight right lane.
6

Merge onto I 95; I 495

3.7 mi · 4 min · Capital Beltway (Local)
7

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495

0.7 mi · 47 sec · Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
8

Continue on I 495

2.4 mi · 2 min · Capital Beltway
Exit 170A Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495

8.5 mi · 10 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 46B Toward VA 123 North: McLean Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn straight onto VA 123

1.7 mi · 4 min · Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
12

Turn right onto VA 309

0.5 mi · 1 min · Old Dominion Drive
Use the right lane.
13

Turn sharp left onto Elm Street

101 ft · 2 sec · Elm Street
14

Arrive at destination

Elm Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.07 one way

$6.13 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $3.35 $6.70
premium $4.70 $3.63 $7.26
diesel $5.61 $4.33 $8.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.06 $0.94
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.78
EV Truck/SUV 7.8 0 $2.74 $1.25

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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

Huntington, VA

Late night in Huntington on Friday

Local time

3:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

78°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

McLean, VA

Late night in McLean on Friday

Local time

3:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°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

3 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

29m 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 Huntington, VA to McLean, VA covers 19.6 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Capital Beltway, Capital Beltway (Local), Dolley Madison Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 9.8 miles from Huntington, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.07 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 short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Blaine Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.4 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Huntington, VA to McLean, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Data sources

The figures on this page are computed from open government and mapping datasets, not crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Full methodology, refresh cadence, and limitations are documented on the methodology page.

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