Origin
Lake Ridge, VA
Afternoon in Lake Ridge on Friday
Local time
2:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Ridge, VA to McLean, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
27 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Ridge, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lake Ridge, VA to McLean, VA covers 27 miles and takes about 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, I 95, Old Bridge Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.5 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.22 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 27 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Lake Ridge, VA to McLean, VA covers 27 miles and takes about 39m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 15 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 9.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4 miles in near I 95.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 27 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
9
12.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 170A; 170B
Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Ty...
7
13.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 170B
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
6
15.9 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
24.4 mi into trip
|
~33m 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
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Lake Ridge, VA to McLean, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Tysons Corner along the way.
Tysons Corner
12.8 mi in
|
~18m
|
via I 395
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 9.5 mi | 11m |
| I 95 | 8.7 mi | 10m |
| Old Bridge Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Old Dominion Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Gordon Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Antietam Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 9.5 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Ridge, VA and McLean, VA.
1
Start on Woodfern Court
451 ft
·
23 sec
·
Woodfern Court
2
Turn left onto SR 2185
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Antietam Road
3
Turn left onto SR 641
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Old Bridge Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn right onto VA 123
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Gordon Boulevard
Use the right lane.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 95 North: Washington
6
Merge onto I 95
8.7 mi
·
10 min
·
I 95
Use the straight lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 395
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Exit 170A; 170B
Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Take the exit
1.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 170B
Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 495
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Capital Beltway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
8.5 mi
·
10 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 46B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto VA 123
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn right onto VA 309
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Dominion Drive
Use the right lane.
14
Turn sharp left onto Elm Street
101 ft
·
2 sec
·
Elm Street
15
Arrive at destination
Elm Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.22 one way
$8.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.62 | $9.23 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.96 | $11.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.30 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.78 | $1.73 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
McLean, VA
Afternoon in McLean on Friday
Local time
2:49 PM
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
24 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
39m 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 Lake Ridge, VA to McLean, VA covers 27 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, I 95, Old Bridge Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.5 miles from Lake Ridge, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.22 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 13 decision points packed into just 27 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Lake Ridge, VA to McLean, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Tysons Corner along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
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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