Trip from Madison Heights, VA to Charlottesville, VA

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

1h 23m

Distance

63.4 mi

102 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min

4 AM

1h 17m ★

6 AM

1h 24m

8 AM

1h 37m

10 AM

1h 28m

12 PM

1h 27m

3 PM

1h 29m

5 PM

1h 36m

8 PM

1h 20m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Madison Heights, VA

Josh Sorenson

Charlottesville, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Madison Heights, VA to Charlottesville, VA covers 63.4 miles and takes about 1h 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Thomas Nelson Highway, Monacan Trail, South Amherst Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.6 miles on Thomas Nelson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.91 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 23m. Total distance: 63.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (17%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 23m drive with frequent turns across 63.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.

There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Thomas Nelson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 21.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near VA 130 / Amelon Expressway.

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 63.4 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 2.6 miles (VA 130 / Amelon Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (US 29 / Monacan Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

2.6 mi into trip | ~4m in | VA 130 / Amelon Expressway

Turn right onto VA 130 / Amelon Expressway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

4.8 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the ramp toward US 29 North

Navigation decision point

Toward US 29 North

5 mi into trip | ~8m in | US 29 / Monacan Parkway

Merge onto US 29 / Monacan Parkway toward US 29 North: Amherst

Merge point - match speed before joining

Toward US 29 North: Amherst

58.7 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in

Take the exit toward I 64 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward I 64 East

62.9 mi into trip | ~1h 22m in | 2nd Street Southwest

Turn left onto 2nd Street Southwest

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Thomas Nelson Highway	21.6 mi	27m
Monacan Trail	16.2 mi	20m
South Amherst Highway	9.2 mi	11m
Monacan Parkway	7.1 mi	7m
Amherst Highway	2.2 mi	3m
Amelon Expressway	2.2 mi	3m
5th Street	1.7 mi	3m
I 64	1.4 mi	1m

Longest stretch: Thomas Nelson Highway — 21.6 mi, about 27m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Madison Heights, VA and Charlottesville, VA.

Start on Phelps Road

134 ft · 7 sec · Phelps Road

Turn right onto VA 163

0.4 mi · 41 sec · South Amherst Highway

Continue on US 29 BUS

2.2 mi · 3 min · Amherst Highway

Turn right onto VA 130

2.2 mi · 3 min · Amelon Expressway

Use the right lane.

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 30 sec

Toward US 29 North

Merge onto US 29

7.1 mi · 7 min · Monacan Parkway

Toward US 29 North: Amherst

Continue on US 29

8.8 mi · 10 min · South Amherst Highway

Continue on US 29

22 mi · 27 min · Thomas Nelson Highway

Continue on US 29

16 mi · 20 min · Monacan Trail

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec

Toward I 64 East

Merge onto I 64

1.4 mi · 1 min · I 64

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec

Toward VA 631: Charlottesville

Turn left onto SR 631

1.7 mi · 3 min · 5th Street

Use the straight lane.

Continue on Ridge Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Ridge Street

Use the left / straight / right lanes.

Turn slight right onto Water Street West

0.1 mi · 32 sec · Water Street West

Turn left onto 2nd Street Southwest

0.1 mi · 28 sec · 2nd Street Southwest

Turn right onto US 250 BUS

0.3 mi · 59 sec · West Market Street

Turn right onto 7th Street Northeast

286 ft · 15 sec · 7th Street Northeast

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 31.7 mi from Madison Heights, VA · 40m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Nellysford, VA

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

Amherst, VA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Nellysford, VA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 31.7 miles from Madison Heights, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Charlottesville, VA

The final approach into Charlottesville, 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

$9.91 one way

$19.83 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.34	$10.84	$21.68
premium	$4.70	$11.73	$23.47
diesel	$5.61	$14.00	$28.00

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 22.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	19	$6.66	$3.04
Efficient EV	15.9	$5.55	$2.54
EV Truck/SUV	25.4	$8.88	$4.06

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Madison Heights, VA

Night in Madison Heights on Thursday

Local time

10:42 PM

EDT

Current temp

90°F

Sunny

SW 13 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 2:28PM EDT by NWS Blacksburg VA

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 1:12PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Destination

Charlottesville, VA

Night in Charlottesville on Thursday

Local time

10:42 PM

EDT

Current temp

94°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 9 to 15 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 2:28PM EDT by NWS Blacksburg VA

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 1:12PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

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

4 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 23m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Madison Heights, VA to Charlottesville, VA covers 63.4 miles and takes about 1h 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Thomas Nelson Highway, Monacan Trail, South Amherst Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 31.7 miles from Madison Heights, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.91 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.

The route from Madison Heights, VA to Charlottesville, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Return Trip

Charlottesville, VA to Madison Heights, VA

Plan the drive back the other way.

64.3 mi 1h 23m

Explore more options from Madison Heights, VA or browse trips ending in Charlottesville, VA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse VA road trips.

Explore maps for Madison Heights, VA or Charlottesville, VA on MapSof.net.

Trip from Madison Heights, VA to Charlottesville, VA

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Who Is This Route For?

Drive Character

How Hard Is This Drive?

Critical Maneuvers

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Arriving in Charlottesville, VA

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Madison Heights, VA

Charlottesville, VA

Same local time

4 degrees warmer at arrival

1h 23m on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

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