The drive from Matoaca, VA to East Hampton, VA covers 83.2 miles and takes about 1h 54m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on James River Drive, Colonial Trail West, Old Stage Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.6 miles on James River Drive.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.01 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
41.6 miles from Matoaca, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 55m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 54m. Total distance: 83.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 54m drive with frequent turns across 83.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
James River Drive is the longest continuous segment at about 14.6 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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near SR 1304 / Wilcox Street.
Driving Effort6/10
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 83.2 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.1 miles (SR 1304 / Wilcox Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (VA 36 / River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (VA 36 / North Sycamore Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|SR 1304 / Wilcox Street
Turn left onto SR 1304 / Wilcox Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|VA 36 / River Road
Turn right onto VA 36 / River Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
4.6 mi into trip|~7m in|VA 36 / North Sycamore Street
Turn right onto VA 36 / North Sycamore Street
Navigation decision point
5
4.6 mi into trip|~8m in|East Bank Street
Turn left onto East Bank Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
5.7 mi into trip|~10m in|VA 36 / East Washington Street
At end of road, turn left onto VA 36 / East Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
James River Drive
14.6 mi
19m
Colonial Trail West
13.3 mi
15m
Old Stage Highway
12 mi
15m
Colonial Trail East
9.8 mi
11m
James River Bridge
4.4 mi
6m
West Mercury Boulevard
4 mi
7m
Mercury Boulevard
3.7 mi
7m
East Washington Street
3.5 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
James River Drive
— 14.6 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Matoaca, VA and East Hampton, VA.
1
Start on Fitzhugh Street
287 ft·17 sec·Fitzhugh Street
2
Turn left onto SR 1304
163 ft·9 sec·Wilcox Street
3
Turn right onto VA 36
2.9 mi·4 min·River Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on VA 36
0.8 mi·1 min·Chesterfield Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Continue on VA 36
0.1 mi·17 sec·Fleet Street
6
Turn left onto VA 36
0.5 mi·56 sec·Grove Avenue
7
Continue on VA 36
0.1 mi·18 sec·West Old Street
8
Turn right onto VA 36
484 ft·18 sec·North Sycamore Street
9
Turn left onto East Bank Street
1.1 mi·2 min·East Bank Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
At end of road, turn left onto VA 36
3.5 mi·4 min·East Washington Street
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on VA 36
2.0 mi·2 min·Oaklawn Boulevard
12
Continue on VA 36
2.2 mi·2 min·Winston Churchill Drive
13
Turn right onto VA 10; VA 156 BUS
1.3 mi·2 min·East Randolph Road
14
Continue on VA 10; VA 156 BUS
15 mi·19 min·James River Drive
15
Continue on VA 10
13 mi·15 min·Colonial Trail West
16
At end of road, turn left onto VA 10; VA 31
1.0 mi·1 min·Rolfe Highway
17
Take the exit
149 ft·6 sec
18
Merge onto VA 10
9.8 mi·11 min·Colonial Trail East
19
Continue on VA 10
12 mi·15 min·Old Stage Highway
Use the left lane.
20
Keep slight left at fork onto US 258
2.9 mi·4 min·Brewers Neck Boulevard
21
Turn left onto US 17; US 258; VA 32
2.4 mi·3 min·Carrollton Boulevard
Use the left lane.
22
Continue on US 17; US 258; VA 32
4.4 mi·6 min·James River Bridge
23
Continue on US 17; US 258; VA 32
3.7 mi·7 min·Mercury Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Continue on US 258
4.0 mi·7 min·West Mercury Boulevard
Use the left lane.
25
Turn right onto Southerland Drive
0.2 mi·46 sec·Southerland Drive
26
Arrive at destination
Southerland Drive
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41.6 miles from Matoaca, VA, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 14.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 18 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41.6 miles or 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 32m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near East Hampton, VA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Matoaca, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Matoaca, VA
This is one driving day of about 83.2 miles and 1h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Matoaca, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on James River Drive for about 14.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 41.6 mi from Matoaca, VA
· 55m into the drive
The midpoint is around 41.6 miles from Matoaca, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in East Hampton, VA
The final approach into East Hampton, 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Fort Monroe National Monument
National Monument
Fort Monroe's story spans from prehistory to the 2000s. Kecoughtan Indians occupied Old Point Comfort before the arrival of English colonists. The first enslaved Africans arrived in 1619. Those escapi...
2 mi from route
~5 min detour
Free
near mile 83.2
Park Closure: Road Closure and Fishing Pier Impact
Two hundred ninety-two days, eight offensives, over 70,000 casualties, U. S. Colored Troops, and the decline of Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia all describe the Siege of Petersburg. U.S. forces c...
On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together – European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that...
11 mi from route
~28 min detour
$15
near mile 51.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.01 one way
$26.02 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg29 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$14.23
$28.45
premium
$4.70
$15.40
$30.80
diesel
$5.61
$18.37
$36.74
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
25
0
$8.74
$3.99
Efficient EV
20.8
0
$7.28
$3.33
EV Truck/SUV
33.3
0
$11.65
$5.32
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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
Matoaca, VA
Late night
in Matoaca on Friday
Local time
5:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
East Hampton, VA
Late night
in East Hampton on Friday
Local time
5:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
52°F
Waverly, VA
42 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1h 54m 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 Matoaca, VA to East Hampton, VA covers 83.2 miles and takes about 1h 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are James River Drive, Colonial Trail West, Old Stage Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 41.6 miles from Matoaca, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.01 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 83.2 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (SR 1304 / Wilcox Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (VA 36 / River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (VA 36 / North Sycamore Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Matoaca, VA to East Hampton, 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.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
