Origin
McLean, VA
Late night in McLean on Friday
Local time
5:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from McLean, VA to Alexandria, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
15.5 mi
25 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Alexandria, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 15.5-mile journey from McLean, VA, to Alexandria, VA, is a short, manageable drive that can easily be completed in about 30 minutes. It's ideal as a day trip, requiring no overnight stops. The route is primarily highway-focused, with 73% of the drive on such roads, and you can expect a fuel cost of approximately $2. The drive traverses within the Southeast region of Virginia, making it a convenient local excursion. Its brevity means you can focus on your destination without a lengthy travel commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 15.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused drive for most of this trip, with 73% of the route utilizing these faster roads. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 11.3 miles along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, offering a consistent driving pace. The transition through Dolley Madison Boulevard and North Washington Street will likely bring you onto more local arteries as you approach your destination. This mix provides a blend of efficient travel and a gradual shift into a more urban setting.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
George Washington Memorial Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 11.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on George Washington Memorial Parkway and Dolley Madison Boulevard. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Beverly Road.
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 15.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 (Beverly Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (VA 123 / Dolley Madison Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (GWMP / George Washington Memorial Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Beverly Road
Turn right onto Beverly Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
VA 123 / Dolley Madison Boulevard
Turn right onto VA 123 / Dolley Madison Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
GWMP / George Washington Memorial Parkway
Merge onto GWMP / George Washington Memorial Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
15.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
South Columbus Street
Turn left onto South Columbus Street
Navigation decision point
5
15.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Prince Street
Turn left onto Prince Street
Navigation decision point
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 McLean, VA to Alexandria, VA, road signs begin pointing toward George Washington Memorial Parkway East along the way.
George Washington Memorial Parkway East
2.9 mi in
|
~5m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| George Washington Memorial Parkway | 11.3 mi | 20m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| North Washington Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Beverly Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Elm Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Columbus Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Washington Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| King Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
George Washington Memorial Parkway
— 11.3 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McLean, VA and Alexandria, VA.
1
Start on Elm Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Elm Street
2
Turn right onto Beverly Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Beverly Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn right onto VA 123
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward George Washington Memorial Parkway East
5
Merge onto GWMP
11 mi
·
20 min
·
George Washington Memorial Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on VA 400
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
North Washington Street
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto VA 7
316 ft
·
18 sec
·
King Street
8
Turn left onto South Columbus Street
414 ft
·
25 sec
·
South Columbus Street
9
Turn left onto Prince Street
310 ft
·
12 sec
·
Prince Street
10
Turn left onto VA 400
372 ft
·
19 sec
·
South Washington Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
VA 400
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.42 one way
$4.85 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.65 | $5.30 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.42 | $6.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.36 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Alexandria, VA
Late night in Alexandria on Friday
Local time
5:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
6 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
30m 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 McLean, VA to Alexandria, VA covers 15.5 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are George Washington Memorial Parkway, Dolley Madison Boulevard, North Washington Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7.7 miles from McLean, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.42 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 15.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 (Beverly Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (VA 123 / Dolley Madison Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (GWMP / George Washington Memorial Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from McLean, VA to Alexandria, VA, road signs begin pointing toward George Washington Memorial Parkway East along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
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.
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