Origin
McLean, VA
Late night in McLean on Saturday
Local time
2:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from McLean, VA to Great Falls, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
7.8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Great Falls, VA
Wilson Rodriguez
Trip Overview
McLean, VA to Great Falls, VA is 7.8 miles and takes about 16 minutes via Old Dominion Drive/Georgetown Pike/Elm Street, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Southeast region, specifically in Virginia. Expect a local drive characterized by frequent turns rather than long stretches of highway. It's a quick trip, perfect for a short excursion or a way to connect two points without significant travel time, making it ideal for a same-day adventure.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 16m. Total distance: 7.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route is a turn-heavy local drive, with a 0% highway share. You'll navigate primarily via Old Dominion Drive, Georgetown Pike, and Elm Street. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.6 miles on Old Dominion Drive. Given its local nature, anticipate navigating through neighborhoods and potentially encountering traffic signals and intersections that require attention. The drive doesn't feature any significant highway segments, so prepare for a more intimate, road-level experience.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 5 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Old Dominion Drive is the longest continuous segment at about 5.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Beverly Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 16m drive. You will face about 3 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Beverly Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (VA 193 / Georgetown Pike): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
3 of 3 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Beverly Road
Turn left onto Beverly Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive
Turn right onto VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
5.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
VA 193 / Georgetown Pike
Turn left onto VA 193 / Georgetown Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Old Dominion Drive | 5.6 mi | 11m |
| Georgetown Pike | 2 mi | 4m |
| Elm Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Beverly Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Old Dominion Drive
— 5.6 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McLean, VA and Great Falls, VA.
1
Start on Elm Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Elm Street
2
Turn left onto Beverly Road
365 ft
·
15 sec
·
Beverly Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto VA 309
5.6 mi
·
11 min
·
Old Dominion Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto VA 193
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Georgetown Pike
Use the straight lane.
5
Arrive at destination
VA 193
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.22 one way
$2.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.33 | $2.67 |
| premium | $4.70 | $1.44 | $2.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.72 | $3.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.82 | $0.37 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.68 | $0.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Great Falls, VA
Late night in Great Falls on Saturday
Local time
2:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°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
1 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
16m 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 Great Falls, VA covers 7.8 miles and takes about 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Old Dominion Drive, Georgetown Pike, Elm Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.9 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 $1.22 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 straightforward 16m drive. You will face about 3 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Beverly Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (VA 193 / Georgetown Pike): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from McLean, VA to Great Falls, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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