Origin
McLean, VA
Morning in McLean on Friday
Local time
10:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from McLean, VA to Lake Ridge, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
26.8 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Lake Ridge, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
The drive from McLean, VA to Lake Ridge, VA covers 26.8 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, Old Bridge Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.7 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 26.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 40m drive with frequent turns across 26.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 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 9.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Beverly Road.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 26.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
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 12.6 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.
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.
7
12.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South: Richmond
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 57A
Toward I 95 South: Richmond
8
13.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, SR 644 East: Richmond, Franconia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South, SR 644 East: Richmond, Franc...
8
22.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward VA 123 North: Occoquan, Lake Ridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 160
Toward VA 123 North: Occoquan, Lake Ridge
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 Lake Ridge, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Franconia along the way.
Franconia
13.1 mi in
|
~20m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 9.7 mi | 12m |
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Old Bridge Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 2 mi | 4m |
| Antietam Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Old Dominion Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Gordon Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Elm Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 9.7 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McLean, VA and Lake Ridge, 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
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Old Dominion Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto VA 123
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 495 South
6
Merge onto I 495
9.7 mi
·
12 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 57A
Toward I 95 South: Richmond
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 95 South, SR 644 East: Richmond, Franconia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 95 South: Richmond
10
Merge onto I 395
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 160
Toward VA 123 North: Occoquan, Lake Ridge
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto VA 123
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Gordon Boulevard
13
Turn left onto SR 641
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Old Bridge Road
14
Turn right onto SR 2185
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
Antietam Road
15
Turn right onto Woodfern Court
451 ft
·
19 sec
·
Woodfern Court
Use the right lane.
16
Arrive at destination
Woodfern Court
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.19 one way
$8.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.58 | $9.16 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.96 | $9.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.92 | $11.83 |
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 | 0 | $2.81 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.75 | $1.72 |
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
Lake Ridge, VA
Morning in Lake Ridge on Friday
Local time
10:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
40m 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 Lake Ridge, VA covers 26.8 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, Old Bridge Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.4 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 $4.19 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 26.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
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 12.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from McLean, VA to Lake Ridge, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Franconia 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Lake Ridge, VA
More trips to Lake Ridge, VA
Explore more options from McLean, VA or browse trips ending in Lake Ridge, VA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse VA road trips.