Origin
McLean, VA
Night in McLean on Sunday
Local time
11:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from McLean, VA to Portsmouth, VA
Drive Time
3h 25m
Distance
201.3 mi
324 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$32
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 14m
★
6 AM
3h 26m
8 AM
3h 50m
10 AM
3h 34m
12 PM
3h 32m
3 PM
3h 36m
5 PM
3h 49m
8 PM
3h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McLean, VA
Никита Кригер
Portsmouth, VA
Charles Miller
Trip Overview
The drive from McLean, VA to Portsmouth, VA covers 201.3 miles and takes about 3h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Beverly Road, Old Dominion Drive, Dolley Madison Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $32.22 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
100.6 miles from McLean, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 42m into the drive .
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 25m drive with frequent turns across 201.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Beverly Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.
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.
Route Complexity
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
This is a straightforward 3h 25m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from McLean, VA to Portsmouth, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Beverly Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Old Dominion Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 495 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Capital Beltway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 95 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Henry G | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 295 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
Beverly Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McLean, VA and Portsmouth, VA.
1
Start on Elm Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Elm Street
2
Turn left onto Beverly Road
364 ft
·
15 sec
·
Beverly Road
3
Turn right onto Old Dominion Drive
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Old Dominion Drive
4
Turn left onto Dolley Madison Boulevard
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
5
Take the ramp slight right toward I 495 South
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 495 South
6
Merge slight left onto Capital Beltway
9.7 mi
·
12 min
·
Capital Beltway
7
Take the exit slight right toward I 95 South: Richmond
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 95 South: Richmond
8
Keep slight left to continue on I 95 South, SR 644 East: Richmond, Franconia
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
I 95 South, SR 644 East: Richmond, Franconia
9
Keep slight left to continue on I 95 South: Richmond
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
I 95 South: Richmond
10
Merge slight left onto Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
36 mi
·
42 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
11
Keep slight left
49 mi
·
53 min
12
Take the exit slight left toward I 295 South: Williamsburg, Norfolk, Va Beach
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
I 295 South: Williamsburg, Norfolk, Va Beach
13
Merge slight right onto Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
14
Take the exit slight right toward I 64 East: Norfolk, Virginia Beach
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
I 64 East: Norfolk, Virginia Beach
15
Merge slight left
63 mi
·
1 hr 9 min
16
Take the exit slight right toward I 664 South: Downtown Newport News, Suffolk, Chesapeake
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
·
I 664 South: Downtown Newport News, Suffolk, Chesapeake
17
Merge slight left onto Hampton Roads Beltway
6.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Hampton Roads Beltway
18
Continue on Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel
19
Continue on Hampton Roads Beltway
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Hampton Roads Beltway
20
Take the exit slight right toward VA 135 South: College Drive, Churchland
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
VA 135 South: College Drive, Churchland
21
Continue on College Drive
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
College Drive
22
Take the ramp slight left toward VA 164 East: Downtown Portsmouth
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
VA 164 East: Downtown Portsmouth
23
Merge slight left onto Western Freeway
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Western Freeway
24
Merge slight left onto Martin Luther King Freeway
0.7 mi
·
46 sec
·
Martin Luther King Freeway
25
Take the exit slight right toward VA 141 South: Downtown Portsmouth
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
VA 141 South: Downtown Portsmouth
26
Turn straight onto London Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
London Boulevard
27
Turn right onto Effingham Street
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Effingham Street
28
Turn left onto High Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
High Street
29
Continue on High Street
200 ft
·
21 sec
·
High Street
30
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 100.6 miles from McLean, VA, or about 1h 42m into the drive.
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 80 miles or 1h 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 100.6 miles or 1h 42m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Portsmouth, VA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving McLean, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from McLean, VA
This is one driving day of about 201.3 miles and 3h 25m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from McLean, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 100.6 mi from McLean, VA · 1h 42m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
101 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 100.6 miles from McLean, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Portsmouth, VA
The final approach into Portsmouth, VA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Portsmouth, VA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.22 one way
$64.43 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
70 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $35.10 | $70.20 |
| premium | $4.78 | $37.87 | $75.73 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $44.72 | $89.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 70.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 60.4 | 0 | $21.14 | $9.66 |
| Efficient EV | 50.3 | 0 | $17.61 | $8.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 80.5 | 1 | $28.18 | $12.88 |
Gas CO2
70 kg
EV CO2
24 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.
Destination
Portsmouth, VA
Night in Portsmouth on Sunday
Local time
11:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Along the Route
86°F
Middletown, MD
101 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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
3h 25m 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 Portsmouth, VA covers 201.3 miles and takes about 3h 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Beverly Road, Old Dominion Drive, Dolley Madison Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 100.6 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 $32.22 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a straightforward 3h 25m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from McLean, VA to Portsmouth, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from McLean, VA to Portsmouth, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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