Origin
Merrifield, VA
Afternoon in Merrifield on Saturday
Local time
1:15 PM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Merrifield, VA to McLean, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
14m
Distance
8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Merrifield, VA
Zetong Li
McLean, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Merrifield, VA to McLean, VA covers 8 miles and takes about 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Dolley Madison Boulevard, Fairview Park Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.2 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.25 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m 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 14m drive with frequent turns across 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 11 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 3.2 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 early in the drive near US 29; VA 237 / Route 29.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 29; VA 237 / Route 29): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): 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.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 29; VA 237 / Route 29
Turn right onto US 29; VA 237 / Route 29
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 495 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 495 North
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge onto I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
5.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward VA 123 North: McLean
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
5
7.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive
Turn right onto VA 309 / Old Dominion Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| Dolley Madison Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Fairview Park Drive | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Route 29 | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Old Dominion Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Elm Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Gallows Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 3.2 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Merrifield, VA and McLean, VA.
1
Start on SR 650
93 ft
·
5 sec
·
Gallows Road
2
Turn right onto US 29; VA 237
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 29
Use the right lane.
3
Turn right onto SR 6928
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Fairview Park Drive
4
Turn slight right
275 ft
·
12 sec
Toward US 50 West, I 495 South, I 495 North
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 495 North
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 495
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 46B
Toward VA 123 North: McLean
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn straight onto VA 123
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Dolley Madison Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto VA 309
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Dominion Drive
Use the right lane.
10
Turn sharp left onto Elm Street
101 ft
·
2 sec
·
Elm Street
11
Arrive at destination
Elm Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.25 one way
$2.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $1.37 | $2.74 |
| premium | $4.70 | $1.48 | $2.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.77 | $3.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 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 | 2.4 | 0 | $0.84 | $0.38 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.70 | $0.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.12 | $0.51 |
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
McLean, VA
Afternoon in McLean on Saturday
Local time
1:15 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
14m 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 Merrifield, VA to McLean, VA covers 8 miles and takes about 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Dolley Madison Boulevard, Fairview Park Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4 miles from Merrifield, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.25 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 8 decision points packed into just 8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 29; VA 237 / Route 29): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Merrifield, VA to McLean, 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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