Trip from Portsmouth Heights, VA to Colonial Heights, VA

Drive Time

1h 53m

Distance

80.3 mi

129 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

Downtown Colonial Heights, VA, VA

Photo: Pavan Sai .D

Trip Overview

The drive from Portsmouth Heights, VA to Colonial Heights, VA covers 80.3 miles and takes about 1h 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Vick Street, Byers Avenue, Portsmouth Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.52 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

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

40.1 miles from Portsmouth Heights, VA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 56m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 53m drive with frequent turns across 80.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Vick Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Vick Street Unavailable Refreshing
Byers Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Portsmouth Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
Taylor Road Unavailable Refreshing
Pughsville Road Unavailable Refreshing
I 664 North Unavailable Refreshing
Hampton Roads Beltway Unavailable Refreshing
US 17 North Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Vick Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Portsmouth Heights, VA and Colonial Heights, VA.

1

Start on Vick Street

144 ft · 7 sec · Vick Street
2

Continue on Vick Street

322 ft · 18 sec · Vick Street
3

Turn left onto Byers Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · Byers Avenue
4

Turn right onto Portsmouth Boulevard

2.1 mi · 4 min · Portsmouth Boulevard
5

Turn right onto Taylor Road

2.0 mi · 4 min · Taylor Road
6

Turn left onto Pughsville Road

525 ft · 17 sec · Pughsville Road
7

Take the ramp slight right toward I 664 North: Newport News

0.4 mi · 48 sec · I 664 North: Newport News
8

Merge slight left onto Hampton Roads Beltway

1.1 mi · 1 min · Hampton Roads Beltway
9

Take the exit slight right toward US 17 North: Bridge Road

0.3 mi · 54 sec · US 17 North: Bridge Road
10

Merge slight left onto Western Freeway

0.6 mi · 44 sec · Western Freeway
11

Continue on Bridge Road

6.5 mi · 11 min · Bridge Road
12

Continue on Carrollton Boulevard

2.4 mi · 3 min · Carrollton Boulevard
13

Turn left onto Brewers Neck Boulevard

2.9 mi · 4 min · Brewers Neck Boulevard
14

Merge slight left onto Benns Church Boulevard

12 mi · 15 min · Benns Church Boulevard
15

Continue on Colonial Trail East

9.9 mi · 11 min · Colonial Trail East
16

Turn left onto Rolfe Highway

1.0 mi · 1 min · Rolfe Highway
17

Turn right onto Colonial Trail West

13 mi · 15 min · Colonial Trail West
18

Continue on James River Drive

15 mi · 19 min · James River Drive
19

Continue on East Randolph Road

1.2 mi · 2 min · East Randolph Road
20

Turn left onto Winston Churchill Drive

1.8 mi · 2 min · Winston Churchill Drive
21

Continue on Oaklawn Boulevard

0.4 mi · 27 sec · Oaklawn Boulevard
22

Continue on Woodlawn Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · Woodlawn Street
23

Continue on Oaklawn Boulevard

1.0 mi · 1 min · Oaklawn Boulevard
24

Continue on East Washington Street

0.2 mi · 19 sec · East Washington Street
25

Turn right

3.7 mi · 6 min
26

Turn right onto Conduit Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Conduit Road
27

Turn left onto East Ellerslie Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Ellerslie Avenue
28

Turn left

256 ft · 19 sec
29

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 40.1 miles from Portsmouth Heights, VA, or about 56m 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 52m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 40.1 miles or 56m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 36m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colonial Heights, VA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Portsmouth Heights, 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 Portsmouth Heights, VA

This is one driving day of about 80.3 miles and 1h 53m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Portsmouth Heights, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 40.1 mi from Portsmouth Heights, VA · 56m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Middletown, MD

40 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

Middletown, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Middletown, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 40.1 miles from Portsmouth Heights, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Colonial Heights, VA

The final approach into Colonial Heights, 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 Colonial Heights, 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

$12.52 one way

$25.04 round trip

$3.96/gal 25.4 MPG avg 28 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $14.00 $28.00
premium $4.78 $15.11 $30.21
diesel $5.62 $17.78 $35.56

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$13

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$38–$63

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 28.1 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 24.1 0 $8.43 $3.85
Efficient EV 20.1 0 $7.03 $3.21
EV Truck/SUV 32.1 0 $11.24 $5.14

Gas CO2

28 kg

EV CO2

9 kg (68% 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

Local time and weather at both ends of the drive

Current conditions at both ends of the drive. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.

Forecast data refreshed 1 day ago

Origin

Portsmouth Heights, VA

Morning in Portsmouth Heights on Saturday

Local time

11:40 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Forecast unavailable right now

EDT Live mapsof forecast

Destination

Colonial Heights, VA

Morning in Colonial Heights on Saturday

Local time

11:40 AM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Forecast unavailable right now

EDT Live mapsof forecast

Along the Route

88°F

Middletown, MD

40 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

2 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

1h 53m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Portsmouth Heights, VA to Colonial Heights, VA covers 80.3 miles and takes about 1h 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Vick Street, Byers Avenue, Portsmouth Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 40.1 miles from Portsmouth Heights, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.52 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.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Colonial Heights, VA to Portsmouth Heights, VA

Plan the drive back the other way.

75.4 mi 1h 33m

Explore more options from Portsmouth Heights, VA or browse trips ending in Colonial Heights, VA.

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