The drive from Richmond, VA to Lexington, VA covers 81.5 miles and takes about 1h 45m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 64, Earlysville Road, Hydraulic Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 62.6 miles on I 64.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.74 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.
Midpoint
40.7 miles from Richmond, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 48m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 45m. Total distance: 81.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 45m highway drive covering 81.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 64 and Earlysville Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 62.6 miles on I 64.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 64 is the longest continuous segment at about 62.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 64 and Earlysville Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near North Meadow Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 81.5 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (North Meadow Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|North Meadow Street
Turn right onto North Meadow Street
Navigation decision point
7
1.7 mi into trip|~4m in|VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Turn right onto VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
1.9 mi into trip|~4m in
Turn left toward I 95 North, I 64 West
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 95 North, I 64 West
9
2.4 mi into trip|~5m in|I 64
Keep slight right at fork onto I 64 toward I 64 West, I 195 South: Charlottesville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 79
Toward I 64 West, I 195 South: Charlottesville
5
69.8 mi into trip|~1h 24m in|SR 743 / Hydraulic Road
Enter roundabout onto SR 743 / Hydraulic Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 64
62.6 mi
1h 9m
Earlysville Road
6.5 mi
10m
Hydraulic Road
2.2 mi
4m
U.S. 250 Bypass
2.1 mi
4m
Richmond Road
1.8 mi
3m
Buffalo River Road
1.4 mi
2m
Buck Mountain Road
1.4 mi
2m
Hermitage Road
1.1 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 64
— 62.6 mi, about 1h 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond, VA and Lexington, VA.
1
Start on Marcus-David Peters Circle
525 ft·14 sec·Marcus-David Peters Circle
2
Continue on Monument Avenue
0.1 mi·25 sec·Monument Avenue
3
Turn right onto North Meadow Street
0.2 mi·29 sec·North Meadow Street
4
Continue on Hermitage Road
1.1 mi·2 min·Hermitage Road
5
Turn left onto Robin Hood Road
0.2 mi·32 sec·Robin Hood Road
Toward VA 161: Arthur Ashe Boulevard
6
Turn right onto VA 161
0.2 mi·29 sec·North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left
0.2 mi·24 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 64 WestUse the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 64; I 95
0.3 mi·27 sec·Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 64
63 mi·1 hr 9 min·I 64
Exit 79Toward I 64 West, I 195 South: CharlottesvilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi·49 sec
Toward US 250
11
Merge onto US 250
1.8 mi·3 min·Richmond Road
12
Continue on US 250; VA 20
0.3 mi·43 sec·Long Street
13
Continue on US 250
2.1 mi·4 min·U.S. 250 Bypass
14
Turn right onto SR 743
0.3 mi·33 sec·Hydraulic Road
15
Enter roundabout onto SR 743
94 ft·2 sec·Hydraulic Road
16
Continue on SR 743
1.9 mi·4 min·Hydraulic Road
17
Turn left onto SR 743
3.8 mi·6 min·Earlysville Road
18
Enter roundabout onto Earlysville Road
152 ft·3 sec·Earlysville Road
19
Continue on Earlysville Road
2.6 mi·4 min·Earlysville Road
20
Continue on SR 665
1.4 mi·2 min·Buck Mountain Road
21
Turn right onto SR 663
0.5 mi·50 sec·Simmons Gap Road
22
Keep slight right at fork onto SR 664
1.4 mi·2 min·Buffalo River Road
23
Turn left onto SR 1540
433 ft·19 sec·Lexington Lane
24
Arrive at destination
SR 1540
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 40.7 miles from Richmond, VA, or about 48m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 62.6 miles.
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 18 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 40.7 miles or 48m 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 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lexington, VA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Richmond, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Richmond, VA
This is one driving day of about 81.5 miles and 1h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Richmond, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 64 for about 62.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 40.7 mi from Richmond, VA
· 48m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Shenandoah National Park
National Park
Just 75 miles from the bustle of Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park is a land bursting with cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows. With over...
20 mi from route
~51 min detour
$30
near mile 81.5
Two hundred ninety-two days, eight offensives, over 70,000 casualties, U. S. Colored Troops, and the decline of Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia all describe the Siege of Petersburg. U.S. forces c...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.74 one way
$25.49 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg29 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$13.94
$27.87
premium
$4.70
$15.08
$30.17
diesel
$5.61
$17.99
$35.99
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: 28.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
59 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Tesla Destination Charger
Richmond, Virginia
Tesla Destination
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Richmond, Virginia
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
Tesla Destination Charger
Richmond, Virginia
Tesla Destination
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Richmond, Virginia
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Richmond, Virginia
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Richmond, Virginia
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Richmond, Virginia
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Richmond, Virginia
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint: 26
Other: 12
Tesla Destination: 8
Blink: 7
EVgo: 3
Electrify America: 1
Tesla: 1
EV Connect: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
24.5
0
$8.56
$3.91
Efficient EV
20.4
0
$7.13
$3.26
EV Truck/SUV
32.6
0
$11.41
$5.22
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Richmond, VA
Night
in Richmond on Thursday
Local time
9:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Lexington, VA
Night
in Lexington on Thursday
Local time
9:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
67°F
Louisa, VA
41 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
22 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
1h 45m 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 Richmond, VA to Lexington, VA covers 81.5 miles and takes about 1h 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 64, Earlysville Road, Hydraulic Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 40.7 miles from Richmond, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.74 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 81.5 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (North Meadow Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (VA 161 / North Arthur Ashe Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Richmond, VA to Lexington, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
