Origin
Roanoke, VA
Late night in Roanoke on Friday
Local time
5:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 20m
Distance
53.8 mi
87 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Roanoke, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Gretna, VA
ᛟᛞᚨᛚᚹ ᚨᚱᚲᛟᚾᛊᚲᛁ
Trip Overview
The drive from Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA covers 53.8 miles and takes about 1h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 1st Street Southwest, Franklin Road Southwest, South Jefferson Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.41 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 20m. Total distance: 53.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 20m drive with frequent turns across 53.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
1st Street Southwest 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA is easy. At 1h 20m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Street Southwest | — | — |
| Franklin Road Southwest | — | — |
| South Jefferson Street | — | — |
| Elm Avenue Southeast | — | — |
| Jamison Avenue Southeast | — | — |
| Bullitt Avenue Southeast | — | — |
| 9th Street Southeast | — | — |
| Riverland Road Southeast | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
1st Street Southwest
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Roanoke, VA and Gretna, VA.
1
Start on the route
285 ft
·
26 sec
·
the route
2
Turn left onto 1st Street Southwest
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
1st Street Southwest
3
Turn sharp left onto Franklin Road Southwest
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Franklin Road Southwest
4
Turn right onto South Jefferson Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Jefferson Street
5
Turn left onto Elm Avenue Southeast
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Elm Avenue Southeast
6
Continue on Jamison Avenue Southeast
427 ft
·
7 sec
·
Jamison Avenue Southeast
7
Keep slight right to continue on Bullitt Avenue Southeast
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Bullitt Avenue Southeast
8
Turn right onto 9th Street Southeast
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
9th Street Southeast
9
At the end of the road, turn left onto Riverland Road Southeast
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Riverland Road Southeast
10
Turn slight right
13 mi
·
20 min
11
At the end of the road, turn right onto Booker T Washington Highway
7.1 mi
·
10 min
·
Booker T Washington Highway
12
Turn left onto Old Franklin Turnpike
16 mi
·
21 min
·
Old Franklin Turnpike
13
Continue on West Gretna Road
14 mi
·
18 min
·
West Gretna Road
14
Turn left onto Leftwich Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Leftwich Street
15
Turn right onto Henry Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Henry Street
16
At the end of the road, turn left onto Main Street
289 ft
·
13 sec
·
Main Street
17
Turn right onto Northside Drive
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Northside Drive
18
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.9 mi from Roanoke, VA · 40m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.9 miles from Roanoke, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Gretna, VA
The final approach into Gretna, VA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.41 one way
$16.83 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.20 | $18.40 |
| premium | $4.70 | $9.96 | $19.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.88 | $23.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.65 | $2.58 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.71 | $2.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.5 | 0 | $7.53 | $3.44 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Gretna, VA
Late night in Gretna on Friday
Local time
5:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Rocky Mount, VA
27 mi in
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
31 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 20m 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 Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA covers 53.8 miles and takes about 1h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 1st Street Southwest, Franklin Road Southwest, South Jefferson Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.9 miles from Roanoke, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.41 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.
The drive from Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA is easy. At 1h 20m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Roanoke, VA to Gretna, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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