Origin
Shawsville, VA
Morning in Shawsville on Friday
Local time
9:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shawsville, VA to Roanoke, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
26.6 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shawsville, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Roanoke, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Shawsville, VA to Roanoke, VA covers 26.6 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 81, Roanoke Road, I 581 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.1 miles on I 81. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.16 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 26.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 37m highway drive covering 26.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 81 and Roanoke Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 11.1 miles on I 81.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 81 is the longest continuous segment at about 11.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and Roanoke Road. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 19.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 26.6 miles you will encounter 10 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 19.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.8 miles (US 220 BUS): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.4 miles (South Jefferson Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
19.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward I 581, US 220 South: Airport, Roanoke
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 143
Toward I 581, US 220 South: Airport, Roanoke
5
25.8 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
US 220 BUS
Take the exit onto US 220 BUS toward US 11 South, US 220 Business South: Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 11 South, US 220 Business South: Down...
5
26.4 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
South Jefferson Street
Turn left onto South Jefferson Street
Navigation decision point
5
26.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
Kirk Avenue Southwest
Turn right onto Kirk Avenue Southwest
Navigation decision point
5
26.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 11.1 mi | 13m |
| Roanoke Road | 8.4 mi | 11m |
| I 581 | 5.5 mi | 7m |
| US 220 BUS | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Salem Avenue Southeast | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dow Hollow Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Jefferson Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Alleghany Spring Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 11.1 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shawsville, VA and Roanoke, VA.
1
Start on SR 637
242 ft
·
10 sec
·
Alleghany Spring Road
2
Continue on SR 637
161 ft
·
7 sec
·
Alleghany Spring Road
3
Turn left onto US 11; US 460
8.4 mi
·
11 min
·
Roanoke Road
4
Turn left onto SR 647
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Dow Hollow Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
6
Merge onto I 81
11 mi
·
13 min
·
I 81
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 143
Toward I 581, US 220 South: Airport, Roanoke
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 581; US 220
5.5 mi
·
7 min
·
I 581; US 220
Use the straight lane.
9
Take the exit onto US 220 BUS
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
US 220 BUS
Toward US 11 South, US 220 Business South: Downtown
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 220 BUS
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
US 220 BUS
11
Turn right onto Salem Avenue Southeast
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Salem Avenue Southeast
12
Turn left onto South Jefferson Street
477 ft
·
20 sec
·
South Jefferson Street
13
Turn right onto Kirk Avenue Southwest
379 ft
·
22 sec
·
Kirk Avenue Southwest
14
Turn left
115 ft
·
13 sec
15
Turn left
132 ft
·
9 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.16 one way
$8.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.55 | $9.10 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.92 | $9.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.87 | $11.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.33 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Roanoke, VA
Morning in Roanoke on Friday
Local time
9:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°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
4 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
37m 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 Shawsville, VA to Roanoke, VA covers 26.6 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 81, Roanoke Road, I 581. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.3 miles from Shawsville, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.16 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 26.6 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 19.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.8 miles (US 220 BUS): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.4 miles (South Jefferson Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Shawsville, VA to Roanoke, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Booker T Washington National Monument.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry@if($hasFuel), EIA for fuel prices@endif@if($hasWeather), NOAA Climate Normals for seasonal conditions@endif@if($hasElevation), USGS 3DEP for elevation@endif@if($hasEv), NREL for EV charging@endif@if($hasParks), and NPS for national parks@endif. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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