Origin
South Suffolk, VA
Afternoon in South Suffolk on Friday
Local time
3:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Suffolk, VA to Salem, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 31m
Distance
208.7 mi
336 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$33
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 19m
★
6 AM
4h 32m
8 AM
4h 59m
10 AM
4h 41m
12 PM
4h 39m
3 PM
4h 43m
5 PM
4h 57m
8 PM
4h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Suffolk, VA
Mark Stebnicki
Salem, VA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from South Suffolk, VA to Salem, VA covers 208.7 miles and takes about 4h 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Main Street, Pruden Boulevard, Godwin Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $32.64 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
104.3 miles from South Suffolk, VA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 16m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 31m. Total distance: 208.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 4h 31m drive with frequent turns across 208.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 38 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Main Street 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. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 31m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from South Suffolk, VA to Salem, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Main Street | — | — |
| Pruden Boulevard | — | — |
| Godwin Boulevard | — | — |
| Benns Church Boulevard | — | — |
| Colonial Trail East | — | — |
| Rolfe Highway | — | — |
| Colonial Trail West | — | — |
| James River Drive | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
North Main Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Suffolk, VA and Salem, VA.
1
Start on Carolina Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Carolina Road
2
Continue on North Main Street
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
North Main Street
3
Continue on Pruden Boulevard
367 ft
·
9 sec
·
Pruden Boulevard
4
Turn right onto Godwin Boulevard
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Godwin Boulevard
5
Continue on Benns Church Boulevard
16 mi
·
21 min
·
Benns Church Boulevard
6
Continue on Colonial Trail East
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
Colonial Trail East
7
Turn left onto Rolfe Highway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Rolfe Highway
8
Turn right onto Colonial Trail West
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Colonial Trail West
9
Continue on James River Drive
15 mi
·
19 min
·
James River Drive
10
Continue on East Randolph Road
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
East Randolph Road
11
Continue on East Hundred Road
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
East Hundred Road
12
Take the exit slight right toward I 95 North: Richmond
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
I 95 North: Richmond
13
Merge slight left onto Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
17 mi
·
21 min
·
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
14
Keep slight right to continue on I 64 West, I 195 South: Charlottesville
50 mi
·
55 min
·
I 64 West, I 195 South: Charlottesville
15
Take the exit slight right toward US 15: Gordonsville, Palmyra
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
US 15: Gordonsville, Palmyra
16
Keep slight right to continue on US 15: Gordonsville, Palmyra
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
US 15: Gordonsville, Palmyra
17
Turn straight onto James Madison Highway
11 mi
·
15 min
·
James Madison Highway
18
Continue on Martinsburg Avenue
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Martinsburg Avenue
19
Continue on South Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
20
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward North Main Street
118 ft
·
2 sec
·
North Main Street
21
Exit the roundabout onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
·
North Main Street
22
Continue on Spotswood Trail
5.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Spotswood Trail
23
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Spotswood Trail
82 ft
·
1 sec
·
Spotswood Trail
24
Exit the roundabout onto Spotswood Trail
12 mi
·
17 min
·
Spotswood Trail
25
Continue on Stanardsville By-Pass
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Stanardsville By-Pass
26
Continue on Spotswood Trail
13 mi
·
16 min
·
Spotswood Trail
27
Take the exit slight right
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
28
Keep slight right
364 ft
·
12 sec
29
Continue on South Stuart Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Stuart Avenue
30
Continue on North East Side Highway
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
North East Side Highway
31
Continue on South Third Street
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
South Third Street
32
Continue on 3rd Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
3rd Street
33
Continue on 4th Street
11 mi
·
17 min
·
4th Street
34
Turn right
2.0 mi
·
2 min
35
Turn left onto Egypt Bend Road
203 ft
·
12 sec
·
Egypt Bend Road
36
Turn sharp right
190 ft
·
15 sec
37
Turn uturn
223 ft
·
11 sec
38
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 104.3 miles from South Suffolk, VA, or about 2h 16m 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 46 miles or 59m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 104.3 miles or 2h 16m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 43m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Salem, VA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving South Suffolk, 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 South Suffolk, VA
This is one driving day of about 208.7 miles and 4h 31m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 miles from South Suffolk, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 104.3 mi from South Suffolk, VA · 2h 16m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
104 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 46 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 104.3 miles from South Suffolk, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Salem, VA
The final approach into Salem, 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 Salem, 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
$32.64 one way
$65.27 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
73 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $35.68 | $71.37 |
| premium | $4.70 | $38.63 | $77.25 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $46.08 | $92.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 73 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 62.6 | 0 | $21.91 | $10.02 |
| Efficient EV | 52.2 | 0 | $18.26 | $8.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 83.5 | 1 | $29.22 | $13.36 |
Gas CO2
73 kg
EV CO2
24 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
Salem, VA
Afternoon in Salem on Friday
Local time
3:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
53°F
Ashland, VA
104 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
14 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
4h 31m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from South Suffolk, VA to Salem, VA covers 208.7 miles and takes about 4h 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Main Street, Pruden Boulevard, Godwin Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 104.3 miles from South Suffolk, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $32.64 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 31m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from South Suffolk, VA to Salem, VA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from South Suffolk, VA to Salem, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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