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Trip from Suffolk, VA to Fort Lee, VA

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

1h 50m

Distance

85.8 mi

138 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 24 min
4 AM
1h 43m ★
6 AM
1h 51m
8 AM
2h 7m
10 AM
1h 56m
12 PM
1h 55m
3 PM
1h 57m
5 PM
2h 6m
8 PM
1h 46m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

independent city in Virginia, United States

Suffolk, VA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Fort Lee, VA, VA

Fort Lee, VA

Phil Evenden

Trip Overview

The drive from Suffolk, VA to Fort Lee, VA covers 85.8 miles and takes about 1h 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Benns Church Boulevard, James River Drive, Colonial Trail West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.3 miles on Benns Church Boulevard. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.42 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

42.9 miles from Suffolk, VA

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

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 50m. Total distance: 85.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 50m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (2%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 50m drive with frequent turns across 85.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Benns Church Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 16.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near VA 337 / West Washington Street.

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 85.8 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: near the start (VA 337 / West Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 13 BUS; VA 10; VA 32 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (Godwin Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | VA 337 / West Washington Street

Turn right onto VA 337 / West Washington Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 13 BUS; VA 10; VA 32 / North Main Street

Turn left onto US 13 BUS; VA 10; VA 32 / North Main Street

Navigation decision point

5
2.4 mi into trip | ~5m in | Godwin Boulevard

Turn right onto Godwin Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
81.9 mi into trip | ~1h 44m in

Take the exit toward VA 895 Toll West: Richmond, Richmond International Airport

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Exit 25 Toward VA 895 Toll West: Richmond, Richmond Int...
8
83.9 mi into trip | ~1h 47m in

Take the exit toward VA 281: Richmond International Airport, Airport Drive

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 3 Toward VA 281: Richmond International Airport,...

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Benns Church Boulevard 16.3 mi 21m
James River Drive 14.6 mi 19m
Colonial Trail West 13.3 mi 15m
Colonial Trail East 9.9 mi 11m
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway 9.5 mi 10m
Godwin Boulevard 8.9 mi 10m
East Randolph Road 2.9 mi 4m
East Hundred Road 2.5 mi 3m
Longest stretch: Benns Church Boulevard — 16.3 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Suffolk, VA and Fort Lee, VA.

1

Start on South Saratoga Street

165 ft · 10 sec · South Saratoga Street
2

Turn right onto VA 337

454 ft · 16 sec · West Washington Street
3

Turn left onto US 13 BUS; VA 10; VA 32

2.2 mi · 4 min · North Main Street
4

Continue on US 460 BUS; VA 10; VA 32

366 ft · 8 sec · Pruden Boulevard
5

Turn right onto Godwin Boulevard

8.9 mi · 10 min · Godwin Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on VA 10; VA 32

16 mi · 21 min · Benns Church Boulevard
7

Continue on VA 10

9.9 mi · 11 min · Colonial Trail East
8

Turn left onto VA 10; VA 31

1.0 mi · 1 min · Rolfe Highway
9

Turn right onto VA 10

13 mi · 15 min · Colonial Trail West
10

Continue on VA 10

15 mi · 19 min · James River Drive
11

Continue on VA 10; VA 156 BUS

2.9 mi · 4 min · East Randolph Road
12

Continue on VA 10

2.5 mi · 3 min · East Hundred Road
13

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 295 North: Washington
14

Continue on this road

0.4 mi · 46 sec · this road
Toward I 295 North: Washington
15

Merge onto I 295

9.5 mi · 10 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
16

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 25 Toward VA 895 Toll West: Richmond, Richmond International Airport Use the right lane.
17

Continue on VA 895

1.3 mi · 1 min · Pocahontas Parkway
18

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 32 sec
Exit 3 Toward VA 281: Richmond International Airport, Airport Drive Use the slight right lane.
19

Continue on VA 281

1.2 mi · 2 min · South Airport Drive
20

Turn right onto Charles City Road

0.3 mi · 34 sec · Charles City Road
21

Arrive at destination

Charles City Road

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 42.9 miles from Suffolk, VA, or about 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 16.3 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 19 miles or 26m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 42.9 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 34m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Suffolk, VA so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Suffolk, VA

This is one driving day of about 85.8 miles and 1h 50m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Suffolk, VA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Benns Church Boulevard for about 16.3 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 42.9 mi from Suffolk, VA · 56m into the drive

Downtown Waverly, VA, VA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Waverly, VA

43 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

Newport News, VA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Waverly, VA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 42.9 miles from Suffolk, VA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Fort Lee, VA

The final approach into Fort Lee, 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

$13.42 one way

$26.83 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 30 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $14.67 $29.34
premium $4.70 $15.88 $31.76
diesel $5.61 $18.94 $37.89

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: 30 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 25.7 0 $9.01 $4.12
Efficient EV 21.5 0 $7.51 $3.43
EV Truck/SUV 34.3 0 $12.01 $5.49

Gas CO2

30 kg

EV CO2

10 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Suffolk, VA

Late night in Suffolk on Friday

Local time

12:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

80°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fort Lee, VA

Late night in Fort Lee on Friday

Local time

12:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

52°F

Waverly, VA

43 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

27 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 50m 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 Suffolk, VA to Fort Lee, VA covers 85.8 miles and takes about 1h 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Benns Church Boulevard, James River Drive, Colonial Trail West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 42.9 miles from Suffolk, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.42 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 85.8 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: near the start (VA 337 / West Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 13 BUS; VA 10; VA 32 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (Godwin Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Suffolk, VA to Fort Lee, VA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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