Origin
Woodlawn, VA
Night in Woodlawn on Friday
Local time
11:00 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Woodlawn, VA to Arlington, VA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
19.1 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Woodlawn, VA
Eric Joseph
Arlington, VA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
Woodlawn, VA to Arlington, VA is 19.1 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Virginia, moving from the Southeast region to another part of the Southeast. Expect a relatively quick trip that involves navigating local roads and some highway driving. It’s a short hop, making it ideal for a quick commute or a brief excursion between these two points.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 19.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route is characterized by frequent turns, offering a more local feel than a straightforward interstate journey. With only about 15% of the drive on highways, you'll experience a mix of city streets and arterial roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.9 miles on the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway. Be prepared for changes in speed and traffic patterns as you transition between these different road types.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 10.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 19.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
4.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward I 95 North: Washington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 North: Washington
9
7.2 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 170A; 170B
Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Ty...
8
16 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward VA 27: Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
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 8A
Toward VA 27: Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pi...
8
16.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward VA 27 West: Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward VA 27 West: Joint Base Myer-Henderson Ha...
6
16.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
VA 27 / Washington Boulevard
Merge onto VA 27 / Washington Boulevard toward Columbia Pike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Columbia Pike
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Woodlawn, VA to Arlington, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Tysons Corner along the way.
Tysons Corner
7.2 mi in
|
~11m
|
via I 395
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway | 10.9 mi | 13m |
| Fairfax County Parkway | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Richmond Highway | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Washington Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Wilson Boulevard | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 10th Street North | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
— 10.9 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Woodlawn, VA and Arlington, VA.
1
Start on US 1
30 ft
·
2 sec
·
Richmond Highway
2
Continue on US 1
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Richmond Highway
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto VA 286
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Fairfax County Parkway
Use the right lane.
4
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 95 North: Washington
Use the slight right lane.
5
Merge onto I 95
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 395
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Exit 170A; 170B
Toward I 395 North, I 495 North: Washington, Tysons Corner
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Continue on I 395
8.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Exit 170A
Toward I 395 North: Washington
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 8A
Toward VA 27: Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward VA 27 West: Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Washington Boulevard, Columbia Pike
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto VA 27
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Washington Boulevard
Toward Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto VA 237
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
10th Street North
12
Turn slight left
137 ft
·
8 sec
13
Turn left onto Wilson Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Wilson Boulevard
14
Arrive at destination
Wilson Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.99 one way
$5.97 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.27 | $6.53 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.54 | $7.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.22 | $8.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.01 | $0.92 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Arlington, VA
Night in Arlington on Friday
Local time
11:00 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°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
18 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
29m 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 Woodlawn, VA to Arlington, VA covers 19.1 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, Fairfax County Parkway, Richmond Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.6 miles from Woodlawn, VA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.99 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 is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 19.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (I 395 / Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Woodlawn, VA to Arlington, VA, road signs begin pointing toward Tysons Corner along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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