The best road trip stops on the Baltimore to Richmond VA drive are the NASA Goddard Center, Washington DC and Fredericksburg VA. The distance from Baltimore to Richmond VA is 148 miles, with a 2h35m driving time.
Planning a Baltimore to Richmond VA road trip itinerary
The Baltimore to Richmond drive takes you from the biggest city in Maryland to the capital of Virginia.
Baltimore is a character-packed port city that has spruced itself up in recent years and has a wealth of attractions to explore. The Fort McHenry National Monument is the number one historical attraction, but there’s plenty to see around the Inner Harbor. The National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum, Historic Ships and Port Discovery Children’s Museum are the big hitters.
Top experiences include historical sightseeing tours, sailing on Inner Harbor and ghost tours in the Fell’s Point neighbourhood.
For other options, try brewery-hopping tours, helicopter rides and Fell’s Point food tours.
5 top experiences to book in Richmond
- 🏛️ Dive into the city’s rich history on a guided Downtown Richmond walking tour.
- 🥾 Take a guided hike along the James River.
- 👻 Learn the sinister secrets of Shockoe Bottom on a walking ghost tour.
- 🍺 On a haunted pub crawl, combine beers with ghost stories.
- 🍴 Taste Richmond’s best flavours on an Arts District food tour.
Once the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond VA is not entirely weighed down by its history. The surprisingly wild James River runs through it, and the west end feels energetic and more of the North than the South.
The city has several good museums. The Virginia Museum of History and Culture, the Science Museum of Virginia and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts are local favourites, while visitors with literary leanings head to the Poe Museum.
The top attraction, though, is the huge American Civil War Museum at the historic Tredegar Ironworks. After that, walk the suspension bridge to Belle Isle in the middle of the James River, see the dubious Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue, or see the grandiose tombs of the Hollywood Cemetery.
Other good Richmond experiences include food tours of the Arts District or Church Hill, Segway tours of the city landmarks, nighttime ghost walks and guided hikes along the James River.
For Richmond accommodation, the Moxy Richmond Downtown brims with fun, youthful energy. The Residence Inn by Marriott, meanwhile, is a short walk from the lively Shockoe Bottom neighbourhood.
Baltimore to Richmond VA distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Baltimore to Richmond VA is 148 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 35 minutes. The majority of the drive is down the I-95.
The best stops on the Baltimore to Richmond drive are the NASA Goddard Center, Washington DC and Fredericksburg VA.
Baltimore to Richmond VA drive: NASA Goddard Center
The NASA Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, showcases the work NASA does here. The Goddard Space Flight Center manages many space missions and is a key scientific research base.
The Visitor Center covers astrophysics, planetary science, space communications and engineering, amongst other topics. It also gives an insight into what a vast organisation NASA is. Entry is free.
Baltimore to Richmond VA road trip attractions: Washington DC
5 Washington DC experiences worth booking
- 🏛️ Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the US Capitol Building, with the Library of Congress or Supreme Court included.
- 🏡 Combine George Washington’s Mount Vernon with Old Town Alexandria on a history-packed day tour.
- 🕊️ Take a guided walking tour of Arlington National Cemetery, including the Changing of the Guard.
- 🚲 Visit the monuments and memorials of the National Mall on a bike tour that gets you closer than the bus routes.
- 🍽️ Go on a tasting tour of Georgetown’s top foodie highlights.
Washington DC has an enormous range of tours, experiences and attractions available. You could happily spend weeks in the Smithsonian Museums alone. Top choices, however, include the nighttime monuments and memorials tour, small group guided visits to the Capitol and National Library of Congress and Lincoln assassination tours that visit Fords Theatre.
There are several underrated Washington DC attractions to add in to the itinerary if you have time. I like the National Museum of the American Indian, Lincoln’s Cottage and Dumbarton Oaks next to Rock Creek Park.
Memorable Washington DC accommodation options include the Willard, where Martin Luther King Jr wrote his I Have A Dream speech. There’s also the Watergate Hotel, a luxurious conversion of the offices from the Watergate scandal.
Best stops between Baltimore and Richmond VA: Fredericksburg VA
Fredericksburg is a prettily historic Virginia city, with its main attraction being the Fredericksburg Battlefield. You can take a driving tour here, but there are also walking trails.
You’ll also find the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library here. It takes you through the former president’s life and work inside his former legal office.
The Rising Sun Tavern, meanwhile, was owned by George Washington’s younger brother and was a center of revolutionary plotting.
More Maryland and Virginia travel
- Getting to Baltimore: The best stops on the Cleveland to Baltimore drive, New York City to Baltimore drive, Philadelphia to Baltimore drive, Pittsburgh to Baltimore drive and Washington DC to Baltimore drive.
- Is the Maryland Science Center worth your time and money?
- Washington DC to Richmond road trip guide: Distance, driving time and the best stops.
- What to know before visiting the White House of the Confederacy in Richmond.
- Planning a visit to the Maymont Mansion in Richmond.
