Great road trip stops on the Washington DC to Richmond VA drive include the Arlington National Cemetery, Fredericksburg VA and Kings Dominion. The distance from Washington DC to Richmond by car is 109 miles, with a 1h46m driving time.
The Washington DC to Richmond drive takes you from the capital of the nation to the capital of Virginia.
Washington DC to Richmond VA distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Washington DC to Richmond is 109 miles. You can expect a driving time of around one hour and 46 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-95.
The best stops to add to a Washington to Richmond road trip itinerary are Arlington National Cemetery, Fredericksburg VA and Kings Dominion.
Things to do in 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.
Washington DC to Richmond VA drive: Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the US’ cemetery for its war dead, and more than 400,000 military personnel and their dependents are buried here.
It’s also home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with its elaborate changing of the guard ceremony. There’s also the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial and John F Kennedy’s Grave, plus Arlington House – home of Confederate general Robert E Lee.
Arguably the best way of getting around is on the Arlington Cemetery Hop-On, Hop Off tour, but you can also do a walking tour.
Best stops between Washington DC and Richmond VA: Fredericksburg
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.
Washington DC to Richmond VA road trip attractions: Kings Dominion
Kings Dominion in Doswell VA is one of the biggest theme parks on the east coast of the US. The park boasts 13 rollercoasters, with 4D spin coaster Tumbili being one of the highlights. For younger children, the Planet Snoopy section has gentler rides.
Entry tickets also include admission to the Soak City water park.
Things to do in Richmond VA
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.
More Virginia travel
Other Virginia travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- What to know before visiting the White House of the Confederacy in Richmond.
- Planning a visit to the Maymont Mansion in Richmond.
- The John Marshall House in Richmond, Virginia: Visitor guide with admission fees and opening hours.
- Plan your visit to the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News.
- Prepare yourself for the enormous scale of Colonial Williamsburg.
