You can make Washington to Nags Head in about 5 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 285 miles on I-95, I-64 and US-158, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable close to the park gates.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Washington
Aim to clear Washington before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 111 miles to Richmond.
The headline stop on this route is Colonial Williamsburg detour. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Richmond
Richmond sits about 111 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Nearby, Wright Brothers National Memorial is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Norfolk, the last stretch
Norfolk sits about 202 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Nags Head
The final 83 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Jockey's Ridge dunes; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Colonial Williamsburg detour, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Jockey's Ridge dunes, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Norfolk, VA or Nags Head, NC is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-95, I-64 and US-158 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
