Philadelphia to Richmond VA drive: Best stops, distance & time

The best road trip stops on the Philadelphia to Richmond drive are Baltimore, Washington DC and Fredericksburg VA. The distance from Philadelphia to Richmond VA by car is 249 miles, with a 4h15m driving time.

Planning a Philadelphia to Richmond VA road trip itinerary

The Philadelphia to Richmond drive takes you from the greatest city in Pennsylvania to the capital of Virginia.

Historic Philadelphia has a series of absolutely stellar attractions. Independence Hall, the Eastern State Penitentiary and the National Constitution Center are all utterly engrossing.

Other key attractions in Philadelphia include the Museum of the American Revolution, the Independence Seaport Museum and the Penn Museum. For great Philadelphia tour options, try the Old City historic walking tour, a night tour exploring the city’s dark side or an It’s Always Sunny-themed tour of South Philadelphia.

If looking for Philadelphia accommodation, the Club Quarters Rittenhouse Square is often great value, while the Kimpton Hotel Monaco has style and personality.

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 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.

Philadelphia to Richmond VA distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Philadelphia to Richmond VA is 249 miles. The quickest route is down the I-95, and the driving time is around four hours and 15 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Philadelphia to Richmond road trip itinerary are Baltimore, Washington DC and Fredericksburg VA.

For more suggestions of where to stop, see the guides to the separate legs of the journey.

• Philadelphia to Baltimore drive.
• Baltimore to Washington DC drive.
• Washington DC to Richmond VA drive.

Philadelphia to Richmond road trip attractions: Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is a character-packed port city that has spruced itself up in recent years and has a wealth of attractions to explore. The National Aquarium and the Fort McHenry National Monument are arguably the biggest two sights, but there’s an excellent range of Baltimore experiences to tackle.

Top choices 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.

Waterfront Baltimore accommodation options include the Canopy at Harbor Point and the Sagamore Pendry in Fell’s Point.

Philadelphia to Richmond drive: Washington DC

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.

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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia road trips

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More Richmond VA road trips

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