Richmond VA to Durham NC drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Richmond VA to Durham NC by car is 151 miles, with a 2h17m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Richmond VA to Durham NC drive are Petersburg VA, the Fort Christanna Historical Site and Kerr Lake.
Planning a Richmond VA to Durham NC road trip itinerary
The Richmond VA to Durham NC drive connects the capital of Virginia to a North Carolina university city.
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.
Durham NC is a big tech research center, and home to Duke University. The latter is home to the Nasher Museum of Art and the soaring Gothic Duke Chapel.
Nature-lovers can go walking through the Sarah P Duke Gardens and take a tour of the Duke Lemur Center. The biggest crowd-pleaser, however, is the Museum of Life and Science. There are several sections to this, both indoor and outdoor. It’s mainly button-pushing, kid-friendly science indoors and black bears, butterflies and red wolves outside.
The best-rated Durham NC accommodation options are the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club and the Hampton Inn and Suites at the University Medical Center.
Richmond VA to Durham NC distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Richmond VA to Durham NC is 151 miles. This is travelling along the I-85, which is usually the quickest route. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 17 minutes.
The best road trip stops on the Richmond VA to Durham NC drive are Petersburg VA, the Fort Christanna Historical Site and Kerr Lake.
Richmond VA to Durham NC road trip attractions: Petersburg VA
The Petersburg National Battlefield is the primary attraction in Petersburg VA. The site commemorates the nine-and-a-half month Siege of Petersburg during the Civil War. There were 70,000 casualties in the longest military event of the war. The hiking and biking trails pass a series of outdoor exhibits, while the Poplar Grove National Cemetery shows the scale of the bloodshed.
Otherwise, hang out in Old Towne Petersburg, which offers a mix of indie shops, restaurants and antiques galleries.
Richmond VA to Durham NC drive: Fort Christanna Historical Site
The Fort Christanna Historical Site in Lawrenceville VA celebrates a fort built in 1714. The fort is no longer there, but its outline is clearly marked. Signs tell the tale of what was once the outermost European outpost in the Virginia Colony.
These days, it’s more about the peaceful walking trails than being a busy trading post.
Best stops between Richmond VA and Durham NC: Kerr Lake
Kerr Lake – officially the John H Kerr Reservoir and unofficially Buggs Island Lake – straddles the Virginia/ North Carolina border. The dam on the Roanoke River is on the Virginia side, but there are several picnic areas, campgrounds and swimming beaches on both sides.
The closest section to the I-85 is in North Carolina. Here, the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area. There’s are a visitor center and bathhouses here. There are also campgrounds, picnic tables, beaches and three miles of hiking trails.
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