Roanoke to Charlottesville drive: Best stops, distance & time

The distance from Roanoke to Charlottesville by car is 120 miles, with a 2h10m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Roanoke to Charlottesville drive are Natural Bridge State Park, Staunton VA and Humpback Rocks.

Finding the best things to do between Roanoke and Charlottesville

The Roanoke to Charlottesville drive takes you through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

The giant star on the side of Mill Mountain is the famed symbol of Roanoke VA. But there’s more on offer in this Blue Ridge Mountains city. For a start, you can head to the top of Mill Mountain – the park also contains Mill Mountain Zoo.

For museums, the Harrison Museum of African-American Culture and the Taubman Museum of Art are the best bets. The highly playable Roanoke Pinball Museum is arguably more fun, though.

Good Roanoke activity options include ebike tours that combine sightseeing and craft breweries, and downtown food tours.

For Roanoke accommodation, the Country Inn and Suites offers good value but the more luxurious Hotel Roanoke has plenty of character.

Charlottesville is home to the prestigious University of Virginia. This college town can be used as a base for exploring local wineries on a wine tour or craft cider makers.

Other Charlottesville experiences include food tours and self-drive audio tours in Shenandoah National Park.  

The real reason to visit Charlotteville, however, is Monticello. The home of polymath president Thomas Jefferson is architecturally stunning and the tours are endlessly fascinating.

For great Charlottesville accommodation options, the redbrick Forum Hotel is amongst the botanical gardens of the UVA campus. The Quirk, meanwhile, has a sense of fun.

Planning a Roanoke to Charlottesville road trip itinerary

By car, the distance from Roanoke to Charlottesville is 120 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 10 minutes. The quickest route is via the I-81 and I-64.

The best stops to add to a Roanoke to Charlottesville road trip itinerary are Natural Bridge State Park, Staunton VA and Humpback Rocks.

Roanoke to Charlottesville drive: Natural Bridge State Park

Natural Bridge State Park is a mixture of forest and limestone karst terrain. It’s the latter that makes the park special. The centerpiece is the 200ft tall Natural Bridge, which crosses the Cedar Creek Gorge.

Access is via the Cedar Creek Trail, which includes a stairway with 137 steps. The trail also takes you to Lace Falls, which drops 50ft into the gorge.

Best stops between Roanoke and Charlottesville: Staunton VA

Staunton in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is a really loveable small town with a cluster of interesting attractions. The St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church is architecturally beautiful, while the Camera Heritage Museum takes a surprisingly fascinating look at the history of cameras.

The American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse puts on a steady diet of Shakespeare plays and the Frontier Culture Museum is an excellent open-air history museum.

Arguably the top attraction in Staunton, however, is the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum. It becomes as much about World War I as the president himself.

Roanoke to Charlottesville road trip attractions: Humpback Rocks

Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Humpback Rocks is home to a series of popular hiking trails. The country’s foremost long distance trail, the Appalachian Trail, passes through here too.

But if it’s a short walk you’re after, then the one mile return walk to Humpback Rocks should do the trick. The reward for the 700ft climb is stellar views of the Rockfish and Shenandoah valleys.

More Roanoke VA road trips

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