How far is California, CA from McLean, VA?
The driving distance from California, CA to McLean, VA is about 2828.4 miles (4551.8 km), with a travel time of about 50h 06m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 2296.8 miles (3696.4 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 100h 12m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT.
Reverse, save, or send this route
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
Gas Cost Calculator
Leave and Arrive Planner
Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.
Drive time stays fixed at 50h 06m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.
Halfway Point
A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Chance Rain Showers
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between California and McLean.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between California and McLean.
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1
Start on the route
149 m · 36 sec
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2
Continue on Trabuco Road
1805 ft · 1 min · Trabuco Road
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3
Continue on Polk Ranch Road
1.9 mi · 7 min · Polk Ranch Road
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4
Turn left onto Road 415
1245 ft · 23 sec · Road 415
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5
Turn right onto Road 400
2 mi · 5 min · Road 400
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6
Turn left onto Yosemite Springs Parkway
4.8 mi · 12 min · Yosemite Springs Parkway
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7
At the end of the road, turn right onto Southern Yosemite Highway
20.1 mi · 27 min · Southern Yosemite Highway
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8
Continue on Yosemite Freeway
2.6 mi · 3 min · Yosemite Freeway
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9
Continue on Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Freeway
7.2 mi · 8 min · Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Freeway
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10
Continue on Yosemite Freeway
1.1 mi · 1 min · Yosemite Freeway
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11
Take the exit slight right toward CA 99 South: Bakersfield, Los Angeles
1.2 km · 2 min
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12
Merge slight left
39.6 mi · 43 min
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13
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Highway
58.6 mi · 1 hr 3 min · Golden State Highway
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14
Continue on Golden State Freeway
5.2 mi · 6 min · Golden State Freeway
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15
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
3.3 mi · 4 min · Golden State Freeway
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16
Take the exit slight right toward CA 58 East: Stockdale, Mojave, Tehachapi
671 ft · 9 sec
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17
Keep slight left to continue on CA 58 East: Mojave, Tehachapi
3110 ft · 41 sec
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18
Continue on Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
1711 ft · 22 sec · Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
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19
Keep slight left to continue on Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
55 mi · 1 hr 3 min · Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
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20
Continue on Barstow–Bakersfield Highway
8.1 mi · 9 min · Barstow–Bakersfield Highway
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21
Continue on Mojave-Barstow Highway
26.9 mi · 30 min · Mojave-Barstow Highway
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22
Continue on Barstow-Bakersfield Highway
34.8 mi · 40 min · Barstow-Bakersfield Highway
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23
Keep slight left to continue on I 15 North: Las Vegas
1.2 mi · 1 min
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24
Merge slight left onto Barstow and Mojave Freeway
3.3 mi · 4 min · Barstow and Mojave Freeway
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25
Keep slight right to continue on Needles Freeway
143.8 mi · 2 hr 34 min · Needles Freeway
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26
Take the exit slight right toward US 95 South: East Broadway, Blythe
1786 ft · 22 sec
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27
Continue straight
1420 ft · 17 sec
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28
Merge slight left onto Needles Freeway
10.6 mi · 11 min · Needles Freeway
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29
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
1619 ft · 18 sec · Purple Heart Trail
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30
Take the exit slight right toward Bullhead City, Laughlin, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
2733 ft · 31 sec
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31
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
953.4 mi · 16 hr 6 min · Purple Heart Trail
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32
Continue on Great Western Cattle Trail
10.7 mi · 11 min · Great Western Cattle Trail
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33
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
24.2 mi · 25 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
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34
Continue on Senator Ed Berrong Memorial Highway
2.6 mi · 3 min · Senator Ed Berrong Memorial Highway
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35
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
64.8 mi · 1 hr 7 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
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36
Continue on Crosstown Expressway
5.8 mi · 7 min · Crosstown Expressway
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37
Keep slight left to continue on Tinker Diagonal
11.8 mi · 14 min · Tinker Diagonal
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38
Continue on Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
75.5 mi · 1 hr 17 min · Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
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39
Continue on Tim Vandiver Memorial Highway
1.4 mi · 1 min · Tim Vandiver Memorial Highway
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40
Continue on Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
243.8 mi · 4 hr 8 min · Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Highway
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41
Keep slight right to continue on Memphis
124.3 mi · 2 hr 6 min
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42
Keep slight left to continue on Blues Highway
1.3 km · 58 sec · Blues Highway
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43
Keep slight left
18 mi · 22 min
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44
Keep slight left to continue on I 40 East: Nashville, Knoxville
197.9 mi · 3 hr 34 min
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45
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 65 South: Knoxville, Huntsville
1305 ft · 25 sec
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46
Merge slight left onto Downtown Loop
2.4 mi · 3 min · Downtown Loop
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47
Continue on Downtown Loop
2764 ft · 43 sec · Downtown Loop
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48
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 24 East: Knoxville, Chattanooga
173.8 mi · 3 hr 10 min
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49
Keep slight left
36.7 mi · 41 min
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50
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North: Bristol
157.1 mi · 2 hr 48 min
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51
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North, US 11 North: Roanoke
139.7 mi · 2 hr 34 min
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52
Continue straight
1353 ft · 18 sec
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53
Keep slight left
78.9 mi · 1 hr 26 min
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54
Take the exit slight right toward I 66 East: Front Royal, Washington
1920 ft · 47 sec
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55
Continue straight
42.8 mi · 46 min
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56
Keep slight right
21.5 mi · 26 min
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57
Take the exit slight right toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner, Baltimore
3015 ft · 1 min
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58
Merge slight left onto Capital Beltway
2.2 mi · 2 min · Capital Beltway
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59
Take the exit slight right toward VA 123 North: McLean
2182 ft · 53 sec
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60
Turn straight onto Dolley Madison Boulevard
1.7 mi · 4 min · Dolley Madison Boulevard
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61
Turn right onto Old Dominion Drive
2534 ft · 1 min · Old Dominion Drive
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62
Turn sharp left onto Elm Street
31 m · 2 sec · Elm Street
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63
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · Elm Street
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between California and McLean.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
Purple Heart Trail
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
953 mi · 16h 06m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Sunny leaving California and Chance Rain Showers near McLean.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from California to McLean?
The road trip is about 2828.4 miles (4551.8 km) and usually takes 50h 06m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Clinton is a useful midpoint, sitting about 1412.4 miles from California and 1416 miles from McLean.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 2296.8 miles (3696.4 km), while the road route adds roughly 531.6 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.
When is the best time to leave for this route?
A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
Do you cross a time zone on this route?
Yes. There is about a 3 hour time difference between California and McLean, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Sunny around California and Chance Rain Showers near McLean.
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between California and McLean. Straight-line distance: 2296.85 mi (3696.42 km).
#1 California
Located on the West Coast of the United States, this state is known for its diverse geography, including beaches, mountains, and deserts.
| Population | 39,368,078 |
| Coordinates | 37.2502200, -119.7512600 |
| Altitude | 469 |
| Country | United States |
#2 McLean
A city in Fairfax County, Virginia.
| Population | 48,115 |
| Coordinates | 38.9342800, -77.1774800 |
| Altitude | 87 |
| Country | United States |
End: McLean (-77.17748, 38.93428)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 4552 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 94h 14m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 70h 42m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 56h 33m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 47h 08m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 40h 24m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 35h 17m |