How far is Chester, VA from Richmond, VA?

The driving distance from Chester, VA to Richmond, VA is about 17.6 miles (28.4 km), with a travel time of about 00h 24m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 13.7 miles (22 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 48m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
17.65 mi
00h 24m
Flight
13.65 mi
21.96 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Chester.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
13.65 mi
Kilometers
21.96 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
17.65 mi
Kilometers
28.41 km
Drive Time
00h 24m

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 00h 24m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Richmond
Thu, Sep 24, 5:35 PM EDT
Return by in Chester
Thu, Sep 24, 5:59 PM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Chester
2026-09-24T17:10
Arrive Richmond
Thu, Sep 24, 5:35 PM EDT
Route Timing
00h 24m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:24 AM to 7:24 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:42 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Chester
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Bensley
VA

Census designated place

From Chester
8.5 mi
00h 12m
To Richmond
9.2 mi
00h 12m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
56°F
Overnight

Cloudy

Starts
Thu, Sep 24 5:00 AM EDT
Wind
13 mph N
Destination
56°F
Overnight

Cloudy

Starts
Thu, Sep 24 1:00 AM EDT
Wind
13 mph NE

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Chester and Richmond.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chester and Richmond.

  1. 1

    Start on Winfree Street

    82 m · 14 sec · Winfree Street

  2. 2

    Continue on Chester Road

    2.9 mi · 5 min · Chester Road

  3. 3

    Turn right onto Kingsdale Road

    1.4 km · 2 min · Kingsdale Road

  4. 4

    Turn left onto Route 1

    854 ft · 16 sec · Route 1

  5. 5

    Continue on Route 1

    772 ft · 18 sec · Route 1

  6. 6

    Turn right onto Willis Road

    2239 ft · 54 sec · Willis Road

  7. 7

    Take the ramp left toward I 95 North

    823 ft · 20 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight left onto Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike

    9 mi · 11 min · Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike

  9. 9

    Take the exit slight right toward VA 195 Toll: Downtown Expressway

    1817 ft · 35 sec

  10. 10

    Continue on Downtown Expressway

    1.6 mi · 2 min · Downtown Expressway

  11. 11

    Take the exit slight right toward Cash Toll, Meadow Street

    1625 ft · 40 sec

  12. 12

    Continue straight

    114 m · 9 sec

  13. 13

    Keep slight right to continue on Meadow Street

    1107 ft · 31 sec

  14. 14

    Turn right onto South Meadow Street

    3129 ft · 1 min · South Meadow Street

  15. 15

    Turn right onto Monument Avenue

    677 ft · 19 sec · Monument Avenue

  16. 16

    Enter the roundabout toward Marcus-David Peters Circle

    25 m · 2 sec · Marcus-David Peters Circle

  17. 17

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Marcus-David Peters Circle

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Chester and Richmond.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
17 steps
7 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
4
1 merges, 3 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
96 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
9.03 mi · 51%
Chester Road
2.88 mi · 16%
Downtown Expressway
1.6 mi · 9%
Kingsdale Road
0.85 mi · 5%
South Meadow Street
0.59 mi · 3%
Willis Road
0.42 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike

Merge slight left onto Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike

9.03 mi · 00h 11m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 24m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 48m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+3.9 mi
13.7 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Bensley
00h 12m from Chester
Leave By
7:42 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Cloudy leaving Chester and Cloudy near Richmond.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Chester to Richmond?

The road trip is about 17.6 miles (28.4 km) and usually takes 00h 24m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Bensley is a useful midpoint, sitting about 8.5 miles from Chester and 9.2 miles from Richmond.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 13.7 miles (22 km), while the road route adds roughly 3.9 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 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:42 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $2.62 one way or $5.25 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 5.5 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Cloudy around Chester and Cloudy near Richmond.

Stop Ideas Near Bensley

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
These suggestions come from reviewed places and nearby services around Bensley and the surrounding midpoint area.
Town Hall
Food stop 7.4 mi away

Town Hall

Richmond , VA
3123 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221
Rating 4.9/5 13 reviews Restaurant
Old City Hall
Scenic stop 5.8 mi away

Old City Hall

Richmond , VA
1001 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219, United States
Rating 4.4/5 32 reviews Tourist attraction,Land surveyor,Historical landmark
City of Richmond Virginia (City Hall)
Meeting point 5.9 mi away

City of Richmond Virginia (City Hall)

Richmond , VA
900 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219
Rating 2.9/5 40 reviews City government office,Police department,Tax assessor
City Hall
Nearby stop 5.9 mi away

City Hall

Richmond , VA
900 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219
Rating 3.9/5 85 reviews Bike sharing station

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Bensley.

RAIL

Richmond Main Street Station

10 mi away
1500 East Main Street
RAIL

Richmond Staples Mill Road station

19 mi away
7519 Staples Mill Road
RAIL

Petersburg station

23 mi away
3516 South Street
RAIL

Ashland

35 mi away
112 North Railroad Avenue

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Chester and Richmond. Straight-line distance: 13.65 mi (21.96 km).

Photo coming soon

#1 Chester

Chester is a place in Virginia, United States.

Population0
Coordinates37.3568200, -77.4416500
Altitude53
CountryUnited States
Richmond

#2 Richmond

The capital of Virginia.

Population232,226
Coordinates37.5537600, -77.4602600
Altitude64
CountryUnited States
Start: Winfree Street (-77.441567, 37.356876)
End: Robert E. Lee Circle (-77.460437, 37.553637)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 28 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 35m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 26m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 21m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 17m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 15m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 13m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.62 gal
2.36 L · about $2.62
Round trip
$5.25
1.24 gal · 4.72 L
Estimated CO2
5.5 kg one way
Round trip: 11 kg / 24 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $4.23 $2.62 $5.25
Mid-grade $4.72 $2.92 $5.85
Premium $5.10 $3.16 $6.32
Diesel $6.39 $3.96 $7.92

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Virginia · Sep 24, 2026

There is no time difference between Chester and Richmond. The current time is 17:10:52.

Distance to Other Cities

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.