How far is McLean, VA from California, CA?
The driving distance from McLean, VA to California, CA is about 2827.9 miles (4551 km), with a travel time of about 50h 08m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 2296.8 miles (3696.4 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 100h 17m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT.
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 08m.
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
Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between McLean and California.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McLean and California.
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1
Start on Elm Street
672 ft · 24 sec · Elm Street
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2
Turn left onto Beverly Road
111 m · 15 sec · Beverly Road
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3
Turn right onto Old Dominion Drive
1671 ft · 49 sec · Old Dominion Drive
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4
Turn left onto Dolley Madison Boulevard
2 mi · 5 min · Dolley Madison Boulevard
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5
Take the ramp slight right toward I 495 South
1690 ft · 41 sec
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6
Merge slight left onto Capital Beltway
2.1 mi · 2 min · Capital Beltway
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7
Take the exit slight right toward I 66 West: Manassas, Front Royal
1998 ft · 49 sec
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8
Keep slight right to continue on I 66 West: Manassas, Front Royal
1517 ft · 37 sec
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9
Merge slight left
64.3 mi · 1 hr 12 min
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10
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 South: Roanoke
1 km · 1 min
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11
Merge slight right onto I 81 South: Roanoke
108.7 mi · 1 hr 58 min
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12
Keep slight left
117.1 mi · 2 hr 10 min
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13
Continue straight
1.3 mi · 1 min
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14
Keep slight left
148.2 mi · 2 hr 39 min
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15
Continue on I 40 West: Knoxville
1.1 km · 45 sec
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16
Merge slight left
52.8 mi · 59 min
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17
Keep slight right to continue on Nashville
154.8 mi · 2 hr 47 min
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18
Keep slight right to continue on I 24 West, I 40 West: Nashville
2.1 mi · 3 min
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19
Keep slight left to continue on I 40 West: Huntsville, Memphis
2263 ft · 43 sec
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20
Merge slight right onto Downtown Loop
1 km · 52 sec · Downtown Loop
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21
Continue on Downtown Loop
2.3 mi · 3 min · Downtown Loop
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22
Keep slight left to continue on I 40 West: Memphis
196.9 mi · 3 hr 34 min
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23
Take the exit slight right toward I 240 West, I 40 West: Jackson Mississippi, Little Rock
680 ft · 9 sec
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24
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 West: Little Rock
11.1 mi · 13 min
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25
Keep slight left
453.8 mi · 7 hr 43 min
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26
Keep slight left to continue on Tinker Diagonal
12.3 mi · 14 min · Tinker Diagonal
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27
Continue on Crosstown Expressway
1.4 km · 1 min · Crosstown Expressway
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28
Keep slight right to continue on Crosstown Expressway
4.7 mi · 6 min · Crosstown Expressway
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29
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
64.9 mi · 1 hr 8 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
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30
Continue on Senator Ed Berrong Memorial Highway
2.6 mi · 3 min · Senator Ed Berrong Memorial Highway
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31
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
24.1 mi · 25 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
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32
Continue on Great Western Cattle Trail
10.6 mi · 11 min · Great Western Cattle Trail
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33
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
954.3 mi · 16 hr 7 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
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34
Continue on Needles Freeway
155.1 mi · 2 hr 46 min · Needles Freeway
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35
Merge slight left onto Barstow and Mojave Freeway
3.4 mi · 4 min · Barstow and Mojave Freeway
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36
Take the exit slight right toward CA 58 West: Bakersfield
3260 ft · 1 min
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37
Continue on Barstow-Bakersfield Highway
34.8 mi · 40 min · Barstow-Bakersfield Highway
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38
Continue on Mojave-Barstow Highway
26.9 mi · 30 min · Mojave-Barstow Highway
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39
Continue on Barstow–Bakersfield Highway
8.2 mi · 9 min · Barstow–Bakersfield Highway
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40
Continue on Bakersfield–Tehachapi Highway
1.2 km · 51 sec · Bakersfield–Tehachapi Highway
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41
Continue on Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
52.4 mi · 1 hr · Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
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42
Take the exit slight right toward CA 204: Union Avenue
1161 ft · 30 sec
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43
Turn left onto East Brundage Lane
136 m · 22 sec · East Brundage Lane
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44
Turn right onto Union Avenue
1.5 mi · 2 min · Union Avenue
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45
Continue on Golden State Avenue
3.4 mi · 4 min · Golden State Avenue
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46
Merge slight left onto Golden State Freeway
5.2 mi · 6 min · Golden State Freeway
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47
Continue on Golden State Highway
98.2 mi · 1 hr 45 min · Golden State Highway
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48
Take the exit slight right toward CA 41 North: Yosemite
1.1 km · 1 min
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49
Merge slight left onto Yosemite Freeway
1.1 mi · 1 min · Yosemite Freeway
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50
Continue on Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Freeway
7.2 mi · 8 min · Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Freeway
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51
Continue on Yosemite Freeway
2.6 mi · 3 min · Yosemite Freeway
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52
Continue on Southern Yosemite Highway
20.1 mi · 27 min · Southern Yosemite Highway
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53
Turn left onto Yosemite Springs Parkway
4.8 mi · 12 min · Yosemite Springs Parkway
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54
At the end of the road, turn right onto Road 400
2 mi · 5 min · Road 400
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55
At the end of the road, turn left onto Road 415
1245 ft · 21 sec · Road 415
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56
Turn right onto Polk Ranch Road
1.9 mi · 7 min · Polk Ranch Road
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57
Continue on Trabuco Road
2292 ft · 2 min · Trabuco Road
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58
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between McLean and California.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Continue on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
954 mi · 16h 07m
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.
Chance Rain Showers leaving McLean and Sunny near California.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from McLean to California?
The road trip is about 2827.9 miles (4551 km) and usually takes 50h 08m 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 1397.6 miles from McLean and 1430.3 miles from California.
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 531.1 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 EDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $412.93 one way or $825.86 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 886.8 kg one way.
Do you cross a time zone on this route?
Yes. There is about a 3 hour time difference between McLean and California, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Chance Rain Showers around McLean and Sunny near California.
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between McLean and California. Straight-line distance: 2296.85 mi (3696.42 km).
#1 McLean
A city in Fairfax County, Virginia.
| Population | 48,115 |
| Coordinates | 38.9342800, -77.1774800 |
| Altitude | 87 |
| Country | United States |
#2 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 |
End: California (-119.75126, 37.25022)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 4551 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 94h 13m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 70h 42m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 56h 33m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 47h 07m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 40h 23m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 35h 16m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $4.14 | $412.93 | $825.86 |
| Mid-grade | $4.63 | $462.23 | $924.45 |
| Premium | $5.01 | $500.25 | $1,000.49 |
| Diesel | $6.21 | $619.90 | $1,239.79 |
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 · Oct 15, 2026