Virginia Driving: Northern Virginia Commutes, Tunnels and Shenandoah Ridges

Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William make up one of the densest commuting regions in the country. I-66, I-95, I-395 and the Capital Beltway carry federal workers, contractors and tech employees into the city, the Pentagon and Tysons every day. Several of those corridors have express lanes that change with traffic, with restrictions by time of day and occupancy.

The rules and costs vary by corridor and change over time, so rely on VDOT and the operators' own sites for current requirements before you build a daily route around them. What the vehicle can do is reduce the cost of sitting in traffic. Jeep pegs the $35,130 Cherokee hybrid at 37 mpg combined, with up to 39 in city driving. The Compass offers 200 horsepower and a 21 city, 29 highway rating from $29,990. The Pacifica suits school-run families with seven or eight seats and a $41,595 starting price, and its 39.7-foot turning diameter is tolerable in office-park garages. Parking is the other cost: check the dimensions of your building's garage before choosing a long vehicle like the Durango at about 201 inches.

Hampton Roads is a region split by water. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News and Hampton connect through bridge-tunnels, drawbridges and a few causeways, and the Navy's presence, including the world's largest naval base in Norfolk, puts thousands of shift workers on the same roads every morning. Summer beach traffic compounds it, and a single accident in a tunnel can shut a route for hours.

Flooding is a constant. Norfolk is among the East Coast's most flood-prone cities, with streets going under during high tides and heavy rain, which makes ground clearance and underbody care a real concern. The Grand Cherokee's air suspension offers up to 10.9 inches of clearance, and 11.4 on the Trailhawk. Military families moving in often want room for gear and a third row: the Durango seats up to seven and tows 7,200 pounds as standard for a boat. The Pacifica fits families at 140.5 cubic feet of cargo space. If you expect to deploy, ask a dealer about storage options for the vehicle. For tunnel and bridge rules, including restrictions on certain cargo, check VDOT.

Richmond sits where I-95 and I-64 cross, and the city anchors a busy corridor that runs from Fredericksburg to Petersburg and east toward Williamsburg. Truck traffic is steady, weekend traffic toward the beaches and Northern Virginia is heavy, and road work is a fixture. The city itself has historic neighborhoods such as the Fan and Church Hill, with narrow streets and tight parking, and the James River draws kayakers, anglers and cyclists.

For a Richmond buyer who splits time between city blocks and highway stretches, the Compass and Cherokee give compact dimensions, 4x4, and 59.8 or 62.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded. A driver who commutes north on I-95 and wants a more comfortable highway ride will find the Grand Cherokee's 2.0-liter Hurricane turbo, rated at 324 horsepower, quiet at cruising speed. Pickups for outdoors enthusiasts include the Ram 1500, which starts at $42,575 and offers a 5-foot-7-inch or 6-foot-4-inch bed. Ice storms occasionally hit central Virginia, and a 4x4 on winter-rated tires is worth having. Check VDOT 511 for live conditions on I-95 before you head out.

West of Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, the Shenandoah Valley runs between the Blue Ridge and the Alleghenies. Skyline Drive follows the ridge in Shenandoah National Park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway continues south past Roanoke and Floyd into North Carolina. Speeds are low, wildlife is common, and fog, ice and fall leaf traffic can slow everything down. Parts of both roads close in winter or after storms, so check the National Park Service for status.

Roanoke is the main city here, with the Star on Mill Mountain overlooking the valley. Mountain driving rewards steady engines and good brakes. The Grand Cherokee's 4x4 trims tow 6,200 pounds to mountain campgrounds. The Cherokee Trailhawk and Compass Trailhawk, with 9.0 and 8.6 inches of clearance, are right for forest roads and snowy drives. The Wrangler starts at $36,635 for those who want removable doors and a top for the overlook views. Buyers who tow campers might consider the Gladiator at up to 7,700 pounds. Allow extra fuel on long stretches where stations are far apart, and keep the tank above a quarter before entering the parks.

South of Richmond and east of the Blue Ridge, Virginia is tobacco barns, peanut fields, timber and small towns such as Danville, South Boston and Farmville. Roads are two-lane, shoulders are soft, and deer are a constant hazard at dusk, especially in fall. Many households in Southside need a truck for work, and the nearest service shop can be an hour away.

The Ram 1500 starts at $42,575 and can tow up to 11,530 pounds. For farm and equipment haulers, the Ram 2500 starts at $48,040 and the 3500 at $49,340, with the 3500 listing up to 37,020 pounds of towing with the Cummins diesel and 7,580 pounds of payload with the HEMI. Those are preliminary figures. The Gladiator is a smaller pickup, from $43,895, with a 60.3-inch bed and a 22-gallon tank for long rural stretches. Before you buy, ask about service intervals and where warranty work is done, since rural buyers often travel for it. Keep a spare, a jack and basic recovery gear for dirt lanes. For road status and county closures after storms, check VDOT.