Virginia
Small-Town Weekend Getaways from Richmond
A Shakespeare town in the Shenandoah, a college town under the Blue Ridge, and an 1884 bay beach village on the Eastern Shore, all within three hours of Richmond.
At a glance
Richmond has 3 small-town weekend escapes, each with a full 48-hour guide to where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. Drives run from 1 hr 50 min to Staunton and 2 hr 45 min to Cape Charles. The headline draws: Blackfriars Playhouse, Lee Chapel and Museum, Cape Charles public beach. Most of these towns are at their best September-November, April-May.
- Escapes
- 3 towns
- Drive range
- 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes
- Closest
- Staunton, 1 hr 50 min
- Best months
- September-November, April-May
Pick your trip
Three ways to start planning a weekend from Richmond.
Shortest drive
Staunton
Staunton is 1 hr 50 min from Richmond. A Shenandoah Valley town with a reconstruction of Shakespeare's indoor theater and six blocks of Victorian storefronts.
Worth the drive
Cape Charles
Cape Charles is the longest haul at 2 hr 45 min. An 1884 railroad town on the Chesapeake's Eastern Shore, with a wide sand beach at the foot of the main street.
The short version
Small towns near Richmond worth a 48-hour trip
Richmond's best weekends run west into the Shenandoah Valley and east to the Chesapeake. Within three hours you reach a Victorian theater town with a replica of Shakespeare's indoor playhouse, a college town under the Blue Ridge with a 215-foot limestone arch, and an 1884 bay beach village on the Eastern Shore. These are weekend trips from Richmond that skip the obvious.
Staunton, 1 hour 50 minutes west on I-64, has six blocks of Victorian storefronts and the Blackfriars Playhouse, the only recreation of Shakespeare's Jacobean indoor theater in the world. Lexington, 2 hours out, sits under the Blue Ridge between Washington and Lee and VMI, with Lee Chapel, a cadet parade ground, Natural Bridge 15 minutes south, and Goshen Pass 20 minutes north. Cape Charles, 2 hours 45 minutes east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, was laid out in 1884 as a railroad town and still has hundreds of Victorian buildings, a wide public beach at the foot of the main street, and Kiptopeke State Park with its sunken concrete fleet five minutes north.
Compare the Richmond escapes
Drive time, character, best season, and the one thing to do first, for every town within reach of Richmond.
| Town | Drive | Character | Best time | Do first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton | 1 hr 50 min | Like Bath, with a Shakespeare theater attached | September-November, April-May | Blackfriars Playhouse |
| Lexington | 2 hr | Like Charlottesville's quieter cousin, with more history | September-November, April-June | Lee Chapel and Museum |
| Cape Charles | 2 hr 45 min | Like a smaller Cape May, facing the bay | May-June, September-October | Cape Charles public beach |
On the calendar
Coming up in the Richmond escapes
Events happening in the small towns themselves, not the city.
Refreshed weekly
Nov 4
Lexington Farmer's Market
Lexington · S Jefferson St
Browse an abundant selection of fresh local produce, baked goods, and handmade artisan crafts in the heart of historic Lexington. It is an ideal midweek morning stop to sample regional flavors and meet local growers.
Nov 6
First Friday Art Walk
Lexington · 21 W Washington St
Downtown galleries open their doors for an evening celebrating regional artists, live entertainment, and community gathering. It makes for an inspiring start to a cultural weekend escape in the Shenandoah Valley.
The roundup
The Best Weekend Trips from Richmond: A Shakespeare Town, a Shenandoah College Town, and a Bay-Side Victorian Beach
The direct answer: Staunton for Blackfriars Playhouse, Lexington for Natural Bridge and VMI, and Cape Charles for the Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay. Three complete 48-hour plans.
Read the guide →All Richmond escapes
3 weekend trip ideas from Richmond, sorted by how far you have to drive. Vibes covered: history, art, mountains, beach, slow.
1 to 2 hours
2 escapes from Richmond
2+ hours
1 escape from Richmond
What to do
The top attraction in each Richmond escape town, pulled straight from the 48-hour guides.
Staunton
Blackfriars Playhouse
Tickets ~$35-65. A recreation of Shakespeare's indoor theater, with the lights left on and the company performing in repertory. The reason to plan the trip around a weekend.
Lexington
Lee Chapel and Museum
Free. A National Historic Landmark on the Washington and Lee campus, with the recumbent marble statue of Robert E. Lee, the family crypt, and the office he used as college president.
Cape Charles
Cape Charles public beach
Free. A wide, gentle bay beach at the end of the main street, with shallow water, a fishing pier, and sunset over the Chesapeake rather than the ocean.
Questions & Answers
Richmond weekend FAQ
Staunton (1 hour 50 minutes), Lexington (2 hours), and Cape Charles (2 hours 45 minutes) are the strongest small-town escapes from Richmond, covering a Shakespeare theater town, a Blue Ridge college town, and a bay beach village on the Eastern Shore.
Cape Charles, about 2 hours 45 minutes east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, is the closest quiet bay beach, with shallow water, a wide public strand at the end of the main street, and no ocean surf. Virginia Beach is closer but a very different trip.
See a show at the Blackfriars Playhouse, a reconstruction of Shakespeare's indoor theater, tour the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, walk six blocks of Victorian storefronts on Beverley Street, and drive Skyline Drive 30 minutes east at Rockfish Gap.
Staunton (1 hour 50 minutes, the Blackfriars and the Shenandoah), Lexington (2 hours, two colleges and Natural Bridge), and Cape Charles (2 hours 45 minutes, a Victorian bay beach town) are the best weekend getaways from Richmond.
For Staunton, yes. Amtrak's Cardinal stops in Staunton on its New York to Chicago route, and downtown is a short walk or cab ride from the station. Lexington and Cape Charles require a car.
Staunton is 1 hr 50 min from Richmond; Lexington is 2 hr from Richmond; Cape Charles is 2 hr 45 min from Richmond.
Staunton: September-November, April-May; Lexington: September-November, April-June; Cape Charles: May-June, September-October.