Direct Flights from Washington to Roanoke
Roanoke · Virginia
Nonstop service from IAD to ROA on United. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.
How rare is this nonstop?
Only 10 cities have a nonstop to Roanoke, so this is a route worth knowing about — most travelers connect to get there.
How long to go to Roanoke for, from Washington
50m in the air, 177 miles: short enough that a single night in Roanoke is worth it, and a day trip is not absurd.
About Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia, called the "Star City of the South" and "Magic City," is a charming city with beautiful views. A colorfully lit 100-ft star atop Mill Mountain graces the Roanoke Valley. The city sits between Virginia Tech and Smith Mountain Lake in Southwest Virginia. The Roanoke Valley had a population of around 315,000 in 2020.
Summary from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).
Top things to do in Roanoke
- The Booker T. Washington National Monument is a National Monument near the community of Hardy, Virginia, and is located entirely in rural Franklin County, Virginia.
- Organ Cave is a large and historic cave in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA. The surrounding community takes its name from the cave.
- Mill Mountain Zoo is a non-profit zoo located atop Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia, dedicated to fostering connections between people and wildlife to promote conservation and environmental stewardship.
- Lakeside Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Salem, Virginia, neighboring Roanoke, at the intersection of U.S. Route 460 and State Route 419.
- The O. Winston Link Museum is a museum dedicated to the photography of O. Winston Link, the 20th-century railroad photographer widely considered the master of the juxtaposition of steam railroading and rural culture.
- Smith Mountain Lake State Park is a 1,148-acre (4.65 km2) state park along the shores of Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County, Virginia near Huddleston.
- Green Pastures Recreation Area is a state park in Clifton Forge, Virginia, in the George Washington National Forest. The park contains over 8 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as fishing in Blue Suck Run.
- The National D-Day Memorial is a war memorial located in Bedford, Virginia, United States. It serves as the national memorial for American D-Day veterans.
- Dixie Caverns is a commercial show cave located in the Riverside community of Roanoke County, Virginia, USA, four miles west of Salem. The cave is a limestone solution cave.
- The Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT) is a museum in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, that is devoted to the topic of transportation.
- Explore Park is a 1,100-acre (450 ha) passive recreation facility operated by the Roanoke County Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
- White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facility located along the historic Midland Trail in the Allegheny Highlands of southeast West Virginia.
Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).
Roanoke weather, compared with Washington
Within 2° of Washington on the annual average, so pack much as you would at home — but the two cities do not track each other month to month:
- January
- Roanoke 46°F · Washington 43°F · 3° warmer
- April
- Roanoke 69°F · Washington 67°F · 2° warmer
- July
- Roanoke 87°F · Washington 88°F · much the same
- October
- Roanoke 69°F · Washington 68°F · much the same
Average daily highs, 1991–2020 station normals from Meteostat (CC BY 4.0), measured at each city's airport.
Planning a trip to Roanoke
- Best time to visit
- The best time to visit Roanoke is April–May and September–October, when daytime highs are a comfortable 69–79°F.
- How long to stay
- Roanoke rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Booker T. Washington National Monument, Organ Cave, and Mill Mountain Zoo and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a direct flight from Washington to Roanoke?
- Yes — you can fly nonstop from Washington (IAD) to Roanoke (ROA) on United.
- Which airlines fly nonstop from Washington to Roanoke?
- United flies nonstop between Washington (IAD) and Roanoke (ROA).
- How many nonstop flights are there from Washington to Roanoke?
- There are about 3 nonstop departures per day (roughly 21 per week) from Washington to Roanoke.
- How far is Roanoke from Washington?
- Roanoke is about 177 miles from Washington by air.
- What is there to do in Roanoke?
- Popular things to do include Booker T. Washington National Monument, Organ Cave, Mill Mountain Zoo, Lakeside Amusement Park (Virginia), and more.
More nonstop destinations from Washington near Roanoke
Airports near Washington
The closest other departure airports to Washington — each opens up more nonstop destinations.