A two-axle car with a Virginia E-ZPass pays $0.90 each time it passes the Powhite Parkway mainline toll and $0.90 at the Downtown Expressway mainline, according to the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority (RMTA) toll rates page, which we read on November 3, 2026. Chippenham Parkway costs nothing, so a commute that can use it instead of the Powhite saves the whole toll, while a daily Powhite round trip on Pay-By-Plate costs more than twice the E-ZPass rate.
One caveat: the RMTA rates page prints no effective date for these tolls, so we report what it showed on the day we read it. Recheck it before you budget.
The seven neighborhoods below all have Mission Realty community pages: Windsor Farms, Westover Hills, Forest Hill, Stratford Hills, Bon Air, Midlothian and Woodlake.
The official toll figures, as posted
These are the two-axle (ordinary car) rates for the three RMTA toll roads.
| Toll point (two-axle car) | Virginia E-ZPass | Out-of-state E-ZPass | Pay-By-Plate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powhite Parkway mainline (James River) | $0.90 | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| Powhite Parkway, Douglasdale Road ramp | $0.45 | $0.50 | $1.00 |
| Downtown Expressway mainline | $0.90 | $1.00 (also the cash rate) | $2.00 |
| Downtown Expressway, Second Street or Eleventh Street ramp | $0.45 | $0.50 | $1.00 |
| Boulevard Bridge | $0.45 | $0.50 | $1.00 |
Source: RMTA toll rates page, read November 3, 2026. No effective date is shown on the page. The same page says cash is still taken on the Downtown Expressway mainline from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and that the road is expected to go fully cashless in 2027.
Chippenham Parkway is not on the list. VDOT’s Toll Roads in Virginia facility list names three Richmond toll facilities: Pocahontas 895, the Powhite Parkway Extension (Route 76), and the RMTA system. Chippenham does not appear, which is why we treat it as toll-free. Note the second item: the Powhite Parkway Extension in Chesterfield is a separate toll road operated by VDOT, not the RMTA, and its tolls are not in the table above.
What a year of tolls looks like (illustration only)
Illustration only. These are hypothetical commute patterns, not measured costs. The only real inputs are the RMTA two-axle rates above. The 250 workdays a year is an assumption, so swap in your own number.
- Powhite mainline, Virginia E-ZPass, there and back: $0.90 x 2 trips = $1.80 a day. $1.80 x 5 days = $9.00 a week. $1.80 x 250 workdays = $450 a year.
- Same trip on Pay-By-Plate: $2.00 x 2 = $4.00 a day, or $1,000 over 250 workdays. That is $550 more than the E-ZPass version.
- Powhite mainline plus Downtown Expressway mainline, both ways, Virginia E-ZPass: ($0.90 + $0.90) x 2 = $3.60 a day, or $900 over 250 workdays.
- Boulevard Bridge, Virginia E-ZPass: $0.45 x 2 = $0.90 a day, or $225 over 250 workdays.
- Chippenham Parkway only: $0.
Whether your route passes one mainline toll point or two depends on where you get on and off, so trace it on a map. The Powhite Extension toll, for drivers from farther west in Chesterfield, would come on top. If you want to see a toll budget next to a house payment, add it to the monthly costs in our mortgage calculator.
Get a saved search for these seven neighborhoods
Tell us which of Windsor Farms, Westover Hills, Forest Hill, Stratford Hills, Bon Air, Midlothian and Woodlake you want, and we will set up a saved search for those areas so new listings reach you as they come up.
How we chose and ordered the neighborhoods
No public dataset says what households in a given neighborhood spend on tolls. So we used checkable proxies: the ramps the RMTA names on its Powhite Parkway page, the road each area reaches first, and whether a toll-free route exists. The list runs from the river outward: one pick north of the James, then the south-bank city neighborhoods, then Chesterfield east to west. It is a route guide, not a ranking.
We already cover the bridges themselves in neighborhoods near the James River bridges, so this post sticks to cost.
Windsor Farms: north of the river, near the Powhite’s Cary Street end
The RMTA describes the Powhite Parkway as 3.4 miles from Chippenham Parkway to the Cary Street ramps, with Douglasdale ramps north of the river. Windsor Farms sits north of the James near that end of the parkway. Depending on your street, you may pay the Douglasdale ramp toll ($0.45 with Virginia E-ZPass) rather than the $0.90 mainline. The RMTA Downtown Expressway page says that road runs east from Interstate 195 near Byrd Park, so it is the other toll road in play here.
Westover Hills: the Boulevard Bridge option
Westover Hills is on the south bank, and the Boulevard Bridge is the cheapest RMTA crossing at $0.45 with Virginia E-ZPass. For a job north of the river near the Museum District, the bridge can stand in for the Powhite at half the toll. The RMTA lists a height limit of 11 feet 6 inches and a weight limit of 7,500 pounds on the bridge at all times.
Forest Hill: the Powhite’s own interchange
The RMTA names a Forest Hill interchange on the Powhite south of the river. That makes Forest Hill the most direct Powhite neighborhood on this list. The rates page lists no separate Forest Hill line, so check your E-ZPass statement for what your entry point charges.
Stratford Hills: a toll-free choice in reach
Stratford Hills is south of the river near the Huguenot Bridge, with Chippenham Parkway in reach, so a south or west commute can skip RMTA tolls entirely. The Powhite is close too when a paid route north saves time.
Bon Air: between Chippenham and the Powhite
Chesterfield County‘s Bon Air sits near where the RMTA says the Powhite Parkway begins, at Chippenham Parkway. That gives you a daily choice: pay $0.90 for the Powhite toward downtown, or take Chippenham for free.
Midlothian: two toll operators on one trip
The RMTA page says VDOT opened the Powhite Extension in November 1988 to connect the parkway to western Chesterfield. A Midlothian driver who takes the Extension into the city can pay twice: VDOT’s toll, then the RMTA mainline. Our illustration counts only the RMTA part.
Woodlake: watch the extension work
Woodlake is the farthest pick from downtown. Chesterfield County’s project page says Phase 1 will extend the Powhite to Woolridge Road and Phase 2 will continue to Hull Street Road. Our news post on the Powhite extension construction start covers Richmond BizSense reporting that the new segments will not be tolled. For the toll-free road on the other side of this area, see our Route 288 corridor guide.
Before you sign: test the real route
Drive each listing’s toll route and its toll-free alternative at your real commute hour, then check the E-ZPass charge that posts. If you would rather not drive daily, our guide to park-and-ride and express bus options is the other route to price. When you are ready, browse current listings or read how we work with buyers.
Your saved search, same seven neighborhoods
Pick any of Windsor Farms, Westover Hills, Forest Hill, Stratford Hills, Bon Air, Midlothian and Woodlake, and we will build the saved search for them.
Toll commute questions we hear
Why is Pay-By-Plate so much more than E-ZPass?
The RMTA posts Pay-By-Plate at $2.00 for a two-axle car at the Powhite and Downtown Expressway mainlines, against $0.90 with Virginia E-ZPass. A banner on the RMTA site also says Pay-By-Plate statements now come about every 30 days instead of every 15.
Does an out-of-state E-ZPass work on these roads?
Yes, but it is charged at a different rate. The RMTA table lists $1.00 for an out-of-state E-ZPass at the Powhite mainline, compared with $0.90 for a Virginia E-ZPass. If you are moving here from another state, switching your transponder account is worth checking.
Can I still pay cash on the Downtown Expressway?
For now, on the mainline only, from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., per the RMTA rates page. The RMTA expects the road to go fully cashless in 2027.
When did the current RMTA toll rates take effect?
The RMTA toll rates page we read on November 3, 2026 does not print an effective date. We report the rates as shown that day and suggest you recheck the page before you plan a budget.
Who sets the Powhite Parkway Extension toll?
VDOT operates the Powhite Parkway Extension, Route 76, according to VDOT’s Toll Roads in Virginia site, which links its rate schedule in the Virginia Administrative Code. It is separate from the RMTA tolls, so a western Chesterfield commute can involve both.
Is Chippenham Parkway always the cheaper commute?
It always costs less in tolls. Whether it is the better commute depends on your start and end points, and no public dataset gives neighborhood-level drive times, so drive both routes at your real hour.
