Upper South

States: Virginia

Start near: Virginia Beach (about 50 min to Suffolk) · Richmond (about 1 h 50 min to Suffolk)

US 58: The Last Capital Road

Martinsville to the Dismal Swamp

US 58: The Last Capital Road is a ~230-mile back-roads route from Martinsville to Suffolk on US 58, driven in 2 days, that stays off I-85 through the Upper South.

Open the interactive map →

Drive

Martinsville → Suffolk

Distance

~230 miles

Time

2 days

Highways

US 58

Avoids

I-85

Region

Upper South

Virginia's Southside runs along US 58, the state's longest road, from NASCAR's oldest and shortest track past the mansion that served as the Confederacy's last capital for one April week, the curve where the Old 97 wrecked into balladry, Southampton County's heavy 1831 ground, and Suffolk, the town Planters built, to the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp, whose maroon communities wrote one of the South's least-told freedom stories.

📍 Virginia's Beach to Bluegrass branding tags US 58 end to end; Civil War Trails handle Danville's week.

The drive, segment by segment

Speedway to the Last Capital

Martinsville → South Boston · ~55 mi

The paperclip's grandstands, then Danville's tobacco-money mansions and one famous April week.

• 🏁Martinsville Speedway — Martinsville

  NASCAR's oldest and shortest track, the half-mile paperclip, where winners get a grandfather clock and everyone eats the famous red hot dogs.

• 🏛️The Last Capitol — Danville

  The Sutherlin Mansion housed Jefferson Davis's government for its final week in April 1865; Danville wears the 'Last Capital' title on the porch.

• 🎸Wreck of the Old 97 — Danville

  The 1903 mail-train wreck at Stillhouse Trestle killed eleven and produced one of country music's foundation ballads; the marker stands near the site.

The Southside

South Boston → Emporia · ~90 mi

Clarksville's lakeside main street and the long tobacco-and-pine miles east.

• 🏘️Clarksville — Clarksville

  Virginia's only lakeside town, its main street running down to Kerr's 50,000 acres of water; July's lakefest is the Southside at leisure.

Peanut Country

Emporia → Suffolk · ~85 mi

Southampton's difficult history, Franklin's paper town, and Mr. Peanut's adopted hometown at the swamp's edge.

• 🏛️Southampton 1831 — Courtland

  The county of Nat Turner's 1831 rebellion and its brutal aftermath; local interpretation, including the restored Rebecca Vaughan House, treats the hardest American ground carefully.

• 🛸Mr. Peanut's Suffolk — Suffolk

  Amedeo Obici planted Planters' empire here in 1913, and the monocled legume remains the town's favorite son; the downtown statue obliges photos.

• 🌿Great Dismal Swamp — Suffolk

  Washington surveyed it, maroon communities survived free within it for generations, and Lake Drummond sits at its secret center; the boardwalks start here.

Tips and best time to go

• Race weekends double Martinsville lodging prices; the clock ceremony is worth planning around.
• Buy redskin peanuts in Suffolk from a local roaster; the swamp visit pairs with dawn birding.

Frequently asked questions

How long is US 58: The Last Capital Road and how many days does it take?

US 58: The Last Capital Road is about 230 miles and takes 2 days at a back-roads pace.

Where does US 58: The Last Capital Road start and end?

It runs from Martinsville to Suffolk.

Which highways does US 58: The Last Capital Road follow?

It follows US 58.

Which interstate does US 58: The Last Capital Road replace?

It avoids I-85, using US 58 instead.

How many stops are on US 58: The Last Capital Road, and what are the highlights?

7 stops are mapped, including Martinsville Speedway, The Last Capitol, Wreck of the Old 97, Clarksville and Southampton 1831.

Worth a detour

• Berry Hill — A colossal Greek Revival mansion outside South Boston, now a resort; the portico is Parthenon-grade showing off.
• Occoneechee State Park — Kerr Lake's wooded shore on the drowned lands of the Occoneechee; camp where the trading path crossed.