I routinely drive to glen allen just north of Richmond.

it is 30 miles longer than the same trip on 95.

head west on 66 get off on 29 in gainesville stay on 29 as it changed to 15.
stay on 15 to culpepper
take 522 east(SE really) to cuckoo then east on 33 to 295 on the west side of richmond.

In the morning when going south I'll take 95. but coming home in the afternoon 95 is such a crap shoot that this "back road route" is nicer and less stressful.

https://www.mapquest.com/directions/from/us/virginia/22182-va-286276083/to/us/va/unionville/22567-2029/7651-zachary-taylor-hwy-38.298532,-77.956321/to/us/va/mineral/23117/201-e-1st-st-38.010735,-77.907365/to/us/va/montpelier/23192-4043/17593-jefferson-hwy-37.856205,-77.761417/to/us/virginia/glen-allen-va-282025225

Thanks for the info!

I have driven from Richmond via the 301 route due to an accident. It wasn't terrible. Is amtrak an option for you? That was cheap and nice when I had to do it

I need to drive my elderly mother from Northern VA down to Richmond. She loathes I-95 (I don’t drive interstates enough to feel comfortable on them either) so I was looking at two different routes—123 to Rt 2 to 301; the other is 28 to 17 to 301. Does anyone recommend one route over the other? Thanks!