Back
Highway 311: Catawba to Paint Bank, Allegheny Highlands, Virginia and West Virginia
Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0

Drives West Virginia Roanoke and Southwest Virginia

Highway 311: Catawba to Paint Bank

Catawba Valley Drive, VA 311, Paint Bank Road · Hanging Rock → Sweet Springs

Sweeping42 mi1 hr 5 min5,100 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,500 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

Virginia Route 311 runs about 58.7 miles from Salem to I-64 near White Sulphur Springs. This drive begins past Hanging Rock, where the highway follows Mason Creek into Mason Cove and climbs Catawba Mountain, crossing the Appalachian Trail.

The road descends into the Catawba Creek valley, then follows Craig Creek to New Castle, the Craig County seat. From there it climbs Potts Mountain to Paint Bank, and then ascends Peters Mountain, leaving Jefferson National Forest at the summit and crossing into West Virginia. The drive ends at Sweet Springs, where Route 311 meets WV 3.

Along the way

  1. Hanging Rock
  2. Catawba
  3. Paint Bank
  4. Sweet Springs
Elevation
5,100 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,500 ft
Hanging RockSweet Springs
Curves
Mostly gentle, with two twisty stretches
Hanging RockSweet Springs
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The drive crosses a state line: check Virginia 511 and WV511 for closures.
  • The road crosses the Appalachian Trail on Catawba Mountain.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Virginia 511.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 311 from Catawba to Paint Bank take?

This drive on Route 311 from Hanging Rock to Sweet Springs is 41.5 miles and takes about 1 hr 5 min.

What towns are on Virginia Route 311?

Route 311 passes Catawba, New Castle, the Craig County seat, and Paint Bank before crossing Peters Mountain into West Virginia.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 15 drives in West Virginia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Highway 311: Catawba to Paint Bank, from Hanging Rock to Sweet Springs