SR 156 and SR 5 initially head west but curve north and pass by Shirley Plantation, one of the James River plantations. The two highways pass through the hamlet of Granville, which lies on the James River opposite Turkey Island, which is formed by a bend in the river that encloses Presquile National Wildlife Refuge. Just north of Granville, SR 156 and SR 5 cross Turkey Island Creek into Henrico County, where the highways follow New Market Road until SR 156 turns northeast onto Willis Church Road. At Carters Mill Road, SR 156 makes a right-angle turn north just before passing through the Malvern Hill unit of Richmond National Battlefield Park. The state highway passes Glendale National Cemetery and the Glendale unit of the battlefield park before reaching a four-way intersection with Charles City Road and Darbytown Road, where SR 156 makes a right-angle turn to the east onto Charles City Road. SR 156 follows Charles City Road to Elko Road, onto which the highway turns north to cross the White Oak Swamp and intersect CSX's Peninsula Subdivision in the hamlet of Elko. The state highway passes scattered residential subdivisions as it follows the eastern edge of the Elko Tract, part of which is an industrial park accessed via SR 380 (Elko Tract Road).