Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
28 mi
45 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
California, GA
Lesli Whitecotton
This short 28-mile journey from Atlanta, GA to California, GA, is a quick trip that can be completed in about 40 minutes. Primarily a highway-focused drive with 77% on highways, it's perfect for a day trip without needing an overnight stay. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $4, this route is budget-friendly. You'll be traversing familiar Southeast terrain, making it an easy and accessible drive within the state of Georgia. No specific stops are noted, so you can tailor this trip to your needs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ralph David Abernathy Freeway | 12.3 mi | 15m |
| C H James Parkway | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Thornton Road | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Hiram Acworth Highway | 2 mi | 3m |
| Wendy Bagwell Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Washington Street Southwest | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Memorial Drive Southwest | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Atlanta, GA and California, GA.
Start on Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southwest
Turn left onto Washington Street Southwest
Turn right onto Memorial Drive Southwest
Turn left onto Pryor Street Southwest
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 20
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto GA 6
Continue on US 278; GA 6
Continue on US 278; GA 6
Continue on US 278; GA 6
Turn right onto GA 92
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Pryor Street Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 20 West
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward GA 6: Thornton Road, Austell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.38 one way
$8.76 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.79 | $9.58 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.18 | $10.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.18 | $12.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.92 | $1.79 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Atlanta on Saturday
Local time
2:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Afternoon in California on Saturday
Local time
2:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Expect a largely highway-focused experience on this route, with 77% of the drive utilizing higher-speed roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.3 miles along the Ralph David Abernathy Freeway. The primary roads guiding you include Ralph David Abernathy Freeway, C H James Parkway, and Thornton Road. This profile suggests a drive that prioritizes efficient travel over scenic detours, with a consistent pace for most of the 28 miles.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Ralph David Abernathy Freeway and C H James Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southwest.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 28 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (Pryor Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Atlanta, GA to California, GA, road signs begin pointing toward Austell along the way.
Austell
Atlanta is the vanguard of the New South, with the charm and elegance of the Old. It's a city that balances southern traditions with sleek modernism, and southern hospitality with three skylines and the world’s busiest airport. It's a city that has been burnt to the ground and built back up; seen the horrors of war; felt the pain of droughts and floods; and given birth to Martin Luther King, Jr., the greatest figure of the civil rights movement. Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 28 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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