Origin
Atlanta, GA
Afternoon in Atlanta on Friday
Local time
2:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Atlanta, GA to Swansea, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
10h 5m
Distance
542.7 mi
873 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$85
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 56m
★
6 AM
10h 5m
8 AM
10h 23m
10 AM
10h 11m
12 PM
10h 10m
3 PM
10h 12m
5 PM
10h 22m
8 PM
10h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Swansea, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Atlanta, GA to Swansea, IL covers 542.7 miles and takes about 10h 5m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast, Martin Luther King Jr, I 75 North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $84.87 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
271.4 miles from Atlanta, GA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 2m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
10h 5m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Long-distance drive route profile.
Drive Character
At 542.7 miles and 10h 5m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast and Martin Luther King Jr.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 10h 5m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. Navigation is simple, but the total wheel time makes endurance and break timing the real challenge.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
Navigation is easy, but the length (10h 5m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Atlanta, GA to Swansea, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast | — | — |
| Martin Luther King Jr | — | — |
| I 75 North | — | — |
| Downtown Connector | — | — |
| Horace E Tate Freeway | — | — |
| Larry McDonald Memorial Highway | — | — |
| I 24 West | — | — |
| Chattanooga | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Atlanta, GA and Swansea, IL.
1
Start on Capitol Avenue Southeast
69 ft
·
1 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
2
Turn slight right
154 ft
·
7 sec
3
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast
256 ft
·
7 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast
4
Continue on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
5
Take the ramp left toward I 75 North, I 85 North
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
I 75 North, I 85 North
6
Merge slight left onto Downtown Connector
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Downtown Connector
7
Keep slight right to continue on Horace E Tate Freeway
7.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Horace E Tate Freeway
8
Continue on Larry McDonald Memorial Highway
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Larry McDonald Memorial Highway
9
Keep slight left to continue on Larry McDonald Memorial Highway
88 mi
·
1 hr 35 min
·
Larry McDonald Memorial Highway
10
Take the exit slight right toward I 24 West: Chattanooga, Nashville
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I 24 West: Chattanooga, Nashville
11
Continue on Chattanooga, Nashville
134 mi
·
2 hr 31 min
·
Chattanooga, Nashville
12
Keep slight left to continue on I 24West, I 40 West: Nashville
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 24West, I 40 West: Nashville
13
Keep slight right to continue on I 24 West: Clarksville, Louisville
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
I 24 West: Clarksville, Louisville
14
Merge slight left onto Downtown Loop
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Downtown Loop
15
Continue on I 24 West, I 65 North: Clarksville, Louisville
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
I 24 West, I 65 North: Clarksville, Louisville
16
Take the exit slight left toward I 24 West: Clarksville
113 mi
·
2 hr 1 min
·
I 24 West: Clarksville
17
Keep slight right
63 mi
·
1 hr 9 min
18
Keep slight left to continue on I 57 North: Chicago
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
I 57 North: Chicago
19
Merge slight left onto Ken Gray Expressway
52 mi
·
55 min
·
Ken Gray Expressway
20
Keep slight left to continue on I 64 West: Saint Louis
55 mi
·
59 min
·
I 64 West: Saint Louis
21
Take the exit slight right toward IL 158 West: Scott Air Force Base
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
IL 158 West: Scott Air Force Base
22
Merge slight left onto Air Mobility Drive
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Air Mobility Drive
23
Turn right onto Maple Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Maple Street
24
At the end of the road, turn left onto North Main Street
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
North Main Street
25
Continue on Lebanon Avenue
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Lebanon Avenue
26
Turn right onto North Belt East
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
North Belt East
27
Continue on North Belt West
151 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Belt West
28
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 271.4 miles from Atlanta, GA, or about 5h 2m into the drive.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 119 miles or 2h 12m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 271.4 miles or 5h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 271.4 miles or 5h 2m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 8h 58m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Swansea, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Atlanta, GA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Atlanta, GA
Aim for roughly 271 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Swansea, IL
Aim for roughly 271 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 119 miles from Atlanta, GA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 271.4 mi from Atlanta, GA · 5h 2m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
179 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
358 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Saline, ILOvernight Options
Night 1
271 mi · about 5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Clarksville, TN after about 271 miles or 5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 119 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 271.4 miles from Atlanta, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 271 miles or 5 hours on the road.
Arriving in Swansea, IL
The final approach into Swansea, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Swansea, IL.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Swansea, IL with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$84.87 one way
$169.73 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
190 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $92.79 | $185.59 |
| premium | $4.70 | $100.44 | $200.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $119.82 | $239.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$85
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$215–$325
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 189.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $57 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 162.8 | 2 | $56.98 | $26.05 |
| Efficient EV | 135.7 | 1 | $47.49 | $21.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 217.1 | 2 | $75.98 | $34.73 |
Gas CO2
190 kg
EV CO2
63 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Swansea, IL
Afternoon in Swansea on Friday
Local time
1:38 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
76°F
Saline, IL
358 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
23 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
10h 5m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Atlanta, GA to Swansea, IL covers 542.7 miles and takes about 10h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast, Martin Luther King Jr, I 75 North. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 271 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 271.4 miles from Atlanta, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $84.87 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Navigation is easy, but the length (10h 5m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Atlanta, GA to Swansea, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Atlanta, GA to Swansea, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
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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