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Trip from Austell, GA to Willow Creek, GA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

22.6 mi

36 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Cobb and Douglas Counties, Georgia, United States

Austell, GA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Willow Creek, GA, GA

Willow Creek, GA

Aaron J Hill

Trip Overview

This 22.6-mile drive from Austell, GA to Willow Creek, GA is a short hop, easily completed in about 42 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day trip, with no need to split the journey. You'll spend about 41% of your time on highways, with the rest on local roads, making for a mixed driving experience. Budget around $4 for fuel for this quick excursion. Both your origin and destination are within the Southeast region, so you won't be crossing any major geographical boundaries on this brief but convenient trip.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 22.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

The drive offers a mixed bag of road types, with a 41% highway share. Expect to encounter stretches of GA 5, Canton Road Northeast, and the Canton Road Connector. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.2 miles on GA 5. This route isn't a monotonous interstate cruise but rather a blend of faster-paced highway segments and more localized, potentially slower roads as you approach your destination. The character of the drive will shift as you transition between these different road types, keeping you engaged behind the wheel.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
GA 5 is the longest continuous segment at about 8.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near GA 5.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 22.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (GA 5): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.3 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

8
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | GA 5

Turn right onto GA 5 toward Marietta, GA 5

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward Marietta, GA 5
6
9.3 mi into trip | ~17m in | Sandtown Road Southwest

Turn left onto Sandtown Road Southwest

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
10.5 mi into trip | ~19m in | Sandtown Road Southwest

Enter roundabout onto Sandtown Road Southwest

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

7
13.9 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward I 75, GA 5: Atlanta, Chattanooga

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 75, GA 5: Atlanta, Chattanooga
7
14.3 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Canton Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward Canton Highway

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Austell, GA and Willow Creek, GA, road signs point toward Chattanooga and Canton Highway.

Chattanooga

13.9 mi in | ~27m

Canton Highway

14.3 mi in | ~27m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
GA 5 8.2 mi 14m
Canton Road Northeast 4.8 mi 8m
Canton Road Connector 2.1 mi 3m
Sandtown Road Southwest 1.5 mi 3m
Jamerson Road Northeast 1.1 mi 2m
South Marietta Parkway 0.9 mi 2m
Veterans Memorial Highway Southwest 0.9 mi 1m
Powder Springs Street Southwest 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: GA 5 — 8.2 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Austell, GA and Willow Creek, GA.

1

Start on Love Street

111 ft · 7 sec · Love Street
2

Turn right onto US 78; US 278; GA 5; GA 8

0.7 mi · 1 min · Veterans Memorial Highway Southwest
3

Continue on US 78; US 278; GA 5; GA 8

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Veterans Memorial Parkway Southwest
4

Continue on US 78; US 278; GA 5; GA 8

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Veterans Memorial Highway Southwest
5

Turn right onto GA 5

8.2 mi · 14 min · GA 5
Toward Marietta, GA 5 Use the right lane.
6

Turn left onto Sandtown Road Southwest

1.2 mi · 2 min · Sandtown Road Southwest
Use the left lane.
7

Enter roundabout onto Sandtown Road Southwest

92 ft · 2 sec · Sandtown Road Southwest
8

Continue on Sandtown Road Southwest

0.3 mi · 42 sec · Sandtown Road Southwest
Use the right lane.
9

Turn right onto GA 360

0.9 mi · 1 min · Powder Springs Street Southwest
Use the right lane.
10

Continue on GA 5; GA 120

0.9 mi · 2 min · South Marietta Parkway
Use the straight lane.
11

Turn left onto Cherokee Street Northeast

0.9 mi · 1 min · Cherokee Street Northeast
Use the left lane.
12

Turn straight onto Church Street Northwest

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Church Street Northwest
13

Continue on Canton Road Connector

0.3 mi · 30 sec · Canton Road Connector
Use the straight lane.
14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 27 sec
Toward I 75, GA 5: Atlanta, Chattanooga Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 11 sec
Toward Canton Highway Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16

Merge onto Canton Road Connector

1.8 mi · 2 min · Canton Road Connector
17

Continue on GA 5 Spur

4.8 mi · 8 min · Canton Road Northeast
18

Turn right onto Jamerson Road Northeast

1.1 mi · 2 min · Jamerson Road Northeast
Use the left lane.
19

Turn left onto Willow Creek Drive Northeast

0.3 mi · 1 min · Willow Creek Drive Northeast
20

Turn right onto Willow Lane

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Willow Lane
21

Arrive at destination

Willow Lane

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.53 one way

$7.07 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $3.86 $7.73
premium $4.70 $4.18 $8.37
diesel $5.61 $4.99 $9.98

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.8 0 $2.37 $1.08
Efficient EV 5.7 0 $1.98 $0.90
EV Truck/SUV 9 0 $3.16 $1.45

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Austell, GA

Afternoon in Austell on Friday

Local time

4:51 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Willow Creek, GA

Afternoon in Willow Creek on Friday

Local time

4:51 PM

EDT

Current temp

54°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

2 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

42m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Austell, GA to Willow Creek, GA covers 22.6 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are GA 5, Canton Road Northeast, Canton Road Connector. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 11.3 miles from Austell, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.53 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 22.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (GA 5): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.3 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Between Austell, GA and Willow Creek, GA, road signs point toward Chattanooga and Canton Highway.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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