Downtown Johnson City, TN, TN

Photo: Kelly

Trip from Christiana, TN to Johnson City, TN

Drive Time

4h 35m

Distance

298.4 mi

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$44

one way

Trip Overview

The drive from Christiana, TN to Johnson City, TN covers 298.4 miles and takes about 4h 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Church Street, Main Street, Shelbyville Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $44.30 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

149.2 miles from Christiana, TN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 17m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 35m drive with frequent turns across 298.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Church Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Church Street Unavailable Refreshing
Main Street Unavailable Refreshing
Shelbyville Highway Unavailable Refreshing
South Church Street Unavailable Refreshing
US 231 South Unavailable Refreshing
I 840 East Unavailable Refreshing
Tennessee National Guard Parkway Unavailable Refreshing
I 40 East Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Church Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Christiana, TN and Johnson City, TN.

1

Start on the route

13 ft · 3 sec · the route
2

Turn right onto Church Street

16 ft · 6 sec · Church Street
3

Turn left onto Main Street

492 ft · 24 sec · Main Street
4

Turn right

1.0 mi · 1 min
5

Turn right onto Shelbyville Highway

4.5 mi · 5 min · Shelbyville Highway
6

Continue on South Church Street

2.7 mi · 4 min · South Church Street
7

Turn left onto US 231 South: Shelbyville, Calsonic Arena, Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration

0.4 mi · 48 sec · US 231 South: Shelbyville, Calsonic Arena, Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration
8

Merge slight left

5.9 mi · 6 min
9

Take the exit slight right toward I 840 East: Lebanon, Knoxville

0.6 mi · 55 sec · I 840 East: Lebanon, Knoxville
10

Merge slight left onto Tennessee National Guard Parkway

23 mi · 24 min · Tennessee National Guard Parkway
11

Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East: Knoxville, Lebanon

0.7 mi · 1 min · I 40 East: Knoxville, Lebanon
12

Merge slight left

149 mi · 2 hr 42 min
13

Keep slight left

37 mi · 40 min
14

Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North: Bristol

57 mi · 1 hr · I 81 North: Bristol
15

Take the exit slight right toward I 26 East, US 23 South: Johnson City, Asheville

0.4 mi · 40 sec · I 26 East, US 23 South: Johnson City, Asheville
16

Merge slight left onto James H. Quillen Parkway

14 mi · 16 min · James H. Quillen Parkway
17

Take the exit slight right toward TN 91

0.1 mi · 15 sec · TN 91
18

Turn right onto East Market Street

0.3 mi · 38 sec · East Market Street
19

Turn left onto Buffalo Street

0.2 mi · 32 sec · Buffalo Street
20

Turn right

433 ft · 32 sec
21

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 149.2 miles from Christiana, TN, or about 2h 17m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 13m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 149.2 miles or 2h 17m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 45m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Johnson City, TN than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Christiana, TN 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Christiana, TN

This is one driving day of about 298.4 miles and 4h 35m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Christiana, TN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 149.2 mi from Christiana, TN · 2h 17m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Johnson, TN

149 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Hendersonville, TN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Johnson, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 149.2 miles from Christiana, TN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Johnson City, TN

The final approach into Johnson City, TN 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 Johnson City, TN.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$44.30 one way

$88.60 round trip

$3.77/gal 25.4 MPG avg 104 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $49.96 $99.93
premium $4.65 $54.68 $109.35
diesel $5.30 $62.31 $124.62

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$44

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$69–$94

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 104.4 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 89.5 1 $31.33 $14.32
Efficient EV 74.6 0 $26.11 $11.94
EV Truck/SUV 119.4 1 $41.78 $19.10

Gas CO2

104 kg

EV CO2

35 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Local time and weather at both ends of the drive

Current conditions at both ends of the drive. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.

Forecast data refreshed 1 day ago

Origin

Christiana, TN

Late night in Christiana on Saturday

Local time

5:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Forecast unavailable right now

CDT Live mapsof forecast

Destination

Johnson City, TN

Morning in Johnson City on Saturday

Local time

6:58 AM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Forecast unavailable right now

EDT Live mapsof forecast

Along the Route

61°F

Johnson, TN

149 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.

Time zone

1 hour later

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

27 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

4h 35m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Christiana, TN to Johnson City, TN covers 298.4 miles and takes about 4h 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Church Street, Main Street, Shelbyville Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 149.2 miles from Christiana, TN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $44.30 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Explore More

Return Trip

Johnson City, TN to Christiana, TN

Plan the drive back the other way.

297.3 mi 5h 30m

Explore more options from Christiana, TN or browse trips ending in Johnson City, TN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TN road trips.

Explore maps for Christiana, TN or Johnson City, TN on MapSof.net.