Origin
Clarkston, GA
Afternoon in Clarkston on Saturday
Local time
3:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clarkston, GA to Smyrna, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
60.2 mi
97 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clarkston, GA
Vitaliy Mitrofanenko
Smyrna, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Clarkston, GA to Smyrna, GA is 60.2 miles and takes about 1h 14m via Purple Heart Highway and Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Georgia, connecting two points in the Southeast region. Expect a turn-heavy local drive that requires your attention, making it less about cruising and more about navigating. It's a straightforward, same-day journey, ideal for when you need to get from point A to point B without a major expedition.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Highway | 43.7 mi | 46m |
| Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Greensboro Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| South Main Street | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| Covington Highway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Wesley Chapel Road | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Monticello Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Ponce de Leon Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Highway
— 43.7 mi, about 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clarkston, GA and Smyrna, GA.
1
Start on Market Street
54 ft
·
9 sec
·
Market Street
2
Turn left onto East Ponce de Leon Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Ponce de Leon Avenue
3
Turn left onto Mell Avenue
143 ft
·
7 sec
·
Mell Avenue
4
Turn right onto Church Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Church Street
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 285 South
6
Merge onto I 285
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 43
Toward US 278: Covington Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto US 278; GA 12
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Covington Highway
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto Wesley Chapel Road
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Wesley Chapel Road
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
Toward I 20 East
Use the left lane.
11
Merge onto I 20
44 mi
·
46 min
·
Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 113
Toward GA 83: Madison, Monticello
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn left onto GA 83
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Monticello Highway
14
Turn slight right onto GA 83
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
GA 83
15
Keep slight left at fork onto US 278; GA 12; GA 83
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
16
Turn left onto US 129; US 278; US 441; GA 12; GA 24; GA 83
157 ft
·
3 sec
·
Eatonton Road
17
Turn straight onto US 129; US 278; US 441; GA 12; GA 24; GA 83
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
South Main Street
18
Continue on US 278; GA 12
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Greensboro Road
19
Turn right onto Buckhead Road
103 ft
·
2 sec
·
Buckhead Road
20
Arrive at destination
Buckhead Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.1 miles from Clarkston, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 52.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 285 South
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 285 South
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 285 / Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter
Merge onto I 285 / Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
4.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward US 278: Covington Highway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 43
Toward US 278: Covington Highway
6
8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Turn left toward I 20 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 20 East
8
52.1 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward GA 83: Madison, Monticello
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.
Exit 113
Toward GA 83: Madison, Monticello
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.41 one way
$18.83 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $10.29 | $20.59 |
| premium | $4.70 | $11.14 | $22.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.29 | $26.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.32 | $2.89 |
| Efficient EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.27 | $2.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.1 | 0 | $8.43 | $3.85 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Smyrna, GA
Afternoon in Smyrna on Saturday
Local time
3:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
53°F
Oxford, GA
30 mi in
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
5 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
1h 14m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be making frequent adjustments rather than settling into a long, straight highway. With a 100% highway share, you're primarily on established roadways, but the 'turn-heavy' profile suggests frequent intersections and changes in direction. The longest uninterrupted stretch measures 43.7 miles on Purple Heart Highway, offering a significant period of consistent driving before transitions occur. Be prepared for a more engaged driving experience, where staying observant is key to smoothly navigating the various segments.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 43.7 mi on Purple Heart Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 60.2 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1 miles (I 285 / Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Clarkston, GA to Smyrna, GA, road signs begin pointing toward Monticello along the way.
Monticello
52.1 mi in
|
~1h
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 60.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 43.7 miles on Purple Heart Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Smyrna, GA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1 miles (I 285 / Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Smyrna, GA before heading back.
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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