Origin
Ellijay, GA
Morning in Ellijay on Friday
Local time
11:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
72.8 mi
117 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ellijay, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA covers 72.8 miles and takes about 1h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Main Street, Northside Square, River Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.38 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 72.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 17m drive with frequent turns across 72.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Main Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA is easy. At 1h 17m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Main Street | — | — |
| Northside Square | — | — |
| River Street | — | — |
| APD Highway | — | — |
| A P D Highway | — | — |
| Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway | — | — |
| Larry McDonald Memorial Highway | — | — |
| I 285 | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
North Main Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ellijay, GA and Sandy Springs, GA.
1
Start on North Church Street
420 ft
·
24 sec
·
North Church Street
2
Turn left onto North Main Street
413 ft
·
15 sec
·
North Main Street
3
Enter the roundabout and take exit 5 toward Northside Square
312 ft
·
18 sec
·
Northside Square
4
Exit the rotary onto River Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
River Street
5
Turn slight right
443 ft
·
13 sec
6
Take the ramp slight right
144 ft
·
4 sec
7
Merge slight left onto APD Highway
25 mi
·
30 min
·
APD Highway
8
Continue on A P D Highway
10 mi
·
10 min
·
A P D Highway
9
Continue on Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
10 mi
·
10 min
·
Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
10
Keep slight right to continue on Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
11 mi
·
11 min
·
Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
11
Merge slight left onto Larry McDonald Memorial Highway
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Larry McDonald Memorial Highway
12
Take the exit slight right toward I 285 Bypass West, I 285 Bypass East: Birmingham, Tampa, Greenville, Augusta
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
I 285 Bypass West, I 285 Bypass East: Birmingham, Tampa, Greenville, Augusta
13
Keep slight right to continue on I 285 East Bypass: Greenville, Augusta
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 285 East Bypass: Greenville, Augusta
14
Merge slight left onto Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter
15
Take the exit slight right toward Riverside Drive
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Riverside Drive
16
Keep slight left to continue on Riverside Drive
135 ft
·
3 sec
·
Riverside Drive
17
Turn slight right
213 ft
·
6 sec
18
Turn right onto Riverside Drive Northwest
479 ft
·
14 sec
·
Riverside Drive Northwest
19
Turn slight right onto Riverside Drive Northwest
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Riverside Drive Northwest
20
Turn right onto Heards Ferry Road Northwest
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Heards Ferry Road Northwest
21
Turn left onto Mount Vernon Highway
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Mount Vernon Highway
22
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 36.4 mi from Ellijay, GA · 38m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.4 miles from Ellijay, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Sandy Springs, GA
The final approach into Sandy Springs, GA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.38 one way
$22.77 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $12.45 | $24.90 |
| premium | $4.70 | $13.47 | $26.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.07 | $32.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.8 | 0 | $7.64 | $3.49 |
| Efficient EV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.37 | $2.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.1 | 0 | $10.19 | $4.66 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (64% 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
Sandy Springs, GA
Morning in Sandy Springs on Friday
Local time
11:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
53°F
Canton, GA
36 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
1 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
1h 17m 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 Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA covers 72.8 miles and takes about 1h 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Main Street, Northside Square, River Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 36.4 miles from Ellijay, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.38 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.
The drive from Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA is easy. At 1h 17m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Ellijay, GA to Sandy Springs, GA 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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