Origin
Goodlettsville, TN
Afternoon in Goodlettsville on Saturday
Local time
3:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Goodlettsville, TN to Kingsport, TN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 15m
Distance
278.1 mi
448 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$43
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 2m
★
6 AM
5h 15m
8 AM
5h 42m
10 AM
5h 25m
12 PM
5h 22m
3 PM
5h 26m
5 PM
5h 41m
8 PM
5h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Goodlettsville, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Goodlettsville, TN to Kingsport, TN covers 278.1 miles and takes about 5h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 40, I 81, Old Hickory Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 200.1 miles on I 40. At current regular gas prices, budget about $43.48 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
139.1 miles from Goodlettsville, TN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 39m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 200.1 mi | 3h 38m |
| I 81 | 50.5 mi | 54m |
| Old Hickory Boulevard | 7.2 mi | 11m |
| South Wilcox Drive | 4.1 mi | 6m |
| Sullivan Gardens Drive | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Myatt Drive | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| TN 93 | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Rivergate Parkway | 1.6 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 200.1 mi, about 3h 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Goodlettsville, TN and Kingsport, TN.
1
Start on US 31W; US 41
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
2
Turn left onto Rivergate Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Rivergate Parkway
3
Keep slight right at fork onto Rivergate Parkway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Rivergate Parkway
4
Continue on Myatt Drive
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Myatt Drive
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn left onto TN 45
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Burwood Avenue
6
Continue on SR 45
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
Old Hickory Boulevard
7
Continue on SR 45
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Robinson Road
8
Continue on SR 45
6.6 mi
·
10 min
·
Old Hickory Boulevard
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 40 East: Knoxville
Use the left lane.
10
Merge onto I 40
163 mi
·
2 hr 57 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
37 mi
·
40 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
51 mi
·
54 min
·
I 81
Exit 421
Toward I 81 North: Bristol
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
14
Keep slight right at fork
509 ft
·
14 sec
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
15
Merge onto SR 93
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
SR 93
16
Continue on TN 93
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
TN 93
17
Continue on SR 93
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Sullivan Gardens Drive
18
Continue on SR 93
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Wilcox Drive
19
Continue on SR 93
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Sullivan Gardens Parkway
20
Turn left onto SR 126
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
South Wilcox Drive
Use the straight lane.
21
Turn left onto East Sullivan Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Sullivan Street
22
Turn slight left onto East Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
23
Turn right onto Broad Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Broad Street
24
Enter roundabout onto Broad Street
46 ft
·
1 sec
·
Broad Street
25
Continue on Broad Street
433 ft
·
19 sec
·
Broad Street
26
Turn left onto TN 36
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
West Center Street
27
Arrive at destination
TN 36
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 139.1 miles from Goodlettsville, TN, or about 2h 39m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 200.1 miles.
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 61 miles or 1h 14m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 139.1 miles or 2h 39m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 16m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Kingsport, TN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Goodlettsville, 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 Goodlettsville, TN
This is one driving day of about 278.1 miles and 5h 15m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 61 miles from Goodlettsville, 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.
The longest stretch is on I 40 for about 200.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
139 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 61 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 139.1 miles from Goodlettsville, TN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 40 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 200.1 miles.
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 14.1 and 265.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
14.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the ramp toward I 40 East: Knoxville
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 40 East: Knoxville
6
177.8 mi into trip
|
~3h 21m in
|
I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
214.6 mi into trip
|
~4h 2m in
|
I 81
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81 toward I 81 North: Bristol
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 421
Toward I 81 North: Bristol
6
265.1 mi into trip
|
~4h 56m in
Take the exit toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
8
265.3 mi into trip
|
~4h 57m in
Keep slight right at fork toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$43.48 one way
$86.96 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
97 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $47.74 | $95.47 |
| premium | $4.89 | $53.52 | $107.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $61.40 | $122.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 83.4 | 1 | $29.20 | $13.35 |
| Efficient EV | 69.5 | 0 | $24.33 | $11.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 111.2 | 1 | $38.93 | $17.80 |
Gas CO2
97 kg
EV CO2
33 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
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Kingsport, TN
Afternoon in Kingsport on Saturday
Local time
4:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
75°F
Spring City, TN
139 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
28 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
5h 15m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
278.1 mi in 5h 15m, mostly highway — 200.1 mi of that is on I 40.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 200.1 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and I 81. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 278.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 177.8 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 214.6 miles (I 81): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Arriving in Kingsport, TN
Full guide →Kingsport (pop. 48,205) is a city in Eastern Tennessee.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 15m. Total distance: 278.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 200.1 miles on I 40. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Kingsport, TN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 14.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 177.8 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 214.6 miles (I 81): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.3 hours each way, a round trip means 10.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Kingsport, TN before the return drive.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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