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Trip from Livingston, TN to Chattanooga, TN

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 25m

Distance

115.8 mi

186 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$18

one way

EV Charging

Excellent

12 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
2h 15m ★
6 AM
2h 25m
8 AM
2h 45m
10 AM
2h 32m
12 PM
2h 30m
3 PM
2h 33m
5 PM
2h 44m
8 PM
2h 19m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Livingston, TN, TN

Livingston, TN

Kelly

city in and county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States

Chattanooga, TN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Livingston, TN to Chattanooga, TN covers 115.8 miles and takes about 2h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Cookeville Highway, Spencer Highway, US 27 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 37.7 miles on Cookeville Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $18.10 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

57.9 miles from Livingston, TN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 12m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 25m. Total distance: 115.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (44%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

The drive from Livingston, TN to Chattanooga, TN covers 115.8 miles and takes about 2h 25m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cookeville Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 37.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near SR 85 / West Broad Street.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Livingston, TN to Chattanooga, TN is easy. At 2h 25m with 44% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (SR 85 / West Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 39.4 miles (SR 111 / Spencer Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 94.1 miles (US 27): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 5 key points

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

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | SR 85 / West Broad Street

Turn left onto SR 85 / West Broad Street

Navigation decision point

4
39.4 mi into trip | ~48m in | SR 111 / Spencer Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto SR 111 / Spencer Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

3
94.1 mi into trip | ~1h 58m in | US 27

Merge onto US 27

Merge point - match speed before joining

5
115.3 mi into trip | ~2h 23m in

Take the exit toward Downtown

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 1A Toward Downtown
4
115.5 mi into trip | ~2h 24m in | West Martin Luther King Boulevard

Turn straight onto West Martin Luther King Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Cookeville Highway 37.7 mi 45m
Spencer Highway 24.7 mi 32m
US 27 21.2 mi 25m
TN 8 12.6 mi 17m
SR 111 11.5 mi 13m
TN 111 5.9 mi 7m
West Main Street 1.3 mi 1m
West Broad Street 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Cookeville Highway — 37.7 mi, about 45m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Livingston, TN and Chattanooga, TN.

1

Start on West Court Square

129 ft · 10 sec · West Court Square
2

Turn left onto SR 85

0.4 mi · 38 sec · West Broad Street
3

Turn straight onto SR 85

1.3 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
4

Continue on SR 111

38 mi · 45 min · Cookeville Highway
5

Keep slight right at fork onto SR 111

25 mi · 32 min · Spencer Highway
6

Continue on TN 8; TN 111

13 mi · 17 min · TN 8; TN 111
7

Continue on SR 111

11 mi · 13 min · SR 111
8

Continue on TN 111

5.9 mi · 7 min · TN 111
9

Merge onto US 27

21 mi · 25 min · US 27
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 40 sec
Exit 1A Toward Downtown
11

Turn straight onto West Martin Luther King Boulevard

0.3 mi · 45 sec · West Martin Luther King Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
12

Arrive at destination

TN 8

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 57.9 miles from Livingston, TN, or about 1h 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 37.7 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 25 miles or 30m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 57.9 miles or 1h 12m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 59m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Livingston, 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 Livingston, TN

This is one driving day of about 115.8 miles and 2h 25m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from Livingston, TN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Cookeville Highway for about 37.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 57.9 mi from Livingston, TN · 1h 12m into the drive

Downtown Dunlap, TN, TN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Dunlap, TN

58 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.

Popular next leg

Dunlap, TN to Chattanooga, TN

29.6 mi · 45m

Pacing Suggestions

Cookeville, TN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 25 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Sparta, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 57.9 miles from Livingston, TN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Chattanooga, TN

The final approach into Chattanooga, 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 Chattanooga, TN.

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

Nearby Places

Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.

Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 115.8

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Hours: 11 am–8 pm

+14237604333

Visit website

Renaissance Park

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

1.1 mi from route ~3 min detour mile 115.8

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Hours: 6 am–11 pm

+14236436096

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$18.10 one way

$36.21 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 41 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $19.88 $39.75
premium $4.89 $22.28 $44.57
diesel $5.61 $25.57 $51.13

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$18

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$43–$68

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 40.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

EV Charging Along Route

12 DC fast chargers · Coverage: excellent

2 North Shore - Tesla Supercharger

Chattanooga, TN

Tesla

12 DCFC

Jackson Plaza - Tesla Supercharger

Cookeville, TN

Tesla

8 DCFC

River City Company Riverfront Parkway Lot (Chattanooga, TN)

Chattanooga, TN

Electrify America

8 DCFC

Cookeville, TN

Cookeville, TN

RIVIAN_ADVENTURE

6 DCFC

Finley Stadium (Chattanooga, TN)

Chattanooga, TN

Electrify America

6 DCFC

Sam's Club 4930 (Cookeville, TN)

Cookeville, TN

Electrify America

4 DCFC

Ford of Cookeville

Cookeville, TN

FORD_CHARGE

4 DCFC

Marshal Mize Ford

Chattanooga, TN

FORD_CHARGE

2 DCFC

ChargePoint Network: 3 Electrify America: 3 Tesla: 2 FORD_CHARGE: 2 RIVIAN_ADVENTURE: 1 Non-Networked: 1

Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.

Driving Electric?

About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 34.7 0 $12.16 $5.56
Efficient EV 29 0 $10.13 $4.63
EV Truck/SUV 46.3 0 $16.21 $7.41

Gas CO2

41 kg

EV CO2

14 kg (66% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Livingston, TN

Evening in Livingston on Friday

Local time

8:33 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Partly Cloudy

S 5 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Destination

Chattanooga, TN

Night in Chattanooga on Friday

Local time

9:33 PM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

75°F

Dunlap, TN

58 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

9 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

2h 25m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Livingston, TN to Chattanooga, TN covers 115.8 miles and takes about 2h 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Cookeville Highway, Spencer Highway, US 27. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 57.9 miles from Livingston, TN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $18.10 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 Livingston, TN to Chattanooga, TN is easy. At 2h 25m with 44% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (SR 85 / West Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 39.4 miles (SR 111 / Spencer Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 94.1 miles (US 27): Merge point - match speed before joining.

The route from Livingston, TN to Chattanooga, TN 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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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