Origin
Memphis, TN
Late night in Memphis on Monday
Local time
2:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Memphis, TN to Central, TN
Drive Time
9h 11m
Distance
498.9 mi
803 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$76
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 3m
★
6 AM
9h 12m
8 AM
9h 28m
10 AM
9h 17m
12 PM
9h 16m
3 PM
9h 18m
5 PM
9h 27m
8 PM
9h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Memphis, TN
Kelly
Central, TN
Diego Girón
Trip Overview
The drive from Memphis, TN to Central, TN covers 498.9 miles and takes about 9h 11m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on North B, I 40 East, Downtown Loop for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $75.78 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
249.4 miles from Memphis, TN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 35m into the drive .
Drive Character
Expect a 9h 11m drive with frequent turns across 498.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North B 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. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Route Complexity
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 11m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Memphis, TN to Central, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North B | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 40 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Downtown Loop | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 81 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 26 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| James H | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| TN 91 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East Main Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
North B
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Memphis, TN and Central, TN.
1
Start on Poplar Avenue
190 ft
·
11 sec
·
Poplar Avenue
2
Turn left onto North B. B. King Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
North B. B. King Boulevard
3
Take the ramp right toward I 40 East
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
I 40 East
4
Merge slight left
12 mi
·
14 min
5
Keep slight left to continue on I 40 East: Nashville, Knoxville
198 mi
·
3 hr 34 min
·
I 40 East: Nashville, Knoxville
6
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 65 South: Knoxville, Huntsville
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
I 40 East, I 65 South: Knoxville, Huntsville
7
Merge slight left onto Downtown Loop
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Downtown Loop
8
Continue on Downtown Loop
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
Downtown Loop
9
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 24 East: Knoxville, Chattanooga
174 mi
·
3 hr 9 min
·
I 40 East, I 24 East: Knoxville, Chattanooga
10
Keep slight left
37 mi
·
40 min
11
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North: Bristol
57 mi
·
1 hr
·
I 81 North: Bristol
12
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
13
Merge slight left onto James H. Quillen Parkway
14 mi
·
16 min
·
James H. Quillen Parkway
14
Take the exit slight right toward TN 91
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
TN 91
15
Turn slight left onto East Main Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
East Main Street
16
Turn straight onto Legion Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Legion Street
17
Turn left onto King Springs Road
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
King Springs Road
18
Turn slight right onto Elizabethton Highway
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Elizabethton Highway
19
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 249.4 miles from Memphis, TN, or about 4h 35m into the drive.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 110 miles or 2h 1m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 249.4 miles or 4h 35m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 249.4 miles or 4h 35m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 8h 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Central, TN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Memphis, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Memphis, TN
Aim for roughly 249 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Central, TN
Aim for roughly 249 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 110 miles from Memphis, TN.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 249.4 mi from Memphis, TN · 4h 35m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
249 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Johnson, TNOvernight Options
Night 1
249 mi · about 4.6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Johnson, TN after about 249 miles or 4.6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 110 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 249.4 miles from Memphis, TN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 249 miles or 4.6 hours on the road.
Arriving in Central, TN
The final approach into Central, 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 Central, TN.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Central, TN with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$75.78 one way
$151.56 round trip
$3.86/gal
25.4 MPG avg
175 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $83.54 | $167.07 |
| premium | $4.80 | $94.18 | $188.36 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $110.84 | $221.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$76
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$206–$316
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 174.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $52 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 149.7 | 1 | $52.38 | $23.95 |
| Efficient EV | 124.7 | 1 | $43.65 | $19.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 199.6 | 2 | $69.85 | $31.93 |
Gas CO2
175 kg
EV CO2
58 kg (67% 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
Central, TN
Late night in Central on Monday
Local time
3:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Along the Route
61°F
Johnson, TN
249 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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
8 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
9h 11m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Memphis, TN to Central, TN covers 498.9 miles and takes about 9h 11m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North B, I 40 East, Downtown Loop. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 249 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 249.4 miles from Memphis, TN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $75.78 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 11m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Memphis, TN to Central, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Memphis, TN to Central, TN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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