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Trip from Memphis, TN to Blaine, TN

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

Drive Time

7h 30m

Distance

409.4 mi

659 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$64

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
7h 21m ★
6 AM
7h 31m
8 AM
7h 51m
10 AM
7h 38m
12 PM
7h 36m
3 PM
7h 39m
5 PM
7h 50m
8 PM
7h 25m

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

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

Memphis, TN

Wikimedia Commons

city in Grainger County, Tennessee, United States

Blaine, TN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Memphis, TN to Blaine, TN covers 409.4 miles and takes about 7h 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North B, I 40 East, Downtown Loop for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $64.01 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

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

204.7 miles from Memphis, TN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 45m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North B
I 40 East
Downtown Loop
US 11W
Rutledge Pike
Bates Drive

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: North B — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Memphis, TN and Blaine, 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

7.6 mi · 9 min
11

Take the exit slight right toward US 11W: Knoxville Zoo

0.2 mi · 21 sec · US 11W: Knoxville Zoo
12

Keep slight right to continue on US 11W: Mascot, Blaine, Rutledge, Bean Station

390 ft · 10 sec · US 11W: Mascot, Blaine, Rutledge, Bean Station
13

Continue on Rutledge Pike

14 mi · 16 min · Rutledge Pike
14

Turn right onto Bates Drive

240 ft · 11 sec · Bates Drive
15

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.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 204.7 miles from Memphis, TN, or about 3h 45m into the drive.

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 90 miles or 1h 39m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 204.7 miles or 3h 45m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 6h 24m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Blaine, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Memphis, TN

This is one driving day of about 409.4 miles and 7h 30m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 90 miles from Memphis, TN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

city in Macon County, Tennessee, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lafayette, TN

205 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

Mount Carmel, TN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 90 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lafayette, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 204.7 miles from Memphis, TN, 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$64.01 one way

$128.01 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 143 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $70.27 $140.55
premium $4.89 $78.79 $157.57
diesel $5.61 $90.39 $180.78

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$64

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$89–$114

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 143.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $43 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 122.8 1 $42.99 $19.65
Efficient EV 102.4 1 $35.82 $16.38
EV Truck/SUV 163.8 2 $57.32 $26.20

Gas CO2

143 kg

EV CO2

48 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Memphis, TN

Afternoon in Memphis on Saturday

Local time

3:16 PM

CDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Blaine, TN

Afternoon in Blaine on Saturday

Local time

4:16 PM

EDT

Current temp

72°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

74°F

Lafayette, TN

205 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

15 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

7h 30m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

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

What kind of drive is this?

409.4 mi in 7h 30m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: North B.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

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.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 30m, 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 Blaine, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

About the Cities

Starting in Memphis, TN

Full guide →

Memphis is the second largest city in the state of Tennessee, after Nashville. The state rests in the southeastern portion of the United States. Memphis, with a population of more than 651,000 (2019), is also the county seat for Shelby County. The city's claims to fame include Graceland, the mansion Elvis Presley lived in during his later years. Perhaps more importantly, Memphis is considered by many to be the home of blues music.

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 7h 30m. Total distance: 409.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

7h 30m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Blaine, 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 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Memphis, TN to Blaine, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Not recommended in a single day. At 7.5 hours each way, a round trip means 15.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Blaine, TN before the return drive.

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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