Drive Time
9h 11m
Distance
501 mi
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$74
one way
The drive from Memphis, TN to Bluff City, TN covers 501 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 long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $74.38 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
250.5 miles from Memphis, TN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 35m into the drive .
At 501 miles and 9h 11m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are North B and I 40 East.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North B | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 40 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Downtown Loop | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 81 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| SR 394 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 81 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Tennessee Ernie Ford Parkway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Holston Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Memphis, TN and Bluff City, TN.
Start on Poplar Avenue
Turn left onto North B. B. King Boulevard
Take the ramp right toward I 40 East
Merge slight left
Keep slight left to continue on I 40 East: Nashville, Knoxville
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 65 South: Knoxville, Huntsville
Merge slight left onto Downtown Loop
Continue on Downtown Loop
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East, I 24 East: Knoxville, Chattanooga
Keep slight left
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North: Bristol
Take the exit slight right toward SR 394: Blountville, Bristol
Turn slight right onto I 81 Alt North
Turn right onto Tennessee Ernie Ford Parkway
Turn right
Turn left onto Holston Drive
Turn right onto Carter Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Arrive at your destination
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.
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 250.5 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 250.5 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 Bluff City, TN than in the middle of the route.
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 251 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Bluff City, TN
Aim for roughly 251 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 250.5 mi from Memphis, TN · 4h 35m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
165 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
331 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, TNNight 1
251 mi · about 4.6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Johnson, TN after about 251 miles or 4.6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 110 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 250.5 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 251 miles or 4.6 hours on the road.
The final approach into Bluff City, 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 Bluff City, TN.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Bluff City, 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.
Regular Gas
$74.38 one way
$148.76 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $83.89 | $167.78 |
| premium | $4.65 | $91.80 | $183.59 |
| diesel | $5.30 | $104.62 | $209.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$74
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$204–$314
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 175.3 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $53 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 150.3 | 1 | $52.60 | $24.05 |
| Efficient EV | 125.3 | 1 | $43.84 | $20.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 200.4 | 2 | $70.14 | $32.06 |
Gas CO2
175 kg
EV CO2
59 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Late night in Memphis on Saturday
Local time
5:55 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Bluff City on Saturday
Local time
6:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
65°F
Nashville, TN
165 mi in
61°F
Johnson, TN
331 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
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Explore more options from Memphis, TN or browse trips ending in Bluff City, TN.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TN road trips.
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