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Trip from Nashville, TN to Ardmore, TN

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 37m

Distance

85.8 mi

138 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 22 min
4 AM
1h 30m ★
6 AM
1h 38m
8 AM
1h 52m
10 AM
1h 43m
12 PM
1h 41m
3 PM
1h 43m
5 PM
1h 52m
8 PM
1h 33m

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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capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States

Nashville, TN

Wikimedia Commons

city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States of America

Ardmore, TN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Nashville, TN to Ardmore, TN covers 85.8 miles and takes about 1h 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 65, Main Street, Downtown Loop for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 80.9 miles on I 65. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.74 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

42.9 miles from Nashville, TN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 49m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 37m. Total distance: 85.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 37m highway drive covering 85.8 miles, with most of the trip on I 65 and Main Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 80.9 miles on I 65.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 65 is the longest continuous segment at about 80.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 65 and Main Street. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Nashville, TN to Ardmore, TN is easy. At 1h 37m with 95% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 70 / 14th Avenue North): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 7 key points

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

5
0.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard

At end of road, turn right onto Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard

Navigation decision point

5
0.9 mi into trip | ~3m in | US 70 / 14th Avenue North

Turn left onto US 70 / 14th Avenue North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
1.2 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward Knoxville, Huntsville

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Toward Knoxville, Huntsville
7
2.1 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 65

Take the exit onto I 65 toward I 65 South: Huntsville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 210 Toward I 65 South: Huntsville
6
83 mi into trip | ~1h 33m in

Take the exit toward 31, 7: Ardmore, Huntsville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 1 Toward 31, 7: Ardmore, Huntsville

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 65 80.9 mi 1h 27m
Main Street 1.9 mi 3m
Downtown Loop 0.6 mi <1m
Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard 0.5 mi 1m
State Highway 7 0.3 mi <1m
US 31 0.3 mi <1m
14th Avenue North 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 65 — 80.9 mi, about 1h 27m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Nashville, TN and Ardmore, TN.

1

Start on this road

0.4 mi · 2 min · this road
2

At end of road, turn right onto Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard

0.5 mi · 1 min · Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard
3

Turn left onto US 70

0.2 mi · 23 sec · 14th Avenue North
Use the left lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward Knoxville, Huntsville Use the slight left lane.
5

Merge onto I 40; I 65

0.6 mi · 51 sec · Downtown Loop
6

Take the exit onto I 65

81 mi · 1 hr 27 min · I 65
Exit 210 Toward I 65 South: Huntsville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 25 sec
Exit 1 Toward 31, 7: Ardmore, Huntsville
8

Turn left onto US 31

0.3 mi · 27 sec · US 31
9

Continue on TN 7

0.3 mi · 28 sec · State Highway 7
10

Continue on TN 7

1.9 mi · 3 min · Main Street
11

Arrive at destination

TN 7

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 42.9 miles from Nashville, TN, or about 49m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 80.9 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 19 miles or 23m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 42.9 miles or 49m 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 22m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Nashville, TN so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Nashville, TN

This is one driving day of about 85.8 miles and 1h 37m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Nashville, TN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 65 for about 80.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 42.9 mi from Nashville, TN · 49m into the drive

town in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Thompson's Station, TN

43 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

Franklin, TN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Thompson's Station, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 42.9 miles from Nashville, TN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 65 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 80.9 miles.

Arriving in Ardmore, TN

The final approach into Ardmore, TN usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

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

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Stones River National Battlefield

Stones River National Battlefield

National Battlefield

The Battle of Stones River began on the last day of 1862 and became one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War. The battle produced important military and political gains for the Union, and it ch...

22 mi from route ~55 min detour Free near mile 14.8
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$12.74 one way

$25.48 round trip

$3.77/gal 25.4 MPG avg 30 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $14.37 $28.73
premium $4.65 $15.72 $31.44
diesel $5.30 $17.92 $35.83

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$13

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$38–$63

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 30 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 25.7 0 $9.01 $4.12
Efficient EV 21.5 0 $7.51 $3.43
EV Truck/SUV 34.3 0 $12.01 $5.49

Gas CO2

30 kg

EV CO2

10 kg (67% 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 14, 2026

Origin

Nashville, TN

Afternoon in Nashville on Friday

Local time

4:34 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Partly Cloudy

SSW 5 to 10 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Destination

Ardmore, TN

Afternoon in Ardmore on Friday

Local time

4:34 PM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

14 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

1h 37m 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 Nashville, TN to Ardmore, TN covers 85.8 miles and takes about 1h 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 65, Main Street, Downtown Loop. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 42.9 miles from Nashville, TN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.74 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 Nashville, TN to Ardmore, TN is easy. At 1h 37m with 95% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 70 / 14th Avenue North): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

The route from Nashville, TN to Ardmore, TN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Stones River National Battlefield.

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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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