Origin
Savannah, GA
Afternoon in Savannah on Friday
Local time
1:45 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Savannah, GA to Dahlonega, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 53m
Distance
276.5 mi
445 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$44
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 41m
★
6 AM
5h 54m
8 AM
6h 20m
10 AM
6h 3m
12 PM
6h 0m
3 PM
6h 4m
5 PM
6h 19m
8 PM
5h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Savannah, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Dahlonega, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Savannah, GA to Dahlonega, GA covers 276.5 miles and takes about 5h 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 78, GA 21, Carl Sanders Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 42 miles on US 78. At current regular gas prices, budget about $44.25 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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
138.2 miles from Savannah, GA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 57m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 53m. Total distance: 276.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Drive Character
The drive from Savannah, GA to Dahlonega, GA covers 276.5 miles and takes about 5h 53m, 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 42 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 78 is the longest continuous segment at about 42 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
371 ft
22 ft
Total Climb
349 ft
Total Descent
0 ft
Highest Point
371 ft
~138.2 mi in
Elevation Range
349 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 123.5 miles in near I 520 / Bobby Jones Expressway.
Driving Effort
9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 22 significant decision points across 276.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 123.5 miles (I 520 / Bobby Jones Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 124.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 215 miles (US 129; US 441; 10 Loop; 15 / Outer Loop 10): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 22 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
123.5 mi into trip
|
~2h 40m in
|
I 520 / Bobby Jones Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 520 / Bobby Jones Expressway toward I 20: Atlanta, Lexington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 20: Atlanta, Lexington
7
124.1 mi into trip
|
~2h 41m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 20 West: Atlanta
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 20 West: Atlanta
7
215 mi into trip
|
~4h 29m in
|
US 129; US 441; 10 Loop; 15 / Outer Loop 10
Take the exit onto US 129; US 441; 10 Loop; 15 / Outer Loop 10 toward US 129, US 441, GA 10 Loop: Commerce, Jefferson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward US 129, US 441, GA 10 Loop: Commerce, Je...
8
218.6 mi into trip
|
~4h 34m in
|
US 129
Take the exit onto US 129 toward US 129 North: Prince Avenue, Jefferson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 14
Toward US 129 North: Prince Avenue, Jefferson
6
218.8 mi into trip
|
~4h 34m in
|
US 129; GA 15 Alternate / Jefferson Road
Merge onto US 129; GA 15 Alternate / Jefferson Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Savannah, GA and Dahlonega, GA, road signs point toward Lexington, Washington and Jefferson.
Lexington
123.5 mi in
|
~2h 40m
|
via I 520
Washington
148.6 mi in
|
~3h 8m
Jefferson
215 mi in
|
~4h 29m
|
via US 129; US 441; 10 Loop; 15
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 78 | 42 mi | 50m |
| GA 21 | 41.9 mi | 48m |
| Carl Sanders Highway | 23.9 mi | 25m |
| Major Damon J. Gause Bypass | 22.3 mi | 28m |
| Thompson Bridge Road | 20 mi | 27m |
| Main Street | 19.5 mi | 26m |
| GA 56 | 13.7 mi | 19m |
| Augusta Road | 12.6 mi | 17m |
Longest stretch:
US 78
— 42 mi, about 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Savannah, GA and Dahlonega, GA.
1
Start on this road
145 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto North Fahm Street
72 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Fahm Street
3
Turn right onto West Bay Street
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
West Bay Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 516 West, GA 21 North
5
Merge onto I 516; GA 21; GA 25
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
William F. Lynes Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on GA 21
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Augusta Road
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on GA 21; I 3 FUT
42 mi
·
48 min
·
GA 21; I 3 FUT
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn right onto GA 21 Business
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
9
Continue on US 301 Business; GA 73; GA 21 Business
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
10
Turn slight left onto US 301 Business; GA 73
299 ft
·
6 sec
·
US 301 Business; GA 73
11
Turn right onto US 301; GA 73 Loop
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
US 301; GA 73 Loop
12
Take the exit onto GA 24
5.4 mi
·
7 min
·
GA 24
13
Turn right onto Millhaven Road
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Millhaven Road
14
Continue on Milhaven Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Milhaven Road
15
Turn straight onto Girard Millhaven Road
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Girard Millhaven Road
16
Continue on Millhaven Road
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Millhaven Road
17
Continue on GA 23
19 mi
·
26 min
·
Main Street
18
At end of road, turn right onto GA 56
14 mi
·
19 min
·
GA 56
19
Take the ramp onto GA 56
202 ft
·
6 sec
·
Mike Padgett Highway
20
Take the ramp
0.7 mi
·
1 min
21
Merge onto I 520
7.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Bobby Jones Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto I 520
0.7 mi
·
53 sec
·
Bobby Jones Expressway
Toward I 20: Atlanta, Lexington
Use the straight lane.
23
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 20 West: Atlanta
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
24
Merge onto I 20
24 mi
·
25 min
·
Carl Sanders Highway
Use the straight lane.
25
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward US 78, GA 17: Thomson, Washington
26
Turn right onto GA 17
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Washington Road
27
Continue on US 78; GA 10; GA 17
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Thomson Road
28
Turn left onto US 78; GA 10
42 mi
·
50 min
·
US 78; GA 10
29
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
30
Merge onto US 29; US 129; US 441; GA 8; GA 10 Loop; GA 15
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Outer Loop 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
31
Take the exit onto US 129; US 441; 10 Loop; 15
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Outer Loop 10
Toward US 129, US 441, GA 10 Loop: Commerce, Jefferson
Use the straight / right lanes.
32
Take the exit onto US 129
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
US 129
Exit 14
Toward US 129 North: Prince Avenue, Jefferson
Use the slight right lane.
33
Merge onto US 129; GA 15 Alternate
7.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Jefferson Road
Use the right lane.
34
Continue on US 129; GA 15 Alternate
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
US 129; GA 15 Alternate
35
Continue on US 129; GA 11 Connector
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Major Damon J. Gause Bypass
Use the straight lane.
36
Continue on US 129; GA 11
358 ft
·
5 sec
·
Athens Highway
37
Continue on US 129; GA 11
19 mi
·
22 min
·
Major Damon J. Gause Bypass
Use the straight lane.
38
Continue on US 129; GA 11
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
E. E. Butler Parkway
Use the straight lane.
39
Continue on GA 11 Business; GA 60
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Green Street Northeast
40
Continue on GA 60
20 mi
·
27 min
·
Thompson Bridge Road
Use the straight lane.
41
Turn right onto Public Square South
145 ft
·
5 sec
·
Public Square South
42
Arrive at destination
Public Square South
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 138.2 miles from Savannah, GA, or about 2h 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 42 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 80 miles or 1h 41m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 138.2 miles or 2h 57m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 46m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dahlonega, GA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Savannah, GA 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 Savannah, GA
This is one driving day of about 276.5 miles and 5h 53m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Savannah, GA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 78 for about 42 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 138.2 mi from Savannah, GA · 2h 57m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
138 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 138.2 miles from Savannah, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Dahlonega, GA
The final approach into Dahlonega, GA 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 Dahlonega, GA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.25 one way
$88.50 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
97 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $48.21 | $96.43 |
| premium | $4.78 | $52.01 | $104.02 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $61.43 | $122.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$44
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 96.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 83 | 1 | $29.03 | $13.27 |
| Efficient EV | 69.1 | 0 | $24.19 | $11.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 110.6 | 1 | $38.71 | $17.70 |
Gas CO2
97 kg
EV CO2
32 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
Dahlonega, GA
Afternoon in Dahlonega on Friday
Local time
1:45 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°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
9 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
5h 53m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Savannah, GA to Dahlonega, GA covers 276.5 miles and takes about 5h 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 78, GA 21, Carl Sanders Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 138.2 miles from Savannah, GA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $44.25 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 22 significant decision points across 276.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 123.5 miles (I 520 / Bobby Jones Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 124.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 215 miles (US 129; US 441; 10 Loop; 15 / Outer Loop 10): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Savannah, GA and Dahlonega, GA, road signs point toward Lexington, Washington and Jefferson.
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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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