Trip from South Fulton, TN to Johnson City, TN

Drive Time

8h 13m

Distance

450.1 mi

724 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$68

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 24 min
4 AM
8h 5m ★
6 AM
8h 13m
8 AM
8h 29m
10 AM
8h 19m
12 PM
8h 17m
3 PM
8h 20m
5 PM
8h 28m
8 PM
8h 8m

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

Downtown South Fulton, TN, TN

South Fulton, TN

Kelly

Downtown Johnson City, TN, TN

Johnson City, TN

Kelly

Trip Overview

The drive from South Fulton, TN to Johnson City, TN covers 450.1 miles and takes about 8h 13m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Commercial Avenue, Lake Street, Mears Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $68.37 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

225 miles from South Fulton, TN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 6m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 8h 13m drive with frequent turns across 450.1 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Commercial Avenue 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 8h 13m, 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 South Fulton, TN to Johnson City, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Commercial Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Lake Street Unavailable Refreshing
Mears Street Unavailable Refreshing
Martin L King Jr Drive Unavailable Refreshing
Mayfield Road Unavailable Refreshing
Fulgham Road Unavailable Refreshing
Kentucky Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
I 24 East Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Commercial Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between South Fulton, TN and Johnson City, TN.

1

Start on Broadway Street

0.1 mi · 12 sec · Broadway Street
2

Continue on Commercial Avenue

446 ft · 11 sec · Commercial Avenue
3

Turn right onto Lake Street

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Lake Street
4

Turn right onto Mears Street

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Mears Street
5

Turn left onto Martin L King Jr Drive

0.3 mi · 27 sec · Martin L King Jr Drive
6

Continue on Mayfield Road

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Mayfield Road
7

Turn left onto Fulgham Road

243 ft · 5 sec · Fulgham Road
8

Continue on Kentucky Avenue

0.4 mi · 42 sec · Kentucky Avenue
9

Take the ramp right

0.3 mi · 38 sec
10

Merge slight left

48 mi · 51 min
11

Keep slight left to continue on I 24 East, I 69 North: Nashville, Henderson

113 mi · 2 hr 1 min · I 24 East, I 69 North: Nashville, Henderson
12

Keep slight right to continue on I 24 East, I 65 South: Nashville

2.3 mi · 3 min · I 24 East, I 65 South: Nashville
13

Continue on I 24 East: Chattanooga, Knoxville

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 24 East: Chattanooga, Knoxville
14

Keep slight left to continue on I 40 East, I 24 East: Knoxville, Chattanooga

81 mi · 1 hr 27 min · I 40 East, I 24 East: Knoxville, Chattanooga
15

Continue straight

93 mi · 1 hr 42 min
16

Keep slight left

37 mi · 40 min
17

Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North: Bristol

57 mi · 1 hr · I 81 North: Bristol
18

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
19

Merge slight left onto James H. Quillen Parkway

14 mi · 16 min · James H. Quillen Parkway
20

Take the exit slight right toward TN 91

0.1 mi · 15 sec · TN 91
21

Turn right onto East Market Street

0.3 mi · 36 sec · East Market Street
22

Turn left onto Buffalo Street

0.2 mi · 32 sec · Buffalo Street
23

Turn right

433 ft · 32 sec
24

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 225 miles from South Fulton, TN, or about 4h 6m 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 99 miles or 1h 48m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 225 miles or 4h 6m 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 225 miles or 4h 6m

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 7h 7m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving South Fulton, 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 South Fulton, TN

Aim for roughly 225 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Johnson City, TN

Aim for roughly 225 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 99 miles from South Fulton, 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 225 mi from South Fulton, TN · 4h 6m into the drive

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Hendersonville, TN

225 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 Hendersonville, TN

Overnight Options

Night 1

Hendersonville, TN

225 mi · about 4.1h in

A practical overnight split lands near Hendersonville, TN after about 225 miles or 4.1 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Saline, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 99 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Hendersonville, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 225 miles from South Fulton, TN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 225 miles or 4.1 hours on the road.

Arriving in Johnson City, TN

The final approach into Johnson 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 Johnson City, TN.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Johnson 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$68.37 one way

$136.73 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 158 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $75.37 $150.73
premium $4.80 $84.97 $169.94
diesel $5.64 $100.00 $199.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$68

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$198–$308

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 157.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $47 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 135 1 $47.26 $21.60
Efficient EV 112.5 1 $39.38 $18.00
EV Truck/SUV 180 2 $63.01 $28.81

Gas CO2

157 kg

EV CO2

53 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

South Fulton, TN

Evening in South Fulton on Sunday

Local time

6:23 PM

CDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Johnson City, TN

Evening in Johnson City on Sunday

Local time

7:23 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°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.

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

6 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

8h 13m 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 South Fulton, TN to Johnson City, TN covers 450.1 miles and takes about 8h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Commercial Avenue, Lake Street, Mears Street. 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 225 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 225 miles from South Fulton, TN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $68.37 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 8h 13m, 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 South Fulton, TN to Johnson City, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from South Fulton, TN to Johnson City, TN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from South Fulton, TN or browse trips ending in Johnson City, TN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse TN road trips.

Explore maps for South Fulton, TN or Johnson City, TN on MapSof.net.