Origin
South Pittsburg, TN
Afternoon in South Pittsburg on Saturday
Local time
12:48 PM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Pittsburg, TN to East Chattanooga, TN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
34.8 mi
56 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Pittsburg, TN
Kelly
Trip Overview
South Pittsburg, TN to East Chattanooga, TN is 34.8 miles and takes about 44m via I 24, US 72, and Riverside Drive, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This journey stays within the Southeast region, offering a straightforward trip between two points in Tennessee. The drive is primarily highway-focused, making it a quick connection rather than an extended exploration. Consider this route for its efficiency if you need to move between these locations without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 24 | 26.2 mi | 28m |
| US 72 | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Riverside Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Wilcox Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Dodson Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 27 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East 4th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 24
— 26.2 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Pittsburg, TN and East Chattanooga, TN.
1
Start on this road
97 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto 3rd Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
3rd Street
3
Turn left onto US 72
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 72
4
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I-24 East: Chattanooga
5
Merge onto I 24
26 mi
·
28 min
·
I 24
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 184B
Toward US 27 North: Downtown Chattanooga
7
Continue on US 27
0.7 mi
·
59 sec
·
US 27
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 1B
Toward Downtown
9
Turn right onto West Martin Luther King Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Martin Luther King Boulevard
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Georgia Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Georgia Avenue
11
Turn right onto East 4th Street
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
East 4th Street
12
Turn straight
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
13
Continue on Riverside Drive
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverside Drive
14
Turn right onto Wilcox Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Wilcox Boulevard
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto SR 17
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Dodson Avenue
16
Turn right onto SR 17
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Glass Street
17
Turn sharp right onto North Chamberlain Avenue
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Chamberlain Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
North Chamberlain Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
3rd Street
Turn left onto 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
5
28.7 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward US 27 North: Downtown Chattanooga
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 184B
Toward US 27 North: Downtown Chattanooga
5
29.9 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 1B
Toward Downtown
6
30.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
West Martin Luther King Boulevard
Turn right onto West Martin Luther King Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
32.7 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Wilcox Boulevard
Turn right onto Wilcox Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.44 one way
$10.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.97 | $11.95 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.70 | $13.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.68 | $15.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
East Chattanooga, TN
Afternoon in East Chattanooga on Saturday
Local time
1:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
1 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
44m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 83% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 26.2 miles on I 24, which forms the bulk of the journey. The transition onto US 72 and then Riverside Drive offers a slight change in scenery and pace as you approach East Chattanooga. Overall, expect a relatively uninterrupted drive dominated by highway speeds, designed for direct travel.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.2 mi on I 24.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 24 and US 72. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 3rd Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 34.8 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 28.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 29.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from South Pittsburg, TN to East Chattanooga, TN, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
29.9 mi in
|
~34m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 34.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.2 miles on I 24. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 28.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 29.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at East Chattanooga, TN before heading back.
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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Return Trip
East Chattanooga, TN to South Pittsburg, TNPlan the drive back the other way.
35.9 mi
44m
Continue From East Chattanooga, TN
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