Origin
Spring Hill, TN
Morning in Spring Hill on Friday
Local time
7:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Spring Hill, TN to Athens, TN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
53.5 mi
86 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Spring Hill, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Athens, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Spring Hill, TN to Athens, TN covers 53.5 miles and takes about 1h 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 75, I 40, Lovell Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 32.5 miles on I 75. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.36 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 53.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 14m highway drive covering 53.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 75 and I 40. The longest continuous stretch is about 32.5 miles on I 75.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 75 is the longest continuous segment at about 32.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 75 and I 40. 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 Mehaffey Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 53.5 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 (Mehaffey Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (SR 131 / West Emory Road): Navigation decision point; at 9.5 miles (I 40; I 75): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Mehaffey Road
Turn right onto Mehaffey Road
Navigation decision point
4
2.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
SR 131 / West Emory Road
At end of road, turn right onto SR 131 / West Emory Road
Navigation decision point
5
9.5 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 40; I 75
Merge onto I 40; I 75
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
15.6 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
I 75
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75 toward I 75 South: Chattanooga
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 75 South: Chattanooga
5
48.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 75 | 32.5 mi | 34m |
| I 40 | 6.1 mi | 7m |
| Lovell Road | 3.9 mi | 7m |
| Ingleside Avenue | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Highway 305 | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Mehaffey Road | 1.4 mi | 5m |
| Ball Camp Byington Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Byington Beaver Ridge Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 75
— 32.5 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Spring Hill, TN and Athens, TN.
1
Start on Gade Lane
40 ft
·
4 sec
·
Gade Lane
2
Turn right onto Mehaffey Road
1.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Mehaffey Road
3
Continue on Mehaffey Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Mehaffey Road
4
Continue on Copper Ridge Road
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Copper Ridge Road
5
At end of road, turn right onto SR 131
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
West Emory Road
6
Turn left onto SR 131
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Beaver Ridge Road
7
Turn slight right onto SR 131
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Byington Beaver Ridge Road
8
Continue on SR 131
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Byington Solway Road
9
Turn left onto SR 131
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Ball Camp Byington Road
10
At end of road, turn left onto SR 131
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Ball Camp Byington Road
11
Continue on SR 131
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Middlebrook Pike
12
Turn right onto SR 131
3.9 mi
·
7 min
·
Lovell Road
13
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 40 W, I 75 S: Nashville
14
Merge onto I 40; I 75
6.1 mi
·
7 min
·
I 40; I 75
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
33 mi
·
34 min
·
I 75
Toward I 75 South: Chattanooga
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward TN 305: Athens
17
Keep slight left at fork
149 ft
·
5 sec
18
Turn straight onto SR 305
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 305
19
Continue on SR 305
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Ingleside Avenue
20
Turn right onto SR 39
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Washington Avenue
21
Arrive at destination
SR 39
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.7 mi from Spring Hill, TN · 41m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from Spring Hill, TN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Athens, TN
The final approach into Athens, 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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.36 one way
$16.73 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.18 | $18.37 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.30 | $20.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.81 | $23.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.62 | $2.57 |
| Efficient EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.4 | 0 | $7.49 | $3.42 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Athens, TN
Morning in Athens on Friday
Local time
7:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
26 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
1h 14m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Spring Hill, TN to Athens, TN covers 53.5 miles and takes about 1h 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 75, I 40, Lovell Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.7 miles from Spring Hill, TN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.36 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.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.5 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Mehaffey Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (SR 131 / West Emory Road): Navigation decision point; at 9.5 miles (I 40; I 75): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Spring Hill, TN to Athens, TN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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