Trip from Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN

Drive Time

9h 1m

Distance

490.4 mi

789 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$74

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 24 min
4 AM
8h 54m ★
6 AM
9h 2m
8 AM
9h 18m
10 AM
9h 8m
12 PM
9h 6m
3 PM
9h 8m
5 PM
9h 17m
8 PM
8h 57m

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

human settlement in Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States of America

Unicoi, TN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Bartlett, TN, TN

Bartlett, TN

Kelly

Trip Overview

The drive from Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN covers 490.4 miles and takes about 9h 1m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on James H, I 81 South, I 40 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $74.49 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

245.2 miles from Unicoi, TN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 30m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 9h 1m drive with frequent turns across 490.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
James H 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 9h 1m, 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 Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
James H Unavailable Refreshing
I 81 South Unavailable Refreshing
I 40 West Unavailable Refreshing
Nashville Unavailable Refreshing
I 24 West Unavailable Refreshing
Downtown Loop Unavailable Refreshing
US 64 Unavailable Refreshing
Stage Road Unavailable Refreshing

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

Longest stretch: James H — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Unicoi, TN and Bartlett, TN.

1

Start on Unicoi Drive

0.7 mi · 1 min · Unicoi Drive
2

Turn left

0.3 mi · 31 sec
3

Take the ramp right

0.3 mi · 45 sec
4

Merge slight left onto James H. Quillen Parkway

23 mi · 27 min · James H. Quillen Parkway
5

Take the exit slight right toward I 81 South: Knoxville

0.2 mi · 38 sec · I 81 South: Knoxville
6

Merge slight left

56 mi · 1 hr
7

Continue on I 40 West: Knoxville

0.7 mi · 45 sec · I 40 West: Knoxville
8

Merge slight left

53 mi · 59 min
9

Keep slight right to continue on Nashville

155 mi · 2 hr 46 min · Nashville
10

Keep slight right to continue on I 24 West, I 40 West: Nashville

2.1 mi · 3 min · I 24 West, I 40 West: Nashville
11

Keep slight left to continue on I 40 West: Huntsville, Memphis

0.4 mi · 43 sec · I 40 West: Huntsville, Memphis
12

Merge slight right onto Downtown Loop

0.6 mi · 52 sec · Downtown Loop
13

Continue on Downtown Loop

2.3 mi · 3 min · Downtown Loop
14

Keep slight left to continue on I 40 West: Memphis

190 mi · 3 hr 25 min · I 40 West: Memphis
15

Take the exit slight right toward US 64: Bartlett

0.2 mi · 27 sec · US 64: Bartlett
16

Keep slight right to continue on US 64: Bartlett, Somerville

0.2 mi · 20 sec · US 64: Bartlett, Somerville
17

Turn straight onto Stage Road

5.6 mi · 10 min · Stage Road
18

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 245.2 miles from Unicoi, TN, or about 4h 30m 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 108 miles or 1h 59m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 245.2 miles or 4h 30m 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 245.2 miles or 4h 30m

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 55m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Unicoi, 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 Unicoi, TN

Aim for roughly 245 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Bartlett, TN

Aim for roughly 245 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 108 miles from Unicoi, 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 245.2 mi from Unicoi, TN · 4h 30m into the drive

Downtown Johnson, TN, TN

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Johnson, TN

245 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 Johnson, TN

Overnight Options

Night 1

Johnson, TN

245 mi · about 4.5h in

A practical overnight split lands near Johnson, TN after about 245 miles or 4.5 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Knoxville, TN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 108 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Johnson, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 245.2 miles from Unicoi, 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 245 miles or 4.5 hours on the road.

Arriving in Bartlett, TN

The final approach into Bartlett, 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 Bartlett, TN.

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

$74.49 one way

$148.97 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 172 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $82.11 $164.23
premium $4.80 $92.58 $185.15
diesel $5.64 $108.95 $217.90

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$74

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$204–$314

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 171.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $51 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 147.1 1 $51.49 $23.54
Efficient EV 122.6 1 $42.91 $19.62
EV Truck/SUV 196.2 2 $68.66 $31.39

Gas CO2

172 kg

EV CO2

57 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.

Forecast data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Unicoi, TN

Afternoon in Unicoi on Monday

Local time

1:29 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bartlett, TN

Afternoon in Bartlett on Monday

Local time

12:29 PM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

61°F

Johnson, TN

245 mi in

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 earlier

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

7 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

9h 1m 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 Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN covers 490.4 miles and takes about 9h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are James H, I 81 South, I 40 West. 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 245 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 245.2 miles from Unicoi, TN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $74.49 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 9h 1m, 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 Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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