Plan the drive
Smoky Mountains road trips, city by city
The Great Smoky Mountains are an easy drive for tens of millions of people. Find your city for the distance, the best route, the drive time, and exactly what to do when you arrive.
Knoxville, TN
Day trip~42 mi · 50 minutes
I-40 E to US-441 S through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge
Plan the driveAsheville, NC
Day trip~85 mi · 1 hour 30 minutes
I-40 W to the gateway towns, or the scenic US-441 over Newfound Gap via Cherokee
Plan the driveJohnson City, TN
Day trip~95 mi · 1 hour 45 minutes
I-26 W to I-40 W, then US-441 S
Plan the driveGreenville, SC
Day trip~115 mi · 2 hours
US-25 N to I-26/I-40, or via Asheville and Newfound Gap
Plan the driveChattanooga, TN
~150 mi · 2 hours 45 minutes
I-75 N to I-40 E to the Sevierville exits
Plan the driveCharlotte, NC
~200 mi · 3 hours 30 minutes
I-40 W through Asheville to the gateway towns
Plan the driveWinston-Salem, NC
~200 mi · 3 hours 15 minutes
I-40 W through Asheville to the gateway towns
Plan the driveAtlanta, GA
~210 mi · 3 hours 30 minutes
I-75 N to I-40 E (or the scenic US-441 through Cherokee and over Newfound Gap)
Plan the driveNashville, TN
~215 mi · 3 hours 30 minutes
I-40 E almost the entire way to the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge exits
Plan the driveLexington, KY
~225 mi · 3 hours 45 minutes
I-75 S through Knoxville, then I-40 E and US-441 S
Plan the driveColumbia, SC
~240 mi · 4 hours
I-26 W to Asheville, then I-40 W to the gateway towns
Plan the driveHuntsville, AL
~250 mi · 4 hours
US-72 E to Chattanooga, then I-75 N and I-40 E
Plan the driveBowling Green, KY
~265 mi · 4 hours
I-65 S to Nashville, then I-40 E across to the gateway towns
Plan the driveRaleigh, NC
~285 mi · 4 hours 30 minutes
I-40 W the entire way through Asheville
Plan the driveLouisville, KY
~290 mi · 4 hours 30 minutes
I-65 S to I-40 E (or I-75 S through Lexington and Knoxville)
Plan the driveCincinnati, OH
~320 mi · 5 hours
I-75 S to Knoxville, then I-40 E and US-441 S
Plan the driveBirmingham, AL
~320 mi · 5 hours
I-59 N to Chattanooga, then I-75 N and I-40 E
Plan the driveColumbus, OH
~360 mi · 5 hours 30 minutes
I-71 S to Cincinnati, then I-75 S and I-40 E
Plan the driveIndianapolis, IN
~385 mi · 6 hours
I-65 S to Louisville, then I-40 E through Knoxville
Plan the driveMemphis, TN
~415 mi · 6 hours 15 minutes
I-40 E straight across Tennessee through Nashville and Knoxville
Plan the driveWhere to stay
Near the Great Smoky Mountains
However far you're driving, lock in where you'll sleep. Compare live cabin, hotel, and rental prices across every gateway town on one map.
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