Atlanta to Chattanooga: Distance, drive time & best road trip stops
The distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga by car is 118 miles, with a 1h45m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Atlanta to Chattanooga drive are the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site, Red Top Mountain State Park and Tunnel Hill.
Finding things to do between Atlanta and Chattanooga
The drive from Atlanta to Chattanooga takes you from the main hub city of the South, through the Appalachians and into Tennessee.
Atlanta played a massive part in the Civil Rights movement, and a black history and civil rights tour is pretty much a must-do.
For more Atlanta experiences, try a sightseeing trolley tour for orientation and overview. Or a guided bike ride to get a better feel for the neighbourhoods.
Other Atlanta favourites include the World of Coca Cola, Midtown food and cocktail tours and multi-brewery beer tours.
Chattanooga in the foothills of the Appalachians is home to the National Medal of Honor Heritage Museum and the Tennessee Aquarium. But it’s mostly an outdoorsy place. Great Chattanooga experiences include rafting on the Middle Ocoee River, backcountry tours in Swincars and kayak adventures to the Nickajack Bat Cave. You can also try Segway tours, guided ghost walks and trolley tours.
Atlanta to Chattanooga distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga is 118 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 45 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-75.
The best stops to add to an Atlanta to Chattanooga road trip itinerary are the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site, Red Top Mountain State Park and Tunnel Hill.
Atlanta to Chattanooga road trip attractions: Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site
The Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site is home to six large earth mounds, plus a plaza, defensive ditch and site of a village. Between 1000 AD and 1550 AD, there was a lot more going on here, as several thousand Native Americans live here.
A walking trail links the mounds, while the museum tells of the Mississippian Culture that created them.
Atlanta to Chattanooga drive: Red Top Mountain State Park
Lake Allatoona is the main focus of Georgia’s Red Top Mountain State Park. Boats can be rented from the marinas around this 12,000 acre lake, and there are several good fishing spots around the shoreline.
In summer, though, it’s likely that the cove-like swimming beach will hold the most appeal.
There are also several decent hiking trails, with the four mile Iron Hill Trail offering the best views.
Best stops between Atlanta and Chattanooga: Tunnel Hill
Near Dalton, Georgia, Tunnel Hill is home to a remarkable feat of engineering. The Western and Atlantic Railroad Tunnel was the first big railroad tunnel in the south when it opened in 1850. It was the first time the railroads had broken through the Appalachian Mountains, and suddenly the US was a whole lot better connected.
The Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Museum in historic Clisby Austin House offer tours that show the original tunnel drill marks.
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