Chicago to Memphis drive: Time, distance & best road trip stops
The distance from Chicago to Memphis by car is 533 miles, with a 7h44m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Chicago to Memphis drive are the Museum of the Grand Prairie, Giant City State Park and Blytheville AR.
Planning a Chicago to Memphis road trip itinerary
The Chicago to Memphis drive takes you from the home of the blues in Illinois to the home of Elvis in Tennessee. It’s best to book Memphis hotels in advance. Compare prices here.
Our favourite thing to do in Chicago
The Chicago architecture cruise has a phenomenal wow factor, with the boat gliding between some of the world’s most legendary skyscrapers.
We found the commentary matches the views, too. Expect a fascinating run-down of the city’s history – and plenty of surprising detail about the buildings you’re seeing.
Chicago’s skyscrapers, music scene and massive collection of cultural attractions make it arguably the most exciting city in the US to visit.
Highly recommended Chicago experiences include an architecture river cruise, a gangsters and ghosts tour of famous Mob sites and a bike tour of the lakefront neighbourhoods. It’s also worth paying a visit to the Field Museum, the 360 Chicago observation deck at the Hancock Tower and the Chicago Architecture Center.
Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.
Also try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the 19th century Woodruff-Fontaine House.
Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studios.
Chicago to Memphis distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Chicago to Memphis is 533 miles. That makes for a driving time of around seven hours and 44 minutes. The quickest route is via the I-57 and I-55.
The best stops to add to the Chicago to Memphis road trip itinerary are the Museum of the Grand Prairie, Giant City State Park and Blytheville AR.
Chicago to Memphis road trip attractions: Museum of the Grand Prairie
The Museum of the Grand Prairie in Mahomet IL looks at Midwest life, tracing the history of the region from the age of glaciers to the present. It aims to cover both cultural and natural history.
Highlights include a blacksmith’s shop where you can hammer the anvil and pump the bellows, and an exhibition on Champaign County as Abraham Lincoln would have known it.
Chicago to Memphis drive: Giant City State Park, Illinois
Giant City State Park is in the Shawnee National Forest. But it’s the massive 12,000-year-old sandstone bluffs you come to see. This southern Illinois state park has plenty of hiking trails, while rock-climbing and rappelling are allowed in two locations.
Visitors can also tackle the Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour, which involves a series of ziplines flying through the forest, plus three suspension bridges.
Best stops between Chicago and Memphis: Blytheville AR
The Blytheville Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas, has an exhibition about the base’s history. But plans are underfoot to transform it into something bigger – the National Cold War Center.
Blytheville is also home to the Delta Gateway Museum, which tells the tale of the surrounding region. It’s one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the states, but the museum also includes the timber industry, earthquakes and Native American culture.
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