Cincinnati to New Orleans drive: Time, distance and best stops
The best road trip stops on the Cincinnati to New Orleans drive are Nashville, Birmingham AL and Meridian MS. The distance from Cincinnati to New Orleans by car is 806 miles, with a 12h driving time.
Planning a Cincinnati to New Orleans road trip itinerary
The Cincinnati to New Orleans drive takes you from southern Ohio to southern Louisiana.
Top Cincinnati activities include underground tours – some with beer tasting – and food tours by streetcar. You can also try baseball history tours, indoor skydiving and guided ghost walks.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
Cincinnati to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Cincinnati to New Orleans is 806 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 12 hours. The quickest route goes along the I-71, I-65, I-20 and I-59.
The best stops on the Cincinnati to New Orleans drive are Nashville, Birmingham AL and Meridian MS.
For more things to do, check out the guides to the individual sections of the Cincinnati to New Orleans road trip.
Cincinnati to New Orleans road trip attractions: Nashville
Nashville is renowned for its country music, but the National Museum of African American Music is also in the Tennessee capital.
The best Nashville experiences include backstage tours of the Grand Ole Opry House, helicopter flights over the city and tasting tours at the Big Machine Distillery. You can also try line dancing classes, the Country Music Hall of Fame and haunted pub crawls. Or, for lavish old homes, visit Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the Travellers Rest Historic House Museum and Belmont Mansion.
Excellent Nashville accommodation choices include the gloriously evocative Belle Air Mansion and Inn, plus downtown’s grand dame, the Hermitage.
How to see Nashville the smart way
You can save money in Nashville by combining a tour ticket with admission to two top attractions. These combo tickets give you a half day tour of the main sights, plus entrance to the Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame. Find out more here.
Cincinnati to New Orleans drive: Birmingham AL
Birmingham, Alabama, has a rich civil rights heritage. This is best explored on a civil rights tour which links the key sites and, crucially, puts them into context. Other Birmingham experiences include ghost walks and multi-brewery beer tours.
For museums, you’ve got the McWane Science Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and more.
If planning to visit several of them, a Birmingham Area Multi-Attraction Pass will save you money.
The top-rated Birmingham accommodation picks are the Drury Inn and Suites Birmingham Grandview and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South.
Best stops between Cincinnati and New Orleans: Meridian MS
The Meridian Museum of Art is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Meridian Children’s Museum keeps younger visitors entertained.
Elsewhere, the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience celebrates Mississippi’s contribution to the arts world and the Greek Revival-style Merrehope does the historic home thing.
More Cincinnati road trips
Akron to Cincinnati | Cincinnati to Atlanta | Cincinnati to Boston | Cincinnati to Buffalo | Cincinnati to Chicago | Cincinnati to Cleveland | Columbus to Cincinnati | Cincinnati to Dallas | Cincinnati to Denver | Cincinnati to Detroit | Cincinnati to Houston | Cincinnati to Kansas City | Cincinnati to Knoxville | Cincinnati to Indianapolis | Louisville to Cincinnati | Cincinnati to Memphis | Nashville to Cincinnati | Cincinnati to New York City | Cincinnati to Niagara Falls | Philadelphia to Cincinnati | Pittsburgh to Cincinnati.
More New Orleans road trips
Atlanta to New Orleans | Baton Rouge to New Orleans | New Orleans to Biloxi | Chicago to New Orleans | Cleveland to New Orleans | Dallas to New Orleans | New Orleans to Destin FL | New Orleans to Galveston | New Orleans to Gulf Shores | Houston to New Orleans | Huntsville to New Orleans | Jackson MS to New Orleans | Kansas City to New Orleans | Memphis to New Orleans | Nashville to New Orleans | New Orleans to Orlando | Panama City to New Orleans | Pensacola to New Orleans | New Orleans to San Antonio | Savannah to New Orleans | Tallahassee to New Orleans | Tulsa to New Orleans.