Cleveland TN to Knoxville drive: Distance, drive time & best stops

Planning a Cleveland TN to Knoxville road trip itinerary

The Cleveland TN to Knoxville road trip takes you to the cusp of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Highlights of Knoxville include World’s Fair Park, which hosted the 1982 World’s Fair. The often-dazzling Sunsphere is the major landmark, here. You can also visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and Knoxville Museum of Art.

Other Knoxville experiences include ghost tours and downtown walking tours that pick out local secret spots, while serving up coffee and ice cream.

Top Knoxville accommodation options include the handily-located Graduate Knoxville, the affordable Hampton Inn and Suites Knoxville Downtown and the character-packed Oliver Hotel. To compare prices, search here.

Cleveland TN to Knoxville distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Cleveland TN to Knoxville is 83 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 21 minutes. The quickest route heads south-east along the I-75.

The best stops to add to a Cleveland TN to Knoxville road trip itinerary are the Lost Sea Adventure, Dead Man’s Farm Haunted House and the Hiwassee River Heritage Center.

Cleveland TN to Knoxville drive: Hiwassee River Heritage Center

The Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston, Tennessee, was a key troop movement point in the Civil War. But the most interesting tales it has to tell are about the Trail of Tears – the forced removal of numerous Native American tribes from their homelands to what is now Oklahoma.

Charleston was the US military headquarters for the removal of the Cherokee people, and the Center’s displays offer a chance to learn about a shameful chapter in US history.

Best stops between Cleveland TN and Knoxville: Dead Man’s Farm Haunted House

If you’re wanting classy, intellectual nourishment, then look elsewhere. Dead Man’s Farm Haunted House in Philadelphia, Tennessee, is pure hokum.

The main attraction is the Bludgeon Haunted House. A whole backstory about a twisted, sinister family and a trail of deaths has been created. Treat it as a piece of cheesy theatre rather than anything serious, however.

You’ll also get to see fire-breathing performances.

Cleveland TN to Knoxville road trip attractions: The Lost Sea Adventure

The Lost Sea Adventure in Sweetwater, Tennessee, is a somewhat different take on a cave tour. There’s a walk for three quarters of a mile, where guides explain the history of the caverns and the geology of the cave decorations.

However, once you get to the bottom of the cave, there’s a twist – you get on a boat and take a ride across the Lost Sea. This is supposedly America’s largest underground lake.

World's Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee.
World’s Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo by CanonBaby2016/ Pixabay.

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