Detroit to Knoxville road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Detroit to Knoxville drive are Wapakoneta OH, Cincinnati OH and Lexington KY. The distance from Detroit to Knoxville by car is 512 miles, with a 7h37m driving time.
Planning a Detroit to Knoxville road trip itinerary
The Detroit to Knoxville drive takes you from Motor City in Michigan to the cusp of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.
Top things to do in Detroit include the excellent architecture walking tours, the Sealife Michigan Aquarium and the Legoland Discovery Centre. The Motown Museum and Ford Piquette Avenue Plant are great, too.
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.
Detroit to Knoxville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Detroit to Knoxville is 512 miles. That makes for a driving time of around seven hours and 37 minutes.
The best stops to add to a Detroit to Knoxville road trip itinerary are Wapakoneta OH, Cincinnati OH and Lexington KY.
For more suggestions of things to do, take a look at the guides to the individual sections of the Detroit to Knoxville road trip.
Best stops between Detroit and Knoxville: Wapakoneta OH
Wapakoneta, Ohio, is home to the delightfully odd Temple of Tolerance. Created by artist Jim Bowsher, this place of refuge has been created over two decades through a process of finding big rocks and moving them into position.
But Wapakoneta is best known as the birthplace of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. The Armstrong Air and Space Museum pays tribute to the pioneer astronaut while also looking at Ohio’s contribution to space exploration.
Detroit to Knoxville road trip attractions: Cincinnati OH
Cincinnati is the biggest city in southern Ohio, with a wealth of attractions. Among the more distinctive are the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the American Sign Museum.
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.
Detroit to Knoxville drive: Lexington KY
Lexington, Kentucky, is renowned as a hub for the world of horse-breeding. However, there is much more to the city than studs.
Interesting Lexington experiences include downtown food tours, guided art walks, zipline tours through the Kentucky River Palisades. You can also try bluegrass cocktail tours, visiting a thoroughbred horse farm and visiting Mary Todd Lincoln House.
More Detroit road trips
Detroit to Atlanta | Detroit to Baltimore | Detroit to Buffalo | Detroit to Chicago | Cincinnati to Detroit | Cleveland to Detroit | Columbus to Detroit | Dallas to Detroit | Dayton to Detroit | Fort Wayne to Detroit | Grand Rapids to Detroit | Houston to Detroit | Detroit to Indianapolis | Kalamazoo to Detroit | Lansing to Detroit | Louisville to Detroit | Memphis to Detroit | Detroit to Milwaukee | Detroit to Nashville | Detroit to Niagara Falls | Philadelphia to Detroit | Pittsburgh to Detroit | Detroit to St Louis | Toledo to Detroit.
More Knoxville road trips
Knoxville to Atlanta | Birmingham to Knoxville | Knoxville to Boston | Knoxville to Chattanooga | Chicago to Knoxville | Cincinnati to Knoxville | Knoxville to Clarksville | Cleveland TN to Knoxville | Cookeville TN to Knoxville | Crossville TN to Knoxvillle | Dallas to Knoxville | Knoxville to Gatlinburg | Houston to Knoxville | Indianapolis to Knoxville | Lexington to Knoxville | Knoxville to Louisville | Memphis to Knoxville | Murfreesboro to Knoxville | Nashville to Knoxville | St Louis to Knoxville | Washington DC to Knoxville.