Huntsville AL to Chattanooga drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Huntsville AL to Chattanooga TN by car is 102 miles, with a 1h42m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Huntsville to Chattanooga drive are Cathedral Caverns State Park, Scottsboro AL and the Russell Cave National Monument.
Planning a Huntsville to Chattanooga road trip itinerary
The Huntsville to Chattanooga drive connects the biggest city in Alabama to the cusp of the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee.
Huntsville has played a massive part in the space race, and the US Space and Rocket Center is the top attraction. There are lots of ways to experience what being an astronaut is like here, including flight simulators and a G-Force Accelerator. Most fun (or nauseating, depending on perspective) is the multi-axis trainer, which spins you round in all directions.
Other Hunstville experiences include self-guided audio tours and scavenger hunts.
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.
Huntsville AL to Chattanooga distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Huntsville AL to Chattanooga TN is 102 miles. You can expect a driving time of around an hour and 42 minutes. The quickest route is via the US-72 and I-24.
The best stops to add to a Huntsville to Chattanooga road trip itinerary are Cathedral Caverns State Park, Scottsboro AL and the Russell Cave National Monument.
Best stops between Huntsville AL and Chattanooga: Cathedral Caverns State Park
There are hiking trails within Cathedral Caverns State Park, but most people come here to see the big cave. The entrance to Cathedral Cave is enormous – 126 feet wide and 25 feet high – while there’s a wealth of cave decoration inside. These include a stalagmite forest, what looks like a frozen waterfall and Goliath – a 45ft tall stalagmite.
Huntsville AL to Chattanooga road trip attractions: Scottsboro AL
The most important cultural attraction in Scottsboro AL is the Scottsboro Boys Museum, a key site on the Civil Rights Trail. It commemorates the case of nine young African Americans falsely accused of raping a white woman aboard a freight train.
Otherwise, the main reason to stop in Scottsboro is Lake Guntersville on the Tennessee River. This massive lake has several spots for swimming, fishing and boating.
Huntsville AL to Chattanooga drive: Russell Cave National Monument
The Russell Cave National Monument is worth visiting more for its human history than its geological wonders. In the 1950s, a hoard of artefacts was found here, showing that humans had been living in this cave continuously for 10,000 years. Visitors are not permitted to go inside the cave, but can go to the cave mouth, learn more in the museum and tackle the 1.2 mile nature trail.
More Huntsville road trips
Huntsville to Birmingham | Huntsville to Nashville | Huntsville to New Orleans | Huntsville to Orlando | Tuscaloosa to Huntsville.
More Chattanooga road trips
Atlanta to Chattanooga | Birmingham to Chattanooga | Chattanooga to Chicago | Clarksville TN to Chattanooga | Houston to Chattanooga | Huntsville to Chattanooga | Knoxville to Chattanooga | Memphis to Chattanooga | Murfreesboro to Chattanooga | Nashville to Chattanooga | Chattanooga to Pigeon Forge | Chattanooga to Sevierville.