Knoxville to Clarksville TN: Drive time, distance & best stops
The distance from Knoxville to Clarksville TN is 227 miles, with a 3h25m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Knoxville to Clarksville drive are the Mt Roosevelt Scenic Lookout, Edgar Evins State Park and Nashville.
Planning a Knoxville to Clarksville TN road trip itinerary
The Knoxville to Clarksville drive connects two of Tennessee’s biggest cities.
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.
Clarksville TN is the seat of Montgomery County and brushes up against the Kentucky border. The cultural highlight is the Customs House Museum, which brings art and history together. But the star attraction in Clarksville is Dunbar Cave State Park.
Dunbar Cave is home to Mississippian cave art from the 14th century. But you can also enjoy five miles of hiking trails, spotting wildlife along the way.
Knoxville to Clarksville TN distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Knoxville to Clarksville TN is 227 miles. You can expect a driving time of around three hours and 25 minutes. The best stops to add to a Knoxville to Clarksville road trip itinerary are the Mt Roosevelt Scenic Lookout, Edgar Evins State Park and Nashville.
Knoxville to Clarksville TN drive: Mt Roosevelt Scenic Overlook
Mt Roosevelt is one of the highest points on the Cumberland Escarpment, and there’s a cracking photo stop that doesn’t require any hiking. The Mt Roosevelt Scenic Overlook is just to the west of Rockwood, Tennessee, and you can drive up.
Get lucky with the conditions and you can see the Smoky Mountains, more than 70 miles to the east. There are some picnic tables here if you want to stop for lunch.
Knoxville to Clarksville road trip attractions: Edgar Evins State Park
Edgar Evins State Park is focused around the splintered arms of Center Hill Lake. It covers 6,000 acres on the Eastern Highland Rim. The landscape is steep, hilly and forested, but there are plenty of options for camping and hiking. Or, on the lake, fishing and boating.
If just dropping by, the best place to stop is the Visitor’s Centre, which has its own observation tower. This offers great views over the lake and hillsides, and you can often spot several bird species from there.
Best stops between Knoxville and Clarksville TN: 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.
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