Little Rock to Memphis road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

The distance from Little Rock to Memphis is 137 miles, with a two hour driving time. The best road trip stops on the Little Rock to Memphis drive are Brinkley AR, Village Creek State Park and the Sultana Disaster Museum.

Finding the best things to do between Little Rock and Memphis

The Little Rock to Memphis drive takes you from the capital of Arkansas to Elvis’ home town on the Mississippi River in Tennessee. It’s best to book Memphis hotels in advance. Compare prices here.

Key experiences in Little Rock include the Museum of Discovery and the William J Clinton Presidential Library and Museum.

Of Little Rock’s hotels, the Capital Hotel provides most historic glamour and the Residence Inn Little Rock Downtown is great value.

Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.

Try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the 19th century Woodruff-Fontaine House.

Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studios.

Little Rock to Memphis distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Little Rock to Memphis is 137 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours. The quickest route is along the I-40.

The best stops on the Little Rock to Memphis road trip route are Brinkley, Village Creek State Park and the Sultana Disaster Museum.

Best stops between Little Rock and Memphis: Brinkley, Arkansas

Let’s be honest about this: Brinkley is not the most gripping town in the US, but it will do as a fuel and snack stop.

It’s also home to the Central Delta Depot and Museum. On the National Register of Historic Places, this carefully restored Union Railroad depot plays host to an exhibition about Louis Jordan.

Jordan was from Brinkley, and became a major jazz and blues star in the 1930s. The Rock N Roll Hall of fame describes him as the Father of Rhythm and Blues.

Little Rock to Memphis drive: Village Creek State Park

For many, Village Creek State Park is all about the 27 hole golf course, the Ridges at Village Creek. But non-golfers have plenty to keep them occupied amid 7,000 acres of clear streams and tree-covered hillsides.

The walking trails include the most intact section of the Trail of Tears. This was the path followed by Native American tribes as they were forced from their homelands to what is now Oklahoma. The Cherokee, Choctaws, Creeks and Chicktaws all followed this path.

Little Rock to Memphis road trip stops: The Sultana Disaster Museum

The Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas, tells the story of the US’ deadliest ever maritime disaster. In 1865, the Sultana steamboat caught fire on the Mississippi River, with around 2,200 passengers on board.

Nearly 1,200 people died in the explosion and fire, but the news was overshadowed by the hunt for President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. The back story is one of rampant corruption, which is no surprise when you learn the Sultana was only supposed to carry 376 passengers.

Beale Street, Memphis.
Beale Street, Memphis. Photo by Bruce Emmerling, Pixabay.

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