Memphis to Baton Rouge road trip: Stops, drive time & distance
The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Baton Rouge drive are Oxford MS, Jackson MS and Hammond LA. The distance from Memphis to Baton Rouge by car is 383 miles, with a 5h50m driving time.
Planning a Memphis to Baton Rouge road trip itinerary
The Memphis to Baton Rouge drive connects the home of Elvis in Tennessee to the capital of Louisiana.
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.
Top Memphis accommodation options include the Peabody, famous for its marching ducks, and the Guesthouse at Graceland.
The obvious attraction in Baton Rouge is the Louisiana Capitol Building, but the castle-like Old Capitol Building is more attractive. It’s also now a museum, with interactive exhibits on democracy and the colourful characters who have walked the corridors over the decades. The colourful stained glass dome is spectacular, too.
As a museum, the Capitol Park Museum is better, telling multiple strands of Louisiana’s story. Other Baton Rouge attractions include the Magnolia Mound Plantation, built in 1791, and the environmentally educational Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.
Great places to stay in Baton Rouge include the affordable Hampton Inn & Suites Baton Rouge Downtown and the historic Watermark.
Memphis to Baton Rouge distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Memphis to Baton Rouge is 383 miles. That makes for a driving time of five hours and 50 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-55 and I-12.
The best stops to add to a Memphis to Jackson MS road trip itinerary are Oxford MS, Jackson MS and Hammond LA.
- For more suggestions, read the guides to the Memphis to Jackson MS drive and Jackson MS to Baton Rouge drive.
Best stops between Memphis and Baton Rouge: Oxford MS
A short detour east of the I-55, Oxford MS has a more refined air to it than many cities in Mississippi. It is a place of book shops, galleries, theatres and – of course – Ole Miss. The University of Mississippi plays a major part in creating Oxford’s vibe.
Individual highlights of the city include Rowan Oak, home of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner, and the eclectic University Museum. The exhibitions inside flit from Ancient Greek antiques to scientific instruments.
Memphis to Baton Rouge road trip attractions: Jackson MS
The capital of Mississippi has a collection of strong museums. The Mississippi Museum of Art has a great Southern art collection. The Old Capitol Museum and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum cover politics and history.
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is arguably Jackson’s highlight, though. It comes with a 100,000-gallon aquarium showing off the species that live on the Gulf Coast, and is within LeFleur’s Bluff State Park. That means plenty of nature trails to enjoy when the weather’s good.
Highly-reviewed Jackson MS accommodation includes the plush Westin and the more charming Old Capitol Inn.
Memphis to Baton Rouge drive: Hammond LA
There are a few decent attractions in and around Hammond LA, with the Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center giving kids a series of mock-up scenarios to explore. The Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum looks at African-American heritage, with the collection of murals being the highlight.
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