Memphis TN to Knoxville TN drive: Distance, time & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Knoxville drive are Jackson TN, Nashville and Mt Roosevelt. The distance from Memphis TN to Knoxville TN by car is 391 miles, with a 5h40m driving time.
Planning a Memphis TN to Knoxville TN road trip itinerary
The Memphis to Knoxville drive takes you from the home of Elvis to the cusp of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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.
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.
Memphis to Knoxville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Memphis to Knoxville is 391 miles. You can expect a driving time of around five hours and 40 minutes. The quickest route is mostly along the I-40.
The best stops to add to a Memphis to Knoxville road trip itinerary are Jackson TN, Nashville and Mt Roosevelt.
Memphis to Knoxville road trip attractions: Jackson, TN
Jackson TN is home to the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum. For the uninitiated, Casey Jones was about as famous as it gets in the world of railroad engineering. The enormous locomotive outside the house tends to be the most popular attraction.
Also in Jackson is Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum, which features more than 50 screen-famous cars and vans. These include a Batmobile, a Jeep from Jurassic Park and Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine.
- Find more options on the guides to the Memphis to Jackson TN drive and Jackson TN to Nashville drive.
Best stops between Memphis and Knoxville: 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.
Memphis to Knoxville 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.
- Discover more attractions on the guide to the Nashville to Knoxville drive.
More Memphis road trips
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Memphis to Jackson MS | Jackson TN to Memphis | Kansas City to Memphis | Little Rock to Memphis | Louisville to Memphis | Memphis to Miami | Memphis to Mobile AL | Memphis to Montgomery AL | Nashville to Memphis | Memphis to New Orleans | New York City to Memphis | Memphis to Oklahoma City | Memphis to Orange Beach | Memphis to Orlando | Memphis to Pensacola | Memphis to Pigeon Forge | Memphis to San Antonio | Memphis to Tampa | Memphis to Tulsa.
More Knoxville road trips
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