Memphis to New Orleans road trip: Stops, drive time & distance
The best road trip stops on the Memphis to New Orleans drive are Oxford MS, Jackson MS and Hammond LA. The distance from Memphis to New Orleans by car is 395 miles, with a 5h50m driving time.
Planning a Memphis to New Orleans road trip itinerary
The Memphis to New Orleans drive connects the home of Elvis in Tennessee to the most exciting city in 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 New Orleans 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 New Orleans attractions include the Magnolia Mound Plantation, built in 1791, and the environmentally educational Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.
Great places to stay in New Orleans include the affordable Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans Downtown and the historic Watermark.
Memphis to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Memphis to New Orleans is 395 miles. That makes for a driving time of five hours and 50 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-55 and I-10.
The best stops to add to a Memphis to Jackson MS road trip itinerary are Oxford MS, Jackson MS and Hammond LA.
Best stops between Memphis and New Orleans: 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 New Orleans 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.
- For more suggestions, check out the guide to the Memphis to Jackson MS drive.
Memphis to New Orleans 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.
- For more ideas, see the guide to the Jackson MS to New Orleans drive.
More Memphis road trips
Memphis to Atlanta | Memphis to Austin | Memphis to Baton Rouge | Memphis to Biloxi | Memphis to Birmingham AL | Memphis to Boston | Charlotte to Memphis | Memphis to Chattanooga | Chicago to Memphis | Cincinnati to Memphis | Memphis TN to Clarksville TN | Dallas to Memphis | Memphis to Destin | Memphis to Detroit | Memphis to Fort Smith | Memphis to Gatlinburg | Memphis to Gulf Shores | Memphis to Hot Springs AR | Houston to Memphis | Indianapolis to Memphis.
Memphis to Jackson MS | Jackson TN to Memphis | Kansas City to Memphis | Memphis to Knoxville | Little Rock to Memphis | Louisville to Memphis | Memphis to Miami | Memphis to Mobile AL | Memphis to Montgomery AL | Nashville to Memphis | 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 New Orleans road trips
Atlanta to New Orleans | Baton Rouge to New Orleans | New Orleans to Biloxi | Chicago to New Orleans | Cincinnati to New Orleans | Cleveland to New Orleans | Dallas to New Orleans | New Orleans to Destin FL | New Orleans to Galveston | New Orleans to Gulf Shores | Houston to New Orleans | Huntsville to New Orleans | Jackson MS to New Orleans | Kansas City to New Orleans | Nashville to New Orleans | New Orleans to Orlando | Panama City to New Orleans | Pensacola to New Orleans | New Orleans to San Antonio | Savannah to New Orleans | Tallahassee to New Orleans | Tulsa to New Orleans.