Memphis to Orange Beach road trip: Time, distance & best stops

The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Orange Beach drive are Tupelo MS, Meridian MS and Mobile AL. The distance from Memphis to Orange Beach AL by car is 444 miles, with a 7h10m driving time.

Planning a Memphis to Orange Beach road trip itinerary

The Memphis to Orange Beach drive takes you from western Tennessee to the Alabama coast.

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 19^th 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.

Orange Beach is a hugely enjoyable fun-in-the-sun destination on the Alabama Coast. Good Orange Beach experiences include dolphin-watching cruises, sunset boat tours and sunset sailing cruises.

You can also enjoy a tiki boat tour to the nearby islands and convertible beach rentals.

Top Orange Beach accommodation options with excellent guest ratings include the Tides and the Island House Hotel.

Memphis to Orange Beach distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Memphis to Orange Beach is 444 miles. That makes for a driving time of around seven hours and ten minutes. Most of the journey is down the I-22 and US-45.

The best stops to add to a Memphis to Orange Beach road trip itinerary are Tupelo MS, Meridian MS and Mobile AL.

For more suggestions, see the guides to the Memphis to Mobile drive and Mobile to Orange Beach drive.

Memphis to Orange Beach road trip attractions: Tupelo MS

Elvis lived in Tupelo, Mississippi, until he was 13 years old. The house where he was born, and lived his first few years, is now a museum.

The simple two room house was built by Presley’s father, Vernon. Attractions at the site include a statue of Elvis as a 13-year-old and the church the family attended.

Memphis to Orange Beach drive: Meridian MS

The Meridian Museum of Art is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Meridian Children’s Museum keeps younger visitors entertained.

Elsewhere, the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience celebrates Mississippi’s contribution to the arts world and the Greek Revival-style Merrehope does the historic home thing.

Best stops between Memphis and Orange Beach AL: Mobile AL

The Alabama Gulf Coast port city of Mobile has a perhaps unexpected party spirit. This is best explored in the bars, or at the Mobile Carnival Museum.

You can also head on board the USS Alabama battleship or visit the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. The latter includes a ship simulator, where you can have a go at steering a ship through the Gulf.

Mobile experience options include a downtown food tour and a wildlife kayaking tour.

Top Mobile accommodation picks include the personality-packed Fort Conde Inn and the riverside Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza.