Meridian MS to Birmingham AL drive: Distance, time & best stops

Planning a Meridian to Birmingham road trip itinerary

The Meridian to Birmingham drive takes you from eastern Mississippi to one of Alabama’s biggest cities.

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.

Birmingham, Alabama, has a rich civil rights heritage. This is best explored on a civil rights tour which links the key sites and, crucially, puts them into context. Other Birmingham experiences include ghost walks and multi-brewery beer tours.

For museums, you’ve got the McWane Science Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and more. 

If planning to visit several of them, a Birmingham Area Multi-Attraction Pass will save you money.

The top-rated Birmingham accommodation picks are the Drury Inn and Suites Birmingham Grandview and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South.

Meridian MS to Birmingham AL distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Meridian MS to Birmingham AL is 146 miles. This makes for a driving time of around two hours and nine minutes. The quickest route is along the I-20.

The best stops to add to a Meridian to Birmingham road trip itinerary are the White Cliffs of Epes, Tuscaloosa and the Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park.

Meridian MS to Birmingham AL drive: The White Cliffs of Epes

On the Tombigbee River in Epes, Alabama, there are some strikingly white cliffs. Rising up to 80ft tall, the White Cliffs of Epes are part of the Selma Chalk Formations. They are thought to have been formed at around the same time as the considerably more famous White Cliffs of Dover in England.

Don’t expect too much else in Epes to entertain you, however.

Best stops between Meridian MS and Birmingham AL: Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa is home to the University of Alabama, with many of the top attractions linked to the university. The Paul W. Bryant Museum is a celebration of football and the Alabama Museum of Natural History covers fossils and dinosaur skeletons. The period-furnished Gorgas House Museum, meanwhile, dates back to 1829.

A Tuscaloosa multi attraction pass is arguably worth the investment if you’re planning to cram in several attractions in a short stay.

Meridian to Birmingham drive: Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park has massive stone furnaces as a centerpiece. And while there are hiking trails through the treelined hillsides, this state park is largely about the iron industry that once thrived here. You can find out more information at the Alabama Iron and Steel Museum, but the highlights are the restored pioneer cabins where craftspeople and artisans get to work.

McCalla is the nearest town to Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park.

Birmingham, Alabama.
Birmingham, Alabama. Photo by 12019/ Pixabay.

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