Minneapolis to Nashville road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best road trip stops on the Minneapolis to Nashville drive are Madison WI, Bloomington IL and Paducah KY. The distance from Minneapolis to Nashville by car is 886 miles, with a 12h57m driving time.
Planning a Minneapolis to Nashville road trip itinerary
The Minneapolis to Nashville drive connects the biggest cities in Minnesota and Tennessee.
Top attractions in the twin cities of Minneapolis-St Paul include the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Basilica of St Mary and Minnehaha Falls.
Minneapolis has a big craft brewing scene, and one of the best ways to explore is on a craft breweries tour. Alternatively, take a walking tour through the city’s vast Skyway network of enclosed bridges and food tours.
Other MSP experiences include St Paul’s historic gangster-era caves, Twin Cities ghost tours and St Paul walking tours.
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.
Minneapolis to Nashville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Minneapolis to Nashville is 886 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 12 hours and 57 minutes.
The quickest route is via the I-94, I-90, I-39, I-74, I-57 and I-24.
The best stops to add to a Minneapolis to Nashville road trip itinerary are Madison WI, Bloomington IL and Paducah KY.
Best stops between Minneapolis and Nashville: Madison WI
Madison is the capital city of Wisconsin, and it hosts several decent attractions. Top of the list should be the State Capitol Building, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Pedestrianised State Street is the spot for shopping, drinking and dining.
Other good Madison experiences include downtown e-bike tours, self-guided smartphone walks and ghost tours.
- For more ideas, check out the guide to the Minneapolis to Madison WI drive.
Minneapolis to Nashville road trip attractions: Bloomington IL
Bloomington IL has a handful of decent attractions. The biggest crowd pleaser, especially with kids in tow, is the Miller Park Zoo.
Adults might prefer the McLean County Museum of History, which looks at the time Abraham Lincoln spent as an attorney in Bloomington. The Prairie Aviation Museum, meanwhile, caters to plane geeks.
Minneapolis to Nashville drive: Paducah KY
On the Ohio River, Paducah KY is a designated UNESCO Creative City. This creativity is best seen in the Lower Town Arts District, where a host of workshops, studios and galleries cluster.
Lower Town is also where you’ll find the National Quilt Museum, which looks at the history of quilting around the world and showcases some remarkable, intricate examples.
Paducah is also covered in outdoor murals, which cover buildings throughout the city.
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