Murfreesboro TN to Knoxville: Drive time, distance & best stops

The best road trip stops on the Murfreesboro to Knoxville drive are Crossville TN, Ozone Falls and the Mt Roosevelt Scenic Overlook. The distance from Murfreesboro to Knoxville by car is 180 miles, with a 2h49m driving time.

Planning a Murfreesboro to Knoxville road trip itinerary

The Murfreesboro to Knoxville drive takes you from central to eastern Tennessee.

Murfreesboro’s top attraction is Earth Experience, which is all about archaeological relics. That means gems and minerals, but mainly dinosaur bones.

The highlight is the big T-Rex skeleton, but you can also visit the working paleontology laboratory, see how replica bones are moulded and cast, then touch petrified wood and dino bones.

To see the range of Murfreesboro accommodation options, head over here.

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.

Much beloved Knoxville accommodation options include the Tennessean Personal Luxury Hotel and the marvellously quirky Ancient Lore Village.

Murfreesboro TN to Knoxville TN distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Murfreesboro to Knoxville is 180 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and 49 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Murfreesboro to Knoxville road trip itinerary are Crossville TN, Ozone Falls and the Mt Roosevelt Scenic Overlook.

Best stops between Murfreesboro TN and Knoxville TN: Crossville TN

Tennessee’s wine scene is growing, and the Stonehaus Winery in Crossville offers a good opportunity to see what the state can do. Its wines can be found in liquor stores state-wide, but the tasting room in Crossville is the best place to try different wines from the range.

There are some single varietal wines made here, including a chardonnay and a zinfandel. But the emphasis is firmly on blends. There are a fair few sweet and semi-sweet options, too.

Murfreesboro TN to Knoxville road trip attractions: Ozone Falls

Ozone Falls sees Fall Creek plunges 110ft over a sandstone cliff edge into a deep, rocky and rather photogenic pool. The creek then disappears underground before reemerging.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this Tennessee waterfall is the setting, rather than the waterfall itself. Over time, a natural rock amphitheatre has been carved out by the elements.

If you fancy a walk, there’s a three quarter mile trail that starts at the bluff near the top of the falls, then heads into the gorge.

Murfreesboro TN 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.