Nashville to Denver road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The distance from Nashville to Denver by car is 1,157 miles, with a 16h41m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Nashville to Denver drive are St Louis, Kansas City and Fort Hays.
Planning a Nashville to Denver road trip itinerary
A Nashville to Denver road trip connects the capital cities of Tennessee and Colorado.
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.
Top Denver experiences include Rocky Mountain National Park day tours, downtown Denver food tours and chilling guided ghost walks around the Cheeseman Park cemetery.
Nashville to Denver distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Nashville to Denver is 1,157 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 16 hours and 41 minutes. The quickest route heads along the I-24, I-64 and I-70.
The best stops to add to a Nashville to Denver road trip itinerary are St Louis, Kansas City and Fort Hays.
Nashville to Denver road trip attractions: St Louis
St Louis is one of America’s great crossroads cities. The major landmark is the 630ft-tall Gateway Arch, which visitors can go to the top of. Other top attractions include the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Busch Stadium.
Good St Louis experiences include highlight-packed trolley tours, true crime walking tours and small group tours that include going to the top of the St Louis Arch and a Mississippi River cruise.
For St Louis accommodation with personality, try the Last Hotel or the Pennywell.
- Check out more ideas along the Nashville to St Louis drive.
Best stops on a Nashville to Denver road trip: Kansas City
Technically two cities spread over two different states, Kansas City has a rich cultural heritage. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and American Jazz Museum show this off. Other top attractions include the National World I Memorial and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Good experiences in Kansas City include an indulgent food tour of the city’s best BBQ joints, Segway tours, the Sealife Aquarium and wine-tasting trips.
- Find more stops on the St Louis to Kansas City leg of the journey.
Nashville to Denver drive: Fort Hays State Historic Site
Fort Hays – originally called Fort Fletcher – was built to protect pioneers travelling along the Santa Fe Trail and Smoky Hill Trail. In reality, Indian attacks weren’t really a problem here, but the well-stocked military garrison made for a rowdy frontier town.
The fort is still partially standing, and a visit tells tales of major Wild West names that found themselves in Hays, Kansas. These include General Custer, Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill.
- Get more ideas for the Kansas City to Denver leg of the drive.
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