New York City to Memphis road trip: Drive time, distance & stops
The best road trip stops on the New York City to Memphis drive are Washington DC, Roanoke VA and Pigeon Forge TN. The distance from New York City to Memphis is 1,102 miles, with a 16h43m driving time.
Planning a New York City to Memphis road trip itinerary
The New York City to Memphis drive connects the Big Apple in New York State to the home of Elvis in Tennessee.
Highlights of New York City include the Empire State Building, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History.
For great New York tours, try the boat trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a night time city lights helicopter flight and a Greenwich village food tour.
More unusual options include catacombs tours, a round-Manhattan architecture cruise and a guided exploration of Grand Central Station’s secrets.
You seriously need to shop around to find affordable New York City accommodation. Start looking for deals here.
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 19th 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.
New York City to Memphis distance and driving time
By car, the distance from New York City to Memphis is 1,102 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 16 hours and 43 minutes. The quickest route is usually via the I-95, I-66, I-81 and I-40.
The best stops to add to a New York City to Memphis road trip are Washington DC, Roanoke VA and Pigeon Forge TN.
New York City to Memphis road trip attractions: Washington DC
Washington DC has an enormous range of tours, experiences and attractions available. You could happily spend weeks in the Smithsonian Museums alone. Top choices, however, include the nighttime monuments and memorials tour, small group guided visits to the Capitol and National Library of Congress and Lincoln assassination tours that visit Fords Theatre.
Best stops between New York City and Memphis: Roanoke VA
The giant star on the side of Mill Mountain is the famed symbol of Roanoke VA. But there’s more on offer in this Blue Ridge Mountains city. For a start, you can head to the top of Mill Mountain – the park also contains Mill Mountain Zoo.
For museums, the Harrison Museum of African-American Culture and the Taubman Museum of Art are the best bets. The highly playable Roanoke Pinball Museum is arguably more fun, though.
Good Roanoke activity options include ebike tours that combine sightseeing and craft breweries, and downtown food tours.
For Roanoke accommodation, the Country Inn and Suites offers good value but the more luxurious Hotel Roanoke has plenty of character.
New York City to Memphis drive: Pigeon Forge TN
Pigeon Forge is popular because of its close proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the US. But so many attractions have built up around the resort town that it’s now much more than a gateway.
Most famous of these is Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, but there’s also the Titanic Museum, the Beyond The Lens interactive museum and the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster.
Other Pigeon Forge experiences include small group jeep tours in the mountains, guided ATV adventures and wine plus moonshine tours.
Pigeon Forge is also known for its evening shows, whether Elvis tributes, Motown performances, lumberjack feuds or country music extravaganzas.
- For more potential stops, see the guide to the Pigeon Forge to Memphis drive.
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