NYC to Nashville road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time

The best road trip stops on the New York City to Nashville drive are the Antietam National Battlefield, Roanoke and Pigeon Forge. The distance from New York City to Nashville by car is 884 miles, with a 13h15m driving time.

Planning a New York City to Nashville road trip itinerary

The New York City to Nashville drive takes you from the Big Apple to Tennessee’s country music capital.

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.

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.

New York City to Nashville distance and driving time

By car, the distance from New York City to Nashville is 884 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 13 hours and 15 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-78, I-81 and I-40.

The best stops to add to a New York City to Nashville road trip itinerary are the Antietam National Battlefield, Roanoke VA and Pigeon Forge TN.

For more suggestions, check out the guide to the Knoxville to Nashville drive.

New York City to Nashville road trip attractions: Antietam National Battlefield

The Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland, was the site of the bloodiest battle in the American Civil War. The Battle of Antietam repelled the first Confederate invasion of the North and led to Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Dunker Church and the National Cemetery are key highlights while wandering the site. But the visitor centre will give you more insight into how 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or went missing on September 17, 1862.

Best stops between New York City and Nashville: 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 Nashville drive: Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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.