Tuscaloosa to Birmingham AL: Drive time, distance & best stops
The distance from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham AL is 58 miles, with a 53 minute driving time. The best road trip stops on the Tuscaloosa to Birmingham drive are Hurricane Creek State Park, Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park and Alabama Adventure.
Finding the best things to do between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham
The drive from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham connects two of Alabama’s biggest cities. There’s a surprising amount to do along the way, too.
Tuscaloosa is home to the University of Alabama, with many of the top attractions linked to the university. The Paul W. Bryant Museum is a celebration of football and the Alabama Museum of Natural History covers fossils and dinosaur skeletons. The period-furnished Gorgas House Museum, meanwhile, dates back to 1829.
A Tuscaloosa multi attraction pass is arguably worth the investment if you’re planning to cram in several attractions in a short stay.
Birmingham, Alabama, has a rich civil rights heritage. This is best explored on a civil rights tour which links the key sites and, crucially, puts them into context. Other Birmingham experiences include ghost walks and multi-brewery beer tours.
For museums, you’ve got the McWane Science Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and more.
If planning to visit several of them, a Birmingham Area Multi-Attraction Pass will save you money.
The top-rated Birmingham accommodation picks are the Drury Inn and Suites Birmingham Grandview and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South.
Tuscaloosa to Birmingham distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham AL is 58 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 53 minutes. The quickest route is straight up the I-20.
The best stops to add to a Tuscaloosa to Birmingham road trip itinerary are Hurricane Creek Park, Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park and Alabama Adventure.
Tuscaloosa to Birmingham road trip attractions: Hurricane Creek Park
Hurricane Creek Park on the outskirts of Tuscaloosa has picnic shelters, a walking track and a cycling track, although most people come to paddle in the creek.
What makes this park fascinating, however, is the geology. The Paleozoic rock of the Appalachians meets the sand, gravel and clay soil of the coastal plain. You’re essentially on a continental dividing line.
Tuscaloosa to Birmingham drive: Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park
Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park has massive stone furnaces as a centerpiece. And while there are hiking trails through the treelined hillsides, this state park is largely about the iron industry that once thrived here. You can find out more information at the Alabama Iron and Steel Museum, but the highlights are the restored pioneer cabins where craftspeople and artisans get to work.
McCalla is the nearest town to Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park.
Best stops between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham: Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure
Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure is an amusement park and water park rolled into one. In Bessemer AL, this theme park’s strength is the water park section. There are several big slides, plus a water maze and a lazy river.
The amusement park rides are very much at the kiddy end of the scale – don’t go expecting big thrill rollercoasters with multiple inversions here.
More Tuscaloosa road trips
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More Birmingham AL road trips
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