Atlanta to Chattanooga: Distance, drive time & best road trip stops

The distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga by car is 118 miles, with a 1h45m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Atlanta to Chattanooga drive are the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site, Red Top Mountain State Park and Tunnel Hill.

Finding things to do between Atlanta and Chattanooga

The drive from Atlanta to Chattanooga takes you from the main hub city of the South, through the Appalachians and into Tennessee.

Atlanta played a massive part in the Civil Rights movement, and a black history and civil rights tour taking in the city’s Martin Luther King Jr sites is pretty much a must-do.

Elsewhere, Zoo Atlanta, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History and the Atlanta Botanic Garden cater to nature-lovers, while the High Museum of Art and Margaret Mitchell House are key cultural sites.

For more Atlanta experiences, try a sightseeing trolley tour for orientation and overview. Or a guided bike ride to get a better feel for the neighbourhoods.

Other Atlanta favourites include the World of Coca Cola, Midtown food and cocktail tours and multi-brewery beer tours.

Chattanooga in the foothills of the Appalachians is home to Chattanooga Zoo, the Creative Discovery Museum and the Hunter Museum of American Art.

But it’s mostly an outdoorsy place. Great Chattanooga experiences include rafting on the Middle Ocoee River and kayak adventures to the Nickajack Bat Cave.

There’s plenty to see at Lookout Mountain just outside the city – ride the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, be wowed by Ruby Falls and see seven states from the Rock City Gardens.

Atlanta to Chattanooga distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga is 118 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 45 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-75.

The best stops to add to an Atlanta to Chattanooga road trip itinerary are the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site, Red Top Mountain State Park and Tunnel Hill.

Atlanta to Chattanooga road trip attractions: Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site

The Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site is home to six large earth mounds, plus a plaza, defensive ditch and site of a village. Between 1000 AD and 1550 AD, there was a lot more going on, as several thousand Native Americans lived here.

A walking trail links the mounds, while the museum tells of the Mississippian Culture that created them.

Atlanta to Chattanooga drive: Red Top Mountain State Park

Lake Allatoona is the main focus of Georgia’s Red Top Mountain State Park. Boats can be rented from the marinas around this 12,000 acre lake, and there are several good fishing spots around the shoreline.

In summer, though, it’s likely that the cove-like swimming beach will hold the most appeal.

There are also several decent hiking trails, with the four mile Iron Hill Trail offering the best views.

Best stops between Atlanta and Chattanooga: Tunnel Hill

Near Dalton, Georgia, Tunnel Hill is home to a remarkable feat of engineering. The Western and Atlantic Railroad Tunnel was the first big railroad tunnel in the south when it opened in 1850. It was the first time the railroads had broken through the Appalachian Mountains, and suddenly the US was a whole lot better connected.

The Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Museum in historic Clisby Austin House offer tours that show the original tunnel drill marks.

More Georgia and Tennessee road trips

• What are the best stops on the Atlanta to Savannah drive?
• Road trips from Atlanta to Florida: Where to stop on the Atlanta to Gainesvilles drive, Atlanta to Tallahassee drive and Atlanta to Tampa drive.
• Getting to Chattanooga: The best stops on the Clarksville to Chattanooga drive and Nashville to Chattanooga drive.
• Road trips from Chattanooga: What to see on the Chattanooga to Sevierville drive.
• Getting to Nashville: What to see on the Lexington to Nashville drive and Louisville to Nashville drive.