The distance from Little Rock to Memphis is 137 miles, with a two hour driving time. The best road trip stops on the Little Rock to Memphis drive are Brinkley AR, Village Creek State Park and the Sultana Disaster Museum.
Finding the best things to do between Little Rock and Memphis
The Little Rock to Memphis drive takes you from the capital of Arkansas to Elvis’ home town on the Mississippi River in Tennessee.
Key experiences in Little Rock include the Museum of Discovery and the William J Clinton Presidential Library and Museum.
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.
Music fans should also try the Try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
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 Studio.
Outdoors, Shelby Farms Park is one of America’s great urban parks and the Memphis Botanic Garden is expansive.
Five great things to do in Memphis
- 🎸 Enjoy a private luxury tour of Memphis – with Graceland tickets included.
- 🍖 Get a taste of Tennessee – on a Downtown Memphis food tour.
- 🛥️ Take a Memphis discovery tour – with Mississippi cruise and Sun Studio add-on options.
- 🏙️ Discover Memphis beyond Beale Street – on a historic walking tour.
- 🚗 Hop on a day tour to Tupelo – and see Elvis’ childhood home.
Little Rock to Memphis distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Little Rock to Memphis is 137 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours. The quickest route is along the I-40.
The best stops on the Little Rock to Memphis road trip route are Brinkley, Village Creek State Park and the Sultana Disaster Museum.
Brinkley, Arkansas
Let’s be honest about this: Brinkley is not the most gripping town in the US, but it will do as a fuel and snack stop.
It’s also home to the Central Delta Depot and Museum. On the National Register of Historic Places, this carefully restored Union Railroad depot plays host to an exhibition about Louis Jordan.
Jordan was from Brinkley, and became a major jazz and blues star in the 1930s. The Rock N Roll Hall of fame describes him as the Father of Rhythm and Blues.
Village Creek State Park
For many, Village Creek State Park is all about the 27 hole golf course, the Ridges at Village Creek. But non-golfers have plenty to keep them occupied amid 7,000 acres of clear streams and tree-covered hillsides.
The walking trails include the most intact section of the Trail of Tears. This was the path followed by Native American tribes as they were forced from their homelands to what is now Oklahoma. The Cherokee, Choctaws, Creeks and Chicktaws all followed this path.
The Sultana Disaster Museum
The Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas, tells the story of the US’ deadliest ever maritime disaster. In 1865, the Sultana steamboat caught fire on the Mississippi River, with around 2,200 passengers on board.
Nearly 1,200 people died in the explosion and fire, but the news was overshadowed by the hunt for President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. The back story is one of rampant corruption, which is no surprise when you learn the Sultana was only supposed to carry 376 passengers.
More Arkansas and Tennessee road trips
- Distance, driving time and best stops on a Nashville to Memphis road trip.
- The best stops on the drive from Dallas to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Where to stop on the Little Rock to Dallas drive.
- Getting to Nashville: What to see on the Lexington to Nashville drive, Louisville to Nashville drive and Pittsburgh to Nashville drive.
- Road trips from Nashville: The best stops on the Nashville to Atlanta drive and Nashville to Cincinnati drive.
