The distance from Memphis to Atlanta is 384 miles, with a 5h40m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Atlanta drive are the Elvis Presley Birthplace, Birmingham AL and the Talladega National Forest.

Planning a Memphis to Atlanta road trip itinerary

The Memphis to Atlanta drive takes you from the home of Elvis in Tennessee to the capital of Georgia.

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.

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.

Memphis to Atlanta distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Memphis to Atlanta is 384 miles. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 40 minutes.

Memphis to Atlanta road trip attractions: Elvis Presley Birthplace

Elvis lived in Tupelo, Mississippi, until he was 13 years old. The house where he was born, and lived his first few years, is now a museum.

The simple two room house was built by Presley’s father, Vernon. Attractions at the Elvis Presley Birthplace site include a statue of Elvis as a 13-year-old and the church the family attended.

Best stops between Memphis and Atlanta: Birmingham AL

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 and the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. 

Memphis to Atlanta drive: Talladega National Forest

The vast Talladega National Forest was set up to protect new growth pine trees after the timber industry devastated the originals. The best way of exploring is on the 29 mile Talladega Scenic Drive, which starts down state route 281 near Heflin.

This scenic drive packs in several lookouts, and climbs to 2,407ft with magical views of the Appalachian Mountains. There are several waterfalls near the route, should you wish to park up and go for a walk.

More Memphis and Atlanta road trips

• Tennessee road trips from Memphis: What to expect on the Memphis to Chattanooga drive.
• Interstate road trips from Memphis: The best stops on the Memphis to Austin drive, Memphis to Birmingham AL drive, Memphis to Hot Springs AR drive, Memphis to Montgomery drive and Memphis to Oklahoma City drive.
• Gettting to Memphis: Guides to the Dallas to Memphis drive, Nashville to Memphis road trip, Little Rock to Memphis drive and Louisville to Memphis drive.
• Road trips from Atlanta to Florida: Where to stop on the Atlanta to Gainesville drive, Atlanta to Tallahassee drive and Atlanta to Tampa drive.
• Road trips from Atlanta to Tennessee: The best stops on the Atlanta to Chattanooga drive.