Origin
Alpharetta, GA
Late night in Alpharetta on Tuesday
Local time
4:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alpharetta, GA to Atlanta, GA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
26.2 mi
42 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alpharetta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Alpharetta to Atlanta is 26.2 miles and takes about 35m via Turner McDonald Parkway, T Harvey Mathis Parkway, and Downtown Connector, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive connects two locations within the Southeast region, specifically within Georgia. It's a straightforward trip, primarily on major roadways, making it ideal for a quick commute or a brief excursion. Given its brevity, you won't need extensive planning, but understanding the road conditions will help you navigate smoothly.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Turner McDonald Parkway | 11 mi | 13m |
| T Harvey Mathis Parkway | 6.8 mi | 8m |
| Downtown Connector | 3 mi | 4m |
| Northeast Expressway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Haynes Bridge Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Old Milton Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Square Southwest | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Turner McDonald Parkway
— 11 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alpharetta, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on Academy Street
139 ft
·
11 sec
·
Academy Street
2
Turn left onto GA 9
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
South Main Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto GA 120
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Old Milton Parkway
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Haynes Bridge Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Haynes Bridge Road
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward US 19 South, GA 400 South
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto US 19; GA 400
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Turner McDonald Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on GA 400
6.8 mi
·
8 min
·
T Harvey Mathis Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 85
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Northeast Expressway
9
Continue on I 75; I 85
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Downtown Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 248A
Toward Martin Luther King Junior Drive, State Capitol, Turner Field
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
288 ft
·
13 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Capitol Square Southwest
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
318 ft
·
6 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Use the right lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
GA 9 / South Main Street
Turn left onto GA 9 / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward US 19 South, GA 400 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward US 19 South, GA 400 South
8
25.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Martin Luther King Junior Drive, State Capitol, Turner Field
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 248A
Toward Martin Luther King Junior Drive, State C...
6
26.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
Capitol Square Southwest
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
26.2 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.10 one way
$8.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.85 | $9.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.78 | $11.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.75 | $1.26 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.29 | $1.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.67 | $1.68 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Atlanta, GA
Late night in Atlanta on Tuesday
Local time
4:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
35m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with an 80% highway share. Expect to spend most of your time on well-trafficked parkways and connectors. The longest uninterrupted stretch is approximately 11 miles on Turner McDonald Parkway, offering a consistent pace before you merge onto T Harvey Mathis Parkway and eventually the Downtown Connector. While not a scenic tour, it provides an efficient transit between your origin and destination.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11 mi on Turner McDonald Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Turner McDonald Parkway and T Harvey Mathis Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near GA 9 / South Main Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 26.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (GA 9 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Atlanta, GA
Full guide →“The Big Peach” · Founded 1845
Atlanta is the vanguard of the New South, with the charm and elegance of the Old. It's a city that balances southern traditions with sleek modernism, and southern hospitality with three skylines and the world’s busiest airport. It's a city that has been burnt to the ground and built back up; seen the horrors of war; felt the pain of droughts and floods; and given birth to Martin Luther King, Jr., the greatest figure of the civil rights movement. Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia.
Top landmarks
- • Georgia State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Georgia
- • Virginia-Highland — human settlement in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- • Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park — heritage site in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 26.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11 miles on Turner McDonald Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Atlanta, GA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (GA 9 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Atlanta, GA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Atlanta, GA
More trips to Atlanta, GA
Explore more options from Alpharetta, GA or browse trips ending in Atlanta, GA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse GA road trips.