Origin
Atlanta, GA
Late night in Atlanta on Sunday
Local time
12:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Atlanta, GA to Thomson, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 11m
Distance
116.7 mi
188 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$18
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 2m
★
6 AM
2h 12m
8 AM
2h 30m
10 AM
2h 18m
12 PM
2h 16m
3 PM
2h 19m
5 PM
2h 29m
8 PM
2h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Thomson, GA
Huynh Van
Trip Overview
This 116.7-mile journey from Atlanta, GA to Thomson, GA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 2 hours and 11 minutes. You'll primarily navigate on the Carl Sanders Highway, Purple Heart Highway, and Ralph David Abernathy Freeway. With a fuel cost estimated at $18, this route offers a straightforward drive through the Southeast region. Given its relatively short duration and lack of designated stops, this trip is perfect for a spontaneous excursion or a relaxed commute.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
58.4 miles from Atlanta, GA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 5m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Sanders Highway | 54.5 mi | 58m |
| Purple Heart Highway | 46.9 mi | 50m |
| Ralph David Abernathy Freeway | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| Cedar Rock Road | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Three Points Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Hill Street Southeast | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Tom Watson Way | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Carl Sanders Highway
— 54.5 mi, about 58m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Atlanta, GA and Thomson, GA.
1
Start on Capitol Avenue Southeast
69 ft
·
1 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
2
Turn slight right
156 ft
·
6 sec
3
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast
257 ft
·
7 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
5
Turn right onto Hill Street Southeast
0.3 mi
·
58 sec
·
Hill Street Southeast
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 20 East: Augusta
7
Merge onto I 20
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 20
47 mi
·
50 min
·
Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 20
54 mi
·
58 min
·
Carl Sanders Highway
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
11
Turn right
150 ft
·
3 sec
12
Turn straight onto Three Points Road
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Three Points Road
13
Turn left onto Cedar Rock Road
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Cedar Rock Road
14
Continue on Hickory Hill Drive
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Hickory Hill Drive
15
Continue on Tom Watson Way
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Tom Watson Way
16
Arrive at destination
GA 150
Trip Plan
For this 116.7-mile drive, consider departing in the morning to maximize daylight and minimize potential traffic, especially when leaving Atlanta. Since the drive is only about 2 hours and 11 minutes with no specific stops recommended, you have the flexibility to depart whenever you're ready. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is $18, and plan a quick stop if needed before embarking on the 54.5-mile stretch on Carl Sanders Highway to ensure a smooth journey to Thomson.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 58.4 miles from Atlanta, GA, or about 1h 5m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 26 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 58.4 miles or 1h 5m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 45m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Thomson, GA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Atlanta, GA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Atlanta, GA
This is one driving day of about 116.7 miles and 2h 11m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from Atlanta, GA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Carl Sanders Highway for about 54.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
58 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 26 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 58.4 miles from Atlanta, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 112.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Hill Street Southeast
Turn right onto Hill Street Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 20 East: Augusta
Navigation decision point
Toward I 20 East: Augusta
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 20 / Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
Merge onto I 20 / Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
112.5 mi into trip
|
~2h 4m in
|
Cedar Rock Road
Turn left onto Cedar Rock Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.25 one way
$36.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
41 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $19.95 | $39.91 |
| premium | $4.70 | $21.60 | $43.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $25.77 | $51.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 35 | 0 | $12.25 | $5.60 |
| Efficient EV | 29.2 | 0 | $10.21 | $4.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 46.7 | 0 | $16.34 | $7.47 |
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (66% 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
Thomson, GA
Late night in Thomson on Sunday
Local time
12:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Sunny
W 2 to 6 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
32 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
2h 11m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 116.7-mile stretch, with only 8% of the journey on highways. While there are no designated stops, you'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 54.5 miles on the Carl Sanders Highway. The road's personality shifts from highway segments to more local roads, requiring your attention to turns and changing speed limits throughout the 2-hour, 11-minute drive.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 54.5 mi on Carl Sanders Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Atlanta, GA to Thomson, GA is easy. At 2h 11m with 8% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (Hill Street Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Atlanta, GA
Full guide →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.
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 2h 11m. Total distance: 116.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (8%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 54.5 miles on Carl Sanders Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (Hill Street Southeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Thomson, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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