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Trip from Austell, GA to Willow Creek, GA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 23, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

22.6 mi

36 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Download GPX
city in Cobb and Douglas Counties, Georgia, United States

Austell, GA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Willow Creek, GA, GA

Willow Creek, GA

Aaron J Hill

Trip Overview

This 22.6-mile drive from Austell, GA to Willow Creek, GA is a short hop, easily completed in about 42 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day trip, with no need to split the journey. You'll spend about 41% of your time on highways, with the rest on local roads, making for a mixed driving experience. Budget around $4 for fuel for this quick excursion. Both your origin and destination are within the Southeast region, so you won't be crossing any major geographical boundaries on this brief but convenient trip.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
GA 5 8.2 mi 14m
Canton Road Northeast 4.8 mi 8m
Canton Road Connector 2.1 mi 3m
Sandtown Road Southwest 1.5 mi 3m
Jamerson Road Northeast 1.1 mi 2m
South Marietta Parkway 0.9 mi 2m
Veterans Memorial Highway Southwest 0.9 mi 1m
Powder Springs Street Southwest 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: GA 5 — 8.2 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Austell, GA and Willow Creek, GA.

1

Start on Love Street

111 ft · 7 sec · Love Street
2

Turn right onto US 78; US 278; GA 5; GA 8

0.7 mi · 1 min · Veterans Memorial Highway Southwest
3

Continue on US 78; US 278; GA 5; GA 8

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Veterans Memorial Parkway Southwest
4

Continue on US 78; US 278; GA 5; GA 8

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Veterans Memorial Highway Southwest
5

Turn right onto GA 5

8.2 mi · 14 min · GA 5
Toward Marietta, GA 5 Use the right lane.
6

Turn left onto Sandtown Road Southwest

1.2 mi · 2 min · Sandtown Road Southwest
Use the left lane.
7

Enter roundabout onto Sandtown Road Southwest

92 ft · 2 sec · Sandtown Road Southwest
8

Continue on Sandtown Road Southwest

0.3 mi · 42 sec · Sandtown Road Southwest
Use the right lane.
9

Turn right onto GA 360

0.9 mi · 1 min · Powder Springs Street Southwest
Use the right lane.
10

Continue on GA 5; GA 120

0.9 mi · 2 min · South Marietta Parkway
Use the straight lane.
11

Turn left onto Cherokee Street Northeast

0.9 mi · 1 min · Cherokee Street Northeast
Use the left lane.
12

Turn straight onto Church Street Northwest

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Church Street Northwest
13

Continue on Canton Road Connector

0.3 mi · 30 sec · Canton Road Connector
Use the straight lane.
14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 27 sec
Toward I 75, GA 5: Atlanta, Chattanooga Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 11 sec
Toward Canton Highway Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16

Merge onto Canton Road Connector

1.8 mi · 2 min · Canton Road Connector
17

Continue on GA 5 Spur

4.8 mi · 8 min · Canton Road Northeast
18

Turn right onto Jamerson Road Northeast

1.1 mi · 2 min · Jamerson Road Northeast
Use the left lane.
19

Turn left onto Willow Creek Drive Northeast

0.3 mi · 1 min · Willow Creek Drive Northeast
20

Turn right onto Willow Lane

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Willow Lane
21

Arrive at destination

Willow Lane

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 14.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | GA 5

Turn right onto GA 5 toward Marietta, GA 5

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward Marietta, GA 5
6
9.3 mi into trip | ~17m in | Sandtown Road Southwest

Turn left onto Sandtown Road Southwest

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
10.5 mi into trip | ~19m in | Sandtown Road Southwest

Enter roundabout onto Sandtown Road Southwest

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

7
13.9 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward I 75, GA 5: Atlanta, Chattanooga

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 75, GA 5: Atlanta, Chattanooga
7
14.3 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Canton Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward Canton Highway

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.53 one way

$7.06 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.35 $3.87 $7.74
premium $4.72 $4.20 $8.40
diesel $6.28 $5.58 $11.17

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.8 0 $2.37 $1.08
Efficient EV 5.7 0 $1.98 $0.90
EV Truck/SUV 9 0 $3.16 $1.45

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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.

Forecast as of Oct 19, 2026

Origin

Austell, GA

Afternoon in Austell on Friday

Local time

4:07 PM

EDT

Current temp

44°F

Clear

NE 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued October 18 at 8:57PM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued October 18 at 7:36PM EDT until October 20 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Destination

Willow Creek, GA

Afternoon in Willow Creek on Friday

Local time

4:07 PM

EDT

Current temp

43°F

Clear

E 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued October 18 at 8:57PM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued October 18 at 7:36PM EDT until October 20 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

42m 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?

The drive offers a mixed bag of road types, with a 41% highway share. Expect to encounter stretches of GA 5, Canton Road Northeast, and the Canton Road Connector. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.2 miles on GA 5. This route isn't a monotonous interstate cruise but rather a blend of faster-paced highway segments and more localized, potentially slower roads as you approach your destination. The character of the drive will shift as you transition between these different road types, keeping you engaged behind the wheel.

41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.2 mi on GA 5.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near GA 5.

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 13 decision points packed into just 22.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (GA 5): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.3 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,168 ft 932 ft

Total Climb

400 ft

Total Descent

358 ft

Highest Point

1,168 ft

~11.3 mi in

Elevation Range

236 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Austell, GA and Willow Creek, GA, road signs point toward Chattanooga and Canton Highway.

Chattanooga

13.9 mi in | ~27m

Canton Highway

14.3 mi in | ~27m

About the Cities

Starting in Austell, GA

Full guide →

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 42m. Total distance: 22.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.2 miles on GA 5. 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 Willow Creek, 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: at 1.1 miles (GA 5): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.3 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.5 miles (Sandtown Road Southwest): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Yes — Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. 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 Willow Creek, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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