Origin
Canton, GA
Late night in Canton on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Canton, GA to Atlanta, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
40.3 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Canton, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Canton to Atlanta, you are looking at a straightforward 40.3-mile journey through the Southeast. Expect to spend about 49 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. You will navigate using the Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway, the Larry McDonald Memorial Highway, and the Horace E. Tate Freeway. With a fuel budget of approximately $6, this is a very cost-effective commute or visit. Since the entire trip takes place within Georgia, you will not need to worry about regional transitions or overnight lodging. It is a practical, quick drive that fits easily into a busy schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway | 17.9 mi | 19m |
| Larry McDonald Memorial Highway | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| Horace E Tate Freeway | 7.3 mi | 8m |
| Downtown Connector | 3 mi | 4m |
| Hickory Flat Highway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Marietta Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Marietta Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| GA 140 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
— 17.9 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Canton, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on East Main Street
275 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Main Street
2
Turn right onto East Marietta Street
316 ft
·
16 sec
·
East Marietta Street
3
Turn right onto Archer Street
307 ft
·
15 sec
·
Archer Street
4
Turn slight left onto West Marietta Street
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
West Marietta Street
5
Continue on Marietta Road
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Marietta Road
6
Turn left onto Hickory Flat Highway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Hickory Flat Highway
7
Take the ramp onto GA 140
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
GA 140
Toward I 575 South, GA 5 South, GA 20 West, GA 140 West: Atlanta
8
Merge onto I 575; GA 5; GA 20; GA 140
7.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 575; GA 5
11 mi
·
11 min
·
Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Merge onto I 75; GA 5
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Larry McDonald Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on I 75
7.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Horace E Tate Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 75; I 85
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Downtown Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
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.
14
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
288 ft
·
13 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Capitol Square Southwest
Use the straight / left lanes.
16
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
318 ft
·
6 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Use the right lane.
17
Arrive at destination
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from Canton, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 40.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Marietta Street
Turn right onto East Marietta Street
Navigation decision point
6
8.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 575; GA 5 / Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 575; GA 5 / Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
39.8 mi into trip
|
~47m 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
40.2 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
Capitol Square Southwest
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
40.3 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.30 one way
$12.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $6.89 | $13.78 |
| premium | $4.70 | $7.46 | $14.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.90 | $17.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.64 | $2.58 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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 Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
W 0 to 10 mph
1% chance
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
11 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
49m 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 that demands your full attention as you transition between major thoroughfares. Only about 18% of this 40.3-mile route consists of highway driving, meaning you will spend the majority of your time navigating local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is 17.9 miles while traveling along the Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway. Because the route relies heavily on local infrastructure, the experience is far from a monotonous interstate cruise. You should prepare for a dynamic driving environment that shifts from highway speeds to more technical, localized maneuvering as you approach your destination.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.9 mi on Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East Marietta Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 40.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East Marietta Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (I 575; GA 5 / Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.8 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 →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 49m. Total distance: 40.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.9 miles on Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway. 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: at 0.1 miles (East Marietta Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (I 575; GA 5 / Phillip Landrum Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.8 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.
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