Origin
College Park, GA
Late night in College Park on Sunday
Local time
12:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from College Park, GA to Gainesville, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
63.2 mi
102 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
College Park, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Gainesville, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head from College Park to Gainesville, you are looking at a straightforward 63.2-mile trek through Georgia. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 16 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a simple day trip. Since the route is entirely within the Southeast, you will notice a consistent regional feel as you transition from the outskirts of the capital toward the north. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $10, it is an incredibly cost-effective excursion. You certainly do not need to worry about booking an overnight stay for this distance, as it is easily manageable in a single outing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lanier Parkway | 19.7 mi | 21m |
| Interstate Highway 85 | 15.4 mi | 16m |
| Northeast Expressway | 12.4 mi | 15m |
| Downtown Connector | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| Main Street | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Queen City Parkway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| James Wendell George Parkway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Langford Parkway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Lanier Parkway
— 19.7 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between College Park, GA and Gainesville, GA.
1
Start on Harvard Avenue
44 ft
·
3 sec
·
Harvard Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 29; GA 14; GA 139
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
3
Turn left onto GA 154
195 ft
·
3 sec
·
Knotts Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward GA 166 East
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto GA 166
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Langford Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
521 ft
·
12 sec
Toward I 75 North, I 85 North, I 75 South, I 85 South: Downtown, Atlanta, Macon, Atlanta Airport
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 75 North, I 85 North: Downtown Atlanta
8
Merge onto I 75; I 85
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
James Wendell George Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 75; I 85
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Downtown Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 85
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Northeast Expressway
Exit 251B
Toward I 85 North: Greenville
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 85
9.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Northeast Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 85
15 mi
·
16 min
·
Interstate Highway 85
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 85
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
·
I 85
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 985
20 mi
·
21 min
·
Lanier Parkway
Exit 113
Toward I 985 North: Gainesville
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 20
Toward GA 60, GA 53: Candler Road, Gainesville
Use the slight right lane.
16
At end of road, turn left onto GA 60
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Queen City Parkway
17
Turn right onto GA 60; GA 369
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Jesse Jewell Parkway Southwest
18
Turn right onto Green Street
36 ft
·
1 sec
·
Green Street
19
Arrive at destination
Green Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.6 miles from College Park, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 60.3 — 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
|
US 29; GA 14; GA 139 / Main Street
Turn right onto US 29; GA 14; GA 139 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
3.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
GA 154 / Knotts Avenue
Turn left onto GA 154 / Knotts Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward GA 166 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward GA 166 East
8
40.6 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
I 985 / Lanier Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 985 / Lanier Parkway toward I 985 North: Gainesville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 113
Toward I 985 North: Gainesville
8
60.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
Take the exit toward GA 60, GA 53: Candler Road, Gainesville
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 20
Toward GA 60, GA 53: Candler Road, Gainesville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.88 one way
$19.77 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $10.81 | $21.61 |
| premium | $4.70 | $11.70 | $23.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.95 | $27.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19 | 0 | $6.64 | $3.03 |
| Efficient EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.53 | $2.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.3 | 0 | $8.85 | $4.04 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Gainesville, GA
Late night in Gainesville on Sunday
Local time
12:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
2 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
1h 16m 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 heavily highway-focused, with about 85% of your time spent navigating high-speed lanes. You will primarily rely on Interstate Highway 85 and the Northeast Expressway to make steady progress toward your destination. The rhythm of the drive is defined by efficiency rather than winding backroads, keeping you moving consistently throughout the journey. Be prepared for a stretch of 19.7 miles on Lanier Parkway, which serves as your longest uninterrupted segment. Because the route is so concentrated on major thoroughfares, you can expect a very predictable and functional driving experience.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.7 mi on Lanier Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Lanier Parkway and Interstate Highway 85. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 29; GA 14; GA 139 / Main Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.2 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 29; GA 14; GA 139 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (GA 154 / Knotts Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between College Park, GA and Gainesville, GA, road signs point toward Atlanta, Macon and Atlanta Airport.
Atlanta
4.7 mi in
|
~7m
Macon
4.7 mi in
|
~7m
Atlanta Airport
4.7 mi in
|
~7m
About the Cities
Starting in College Park, GA
Full guide →College Park is a city of 15,000 people (2019) in Metro Atlanta.
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 1h 16m. Total distance: 63.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.7 miles on Lanier 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 Gainesville, 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 (US 29; GA 14; GA 139 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (GA 154 / Knotts Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
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 Gainesville, 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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