Origin
College Park, GA
Morning in College Park on Sunday
Local time
7:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from College Park, GA to Smyrna, 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 28m
Distance
71.7 mi
115 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
College Park, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Smyrna, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
College Park, GA to Smyrna, GA is 71.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 28 minutes via Purple Heart Highway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Southeast region and Georgia, making it a straightforward local drive. Given its relatively short distance and primarily surface road profile, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll find it's a practical option if you're looking to connect these two areas without extensive highway time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Highway | 45.3 mi | 48m |
| Ralph David Abernathy Freeway | 11.5 mi | 13m |
| Main Street | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Greensboro Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| South Main Street | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| Lee Street Southwest | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Monticello Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Whitehall Street Southwest | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Highway
— 45.3 mi, about 48m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between College Park, GA and Smyrna, GA.
1
Start on Harvard Avenue
44 ft
·
3 sec
·
Harvard Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 29; GA 14; GA 139
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
3
Continue on US 29; GA 14; GA 139; GA 154
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Lee Street Southwest
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on US 29; GA 14; GA 139; GA 154
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
West Whitehall Street Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn left onto GA 139
375 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard
6
Turn right onto Lee Street Southwest
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Lee Street Southwest
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 20 East
8
Merge onto I 20
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 20
45 mi
·
48 min
·
Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 113
Toward GA 83: Madison, Monticello
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto GA 83
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Monticello Highway
12
Turn slight right onto GA 83
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
GA 83
13
Keep slight left at fork onto US 278; GA 12; GA 83
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
14
Turn left onto US 129; US 278; US 441; GA 12; GA 24; GA 83
157 ft
·
3 sec
·
Eatonton Road
15
Turn straight onto US 129; US 278; US 441; GA 12; GA 24; GA 83
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
South Main Street
16
Continue on US 278; GA 12
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Greensboro Road
17
Turn right onto Buckhead Road
103 ft
·
2 sec
·
Buckhead Road
18
Arrive at destination
Buckhead Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35.8 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 63.6 — 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.
4
6.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
GA 139 / Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard
Turn left onto GA 139 / Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
6.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the ramp toward I 20 East
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 20 East
5
6.8 mi into trip
|
~11m 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.
8
63.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Take the exit toward GA 83: Madison, Monticello
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.
Exit 113
Toward GA 83: Madison, Monticello
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.21 one way
$22.42 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $12.26 | $24.52 |
| premium | $4.70 | $13.27 | $26.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.83 | $31.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.5 | 0 | $7.53 | $3.44 |
| Efficient EV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.27 | $2.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.7 | 0 | $10.04 | $4.59 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Smyrna, GA
Morning in Smyrna on Sunday
Local time
7:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
5 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 28m 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 drive features a low highway percentage, with only 17% of the route on freeways. The longest stretch on a single highway is 45.3 miles along Purple Heart Highway. After this, you'll transition to surface roads, which make up the majority of the drive. Expect to encounter urban merging and frequent intersections as you navigate the surface street sections.
Only 17% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 45.3 mi on Purple Heart Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 29; GA 14; GA 139 / Main Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 71.7 miles you will encounter 9 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 6.4 miles (GA 139 / Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
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.
On the drive from College Park, GA to Smyrna, GA, road signs begin pointing toward Monticello along the way.
Monticello
63.6 mi in
|
~1h 14m
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 28m. Total distance: 71.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 45.3 miles on Purple Heart Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Smyrna, 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 6.4 miles (GA 139 / Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Smyrna, 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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