Origin
Columbia, TN
Morning in Columbia on Sunday
Local time
6:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, TN to Shelbyville, TN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
39.5 mi
64 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbia, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Shelbyville, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Columbia, TN to Shelbyville, TN is 39.5 miles and takes about 1 hour via Bear Creek Pike/SR 99/US 41A, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Tennessee, connecting two points in the Southeast region. It's a relatively short trip, making it a straightforward option for a single day. You'll find the journey offers a mixed driving experience, suitable for those looking for a quick and manageable connection between these two towns.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Pike | 11.2 mi | 14m |
| SR 99 | 7.5 mi | 11m |
| US 41A | 7.2 mi | 10m |
| Old Columbia Road East | 5.5 mi | 9m |
| Old Columbia Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Nashville Highway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Old Columbia Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Lane Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Bear Creek Pike
— 11.2 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, TN and Shelbyville, TN.
1
Start on West 7th Street
79 ft
·
6 sec
·
West 7th Street
2
Turn right onto US 31; US 412 Business
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Garden Street
3
Continue on US 31; US 412 Business
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Nashville Highway
4
Turn right onto US 412
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Bear Creek Pike
5
At end of road, turn right onto US 431; SR 99
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lewisburg and Franklin Pike
6
Turn left onto SR 99
7.5 mi
·
11 min
·
SR 99
7
At end of road, turn left onto US 31A; SR 99
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Nashville Highway
8
Turn right onto SR 270
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Old Columbia Road East
9
Continue on SR 270
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Columbia Highway
10
Continue on SR 270
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Old Columbia Road
11
Turn right onto US 41A
7.2 mi
·
10 min
·
US 41A
12
Turn right onto US 231
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Lane Parkway
13
Continue on SR 64; SR 82; SR 130
478 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Lane Street
14
Continue on SR 64; SR 82; SR 130
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
North Jefferson Street
15
Turn right onto East Depot Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Depot Street
16
At end of road, turn right onto Public Square East
344 ft
·
20 sec
·
Public Square East
17
Continue on Public Square North
103 ft
·
4 sec
·
Public Square North
18
Arrive at destination
Public Square North
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 39.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.7 miles from Columbia, TN, 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 and 39.4 — 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
|
US 31; US 412 Business / North Garden Street
Turn right onto US 31; US 412 Business / North Garden Street
Navigation decision point
4
13 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 431; SR 99 / Lewisburg and Franklin Pike
At end of road, turn right onto US 431; SR 99 / Lewisburg and Franklin Pike
Navigation decision point
5
21.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
US 31A; SR 99 / Nashville Highway
At end of road, turn left onto US 31A; SR 99 / Nashville Highway
Navigation decision point
4
21.5 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
SR 270 / Old Columbia Road East
Turn right onto SR 270 / Old Columbia Road East
Navigation decision point
5
39.4 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
Public Square East
At end of road, turn right onto Public Square East
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.18 one way
$12.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.78 | $13.56 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.60 | $15.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.72 | $17.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 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 | 11.9 | 0 | $4.15 | $1.90 |
| Efficient EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.46 | $1.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.53 | $2.53 |
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
Shelbyville, TN
Morning in Shelbyville on Sunday
Local time
6:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Partly Cloudy
S 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
84°F
Chapel Hill, TN
20 mi in
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
21 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 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?
This route features a mixed drive profile, with 39% of the journey on highways. You'll experience stretches on Bear Creek Pike, SR 99, and US 41A, offering a varied feel. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 11.2 miles on Bear Creek Pike. Expect a combination of more open road and potentially more local traffic as you navigate through Tennessee. The road character shifts as you progress, so be prepared for different driving conditions along the way.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.2 mi on Bear Creek Pike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 31; US 412 Business / North Garden Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 31; US 412 Business / North Garden Street): Navigation decision point; at 13 miles (US 431; SR 99 / Lewisburg and Franklin Pike): Navigation decision point; at 21.2 miles (US 31A; SR 99 / Nashville Highway): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Columbia, TN
Full guide →Columbia is the county seat of Maury County in Central Tennessee, and is 50 miles south of Nashville. It is home to an estimated 38,224 people and hosts a mule day festival the first weekend of April every year. It is more famously known for being the hometown of the 11th President of the United States, James K. Polk. In addition, numerous antebellum homes are located around the city including Ripavilla, the Atheneum, Elm Springs, Rattle and Snap, and Hamilton Place to name a few. It is a city rich in history and culture endearingly known by its locals as "The Dimple of the Universe". It's safe to say the South has had its moments of racism and racial unrest, but Columbia seems to take it to a higher level. From indiscriminate lynchings as though they were pastimes to a race riot in 1946, racism has seemed pretty systemic here.
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. Total distance: 39.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.2 miles on Bear Creek Pike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 31; US 412 Business / North Garden Street): Navigation decision point; at 13 miles (US 431; SR 99 / Lewisburg and Franklin Pike): Navigation decision point; at 21.2 miles (US 31A; SR 99 / Nashville Highway): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Shelbyville, TN 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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