Origin
Cookeville, TN
Afternoon in Cookeville on Sunday
Local time
3:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cookeville, TN to Gallatin, 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 25m
Distance
71.1 mi
114 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 19m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cookeville, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Gallatin, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Cookeville, TN to Gallatin, TN is 71.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 25 minutes via I 40 and SR 109, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Southeast region, specifically within Tennessee, making it a straightforward local trip. It's a heavily highway-focused journey, meaning you'll cover ground efficiently. Given its short duration and primarily highway profile, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your departure and arrival times.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 53.4 mi | 57m |
| SR 109 | 12.7 mi | 18m |
| South Willow Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| South Water Avenue | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| East Spring Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Dixie Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 53.4 mi, about 57m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cookeville, TN and Gallatin, TN.
1
Start on South Dixie Avenue
270 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Dixie Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 70N
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Spring Street
3
Turn left onto SR 135
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
South Willow Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
5
Merge onto I 40
53 mi
·
57 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 232
Toward TN 109: Gallatin
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn right onto SR 109
13 mi
·
18 min
·
SR 109
8
Continue on South Water Avenue
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Water Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto TN 25
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Main Street
10
Arrive at destination
TN 25
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 35.5 miles from Cookeville, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 71 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 70N / East Spring Street
Turn right onto US 70N / East Spring Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
SR 135 / South Willow Avenue
Turn left onto SR 135 / South Willow Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 40
Merge onto I 40
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
56.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward TN 109: Gallatin
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 232
Toward TN 109: Gallatin
4
71 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
|
TN 25 / West Main Street
Turn left onto TN 25 / West Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.12 one way
$22.23 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.20 | $24.41 |
| premium | $4.89 | $13.68 | $27.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.70 | $31.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.9 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 | 21.3 | 0 | $7.47 | $3.41 |
| Efficient EV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.22 | $2.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.4 | 0 | $9.95 | $4.55 |
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
Gallatin, TN
Afternoon in Gallatin on Sunday
Local time
3:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
76°F
Alexandria, TN
36 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
2 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
1h 25m 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?
Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive, with 93% of the journey utilizing major roads like I 40 and SR 109. You'll experience a substantial uninterrupted stretch of 53.4 miles on I 40, which provides a consistent pace. While the majority of the route is on high-speed highways, the inclusion of South Willow Avenue suggests a brief transition into more local-feeling road conditions as you approach your destination. This mix means you'll be moving quickly for most of the trip.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 53.4 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and SR 109. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 70N / East Spring Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Cookeville, TN to Gallatin, TN is easy. At 1h 25m with 93% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 70N / East Spring Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (SR 135 / South Willow Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Cookeville, TN
Full guide →Cookeville is a small city in north central Tennessee and home of Tennessee Tech University. Cookeville is the largest city in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee.
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 25m. Total distance: 71.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 53.4 miles on I 40. 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.
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 (US 70N / East Spring Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (SR 135 / South Willow Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Stones River National Battlefield. 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 Gallatin, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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