Origin
Dayton, TN
Evening in Dayton on Wednesday
Local time
8:30 PM
EDT
Current temp
91°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dayton, TN to East Chattanooga, TN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 10, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
37.5 mi
60 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 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dayton, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Dayton, TN to East Chattanooga, TN is 37.5 miles and takes about 47 minutes via US 27, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Tennessee, moving from the Southeast region to the Southeast region. It's mostly highway driving, making it a straightforward and quick transit. You'll find it's a practical option for getting from point A to point B efficiently. Consider this a simple hop rather than a scenic expedition.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 27 | 25.9 mi | 29m |
| Dayton Pike | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| TN 153 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| SR 17 | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Glass Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 27
— 25.9 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dayton, TN and East Chattanooga, TN.
1
Start on 2nd Avenue
156 ft
·
10 sec
·
2nd Avenue
2
Turn right onto SR 378
343 ft
·
13 sec
·
Market Street
3
Turn right onto SR 30
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
3rd Avenue
4
Turn right onto US 27
26 mi
·
29 min
·
US 27
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward TN 153 South: Chickamauga Dam
6
Continue on TN 153
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Dayton Pike
7
Keep slight left at fork onto TN 153
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
TN 153
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 5B
Toward SR 17 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto SR 17
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
SR 17
10
Turn right onto SR 17
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Glass Street
11
Turn left onto North Chamberlain Avenue
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Chamberlain Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
North Chamberlain Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 37.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.8 miles from Dayton, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 34.5 — 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
|
SR 378 / Market Street
Turn right onto SR 378 / Market Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
SR 30 / 3rd Avenue
Turn right onto SR 30 / 3rd Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
26.2 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward TN 153 South: Chickamauga Dam
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward TN 153 South: Chickamauga Dam
4
31.2 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
TN 153
Keep slight left at fork onto TN 153
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
7
34.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward SR 17 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 5B
Toward SR 17 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.89 one way
$11.77 round trip
$3.99/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.39 | $6.48 | $12.96 |
| premium | $5.00 | $7.38 | $14.77 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $8.81 | $17.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.94 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.25 | $2.40 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
East Chattanooga, TN
Evening in East Chattanooga on Wednesday
Local time
8:30 PM
EDT
Current temp
92°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
1 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
47m 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?
You'll spend 85% of this 37.5-mile drive on highways, primarily US 27. The longest continuous stretch on highway is 25.9 miles on US 27. Expect a relatively smooth ride with minimal surface road transitions for most of the trip. The prevalence of highway infrastructure suggests a steady pace with fewer interruptions until you approach the Chattanooga area.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.9 mi on US 27.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 27 and Dayton Pike. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near SR 378 / Market Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 37.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 (SR 378 / Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (SR 30 / 3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
852 ft
678 ft
Total Climb
357 ft
Total Descent
371 ft
Highest Point
852 ft
~18.8 mi in
Elevation Range
174 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Dayton, TN
Full guide →Founded 1820
Dayton is the seat of Rhea County in Eastern Tennessee.
Top landmarks
- • Rhea County Courthouse — historic building in 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 47m. Total distance: 37.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m 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 25.9 miles on US 27. 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 (SR 378 / Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (SR 30 / 3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at East Chattanooga, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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