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Trip from DeKalb County, 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 11m

Distance

56.7 mi

91 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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county in Georgia, United States

DeKalb County, GA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Smyrna, GA, GA

Smyrna, GA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 56.7-mile drive from DeKalb County, GA to Smyrna, GA is a straightforward, one-day trip that will take about 1 hour and 11 minutes. Primarily utilizing local roads like Purple Heart Highway, Greensboro Road, and South Main Street, with a 100% highway share, this route is best suited for a single day of travel. You can expect a fuel cost of around $9 for this journey through the Southeast region of Georgia. The overall feel of this drive is more of a turn-heavy local experience rather than a high-speed transit, making it a manageable and direct connection between these two points.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Purple Heart Highway 43.7 mi 46m
Greensboro Road 3 mi 4m
South Main Street 2.7 mi 5m
South Indian Creek Drive 1.8 mi 4m
Wesley Chapel Road 1.7 mi 2m
Monticello Highway 1.5 mi 2m
Covington Highway 1.1 mi 1m
GA 83 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Purple Heart Highway — 43.7 mi, about 46m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between DeKalb County, GA and Smyrna, GA.

1

Start on Durham Park Road

127 ft · 6 sec · Durham Park Road
2

Turn right onto South Indian Creek Drive

1.8 mi · 4 min · South Indian Creek Drive
3

At end of road, turn left onto US 278; GA 12

1.1 mi · 1 min · Covington Highway
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto Wesley Chapel Road

1.7 mi · 2 min · Wesley Chapel Road
Use the right lane.
5

Turn left

0.4 mi · 59 sec
Toward I 20 East Use the left lane.
6

Merge onto I 20

44 mi · 46 min · Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Exit 113 Toward GA 83: Madison, Monticello Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn left onto GA 83

1.5 mi · 2 min · Monticello Highway
9

Turn slight right onto GA 83

0.4 mi · 37 sec · GA 83
10

Keep slight left at fork onto US 278; GA 12; GA 83

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
11

Turn left onto US 129; US 278; US 441; GA 12; GA 24; GA 83

157 ft · 3 sec · Eatonton Road
12

Turn straight onto US 129; US 278; US 441; GA 12; GA 24; GA 83

2.2 mi · 4 min · South Main Street
13

Continue on US 278; GA 12

3.0 mi · 4 min · Greensboro Road
14

Turn right onto Buckhead Road

103 ft · 2 sec · Buckhead Road
15

Arrive at destination

Buckhead Road

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Newton County, Georgia, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Oxford, GA

28 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

Stone Mountain, GA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Oxford, GA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.4 miles from DeKalb County, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.9 and 48.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.9 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 278; GA 12 / Covington Highway

At end of road, turn left onto US 278; GA 12 / Covington Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
2.9 mi into trip | ~6m in | Wesley Chapel Road

Turn right onto Wesley Chapel Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
4.6 mi into trip | ~9m in

Turn left toward I 20 East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 20 East
5
5 mi into trip | ~10m in | I 20 / Purple Heart Highway

Merge onto I 20 / Purple Heart Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
48.7 mi into trip | ~57m 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

$8.87 one way

$17.73 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $9.69 $19.39
premium $4.70 $10.49 $20.99
diesel $5.61 $12.52 $25.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17 0 $5.95 $2.72
Efficient EV 14.2 0 $4.96 $2.27
EV Truck/SUV 22.7 0 $7.94 $3.63

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 14, 2026

Origin

DeKalb County, GA

Morning in DeKalb County on Sunday

Local time

6:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

86°F

Sunny

SW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 14 at 1:51PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 9:32PM EDT by NWS Peachtree City GA

Destination

Smyrna, GA

Morning in Smyrna on Sunday

Local time

6:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

86°F

Sunny

SW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 14 at 1:51PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 9:32PM EDT by NWS Peachtree City GA

53°F

Oxford, GA

28 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

1h 11m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive for the entirety of this 56.7-mile journey. While classified as having a 100% highway share, this indicates the roads are paved and intended for vehicular traffic, not necessarily a high-speed interstate. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 43.7 miles on Purple Heart Highway, after which the route transitions through Greensboro Road and South Main Street. This suggests a drive that requires consistent attention to navigation and speed adjustments as you navigate through various local communities and intersections.

Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 43.7 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 around 1.9 miles in near US 278; GA 12 / Covington Highway.

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 56.7 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: at 1.9 miles (US 278; GA 12 / Covington Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (Wesley Chapel Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 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.

On the drive from DeKalb County, GA to Smyrna, GA, road signs begin pointing toward Monticello along the way.

Monticello

48.7 mi in | ~57m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 11m. Total distance: 56.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 43.7 miles on Purple Heart Highway. 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 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: at 1.9 miles (US 278; GA 12 / Covington Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (Wesley Chapel Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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