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Trip from Guthrie, KY to Franklin, TN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 26m

Distance

73.7 mi

119 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 20m ★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 23m

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

Downtown Guthrie, KY, KY

Guthrie, KY

Drones Flown

city and county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States

Franklin, TN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Guthrie, KY to Franklin, TN is 73.7 miles and takes about 1h 26m via I 24 and I 65, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Southeast region, moving from Kentucky into Tennessee. It's a predominantly highway route that should feel straightforward for most drivers. With a short travel time and minimal expected cost, this trip is well-suited for a quick day trip or an easy leg of a longer journey.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 24 44.6 mi 49m
I 65 16.5 mi 18m
Guthrie Highway 5.3 mi 7m
Murfreesboro Road 2.3 mi 3m
Downtown Loop 1 mi 1m
Park Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Russellville Road 0.5 mi <1m
Dixie Beeline Highway 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 24 — 44.6 mi, about 49m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Guthrie, KY and Franklin, TN.

1

Start on US 41

144 ft · 4 sec · Ewing Street
2

Turn left onto US 41

0.9 mi · 1 min · Park Avenue
3

Continue on US 41

0.4 mi · 34 sec · Dixie Bee Line Highway
4

Continue on US 41

0.4 mi · 40 sec · Dixie Beeline Highway
5

Turn slight left onto US 79

0.5 mi · 43 sec · Russellville Road
6

Continue on US 79

5.3 mi · 7 min · Guthrie Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Continue on US 79

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Wilma Rudolph Boulevard
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 26 sec
Use the left lane.
9

Merge onto I 24

40 mi · 42 min · I 24
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 24

2.3 mi · 3 min · I 24
Exit 44A Toward I 24 East, I 65 South: Nashville Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11

Continue on I 24

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 24
Exit 86 Toward I 24 East: Chattanooga, Knoxville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork onto Downtown Loop

1.0 mi · 1 min · Downtown Loop
Exit 50B Toward I 40 West: Memphis, Huntsville Use the slight right lane.
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 45 sec
Exit 210B Toward I 65 South: Huntsville
14

Continue on I 65

17 mi · 18 min · I 65
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 65 Toward TN 96: Franklin, Murfreesboro Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn right onto TN 96

2.3 mi · 3 min · Murfreesboro Road
Use the right lane.
17

Continue on TN 96

0.3 mi · 34 sec · 3rd Avenue South
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Enter roundabout onto US 31 Business; TN 96

397 ft · 6 sec · Public Square
19

Arrive at destination

US 31 Business; TN 96

Where to Stop

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

capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Nashville, TN

37 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

Adams, TN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Goodlettsville, TN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 36.9 miles from Guthrie, KY, 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 7.8 and 70.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
7.8 mi into trip | ~11m in

Take the exit

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
8.1 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 24

Merge onto I 24

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
47.7 mi into trip | ~54m in | I 24

Keep slight right at fork onto I 24 toward I 24 East, I 65 South: Nashville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 44A Toward I 24 East, I 65 South: Nashville
9
52.8 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in | Downtown Loop

Keep slight right at fork onto Downtown Loop toward I 40 West: Memphis, Huntsville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 50B Toward I 40 West: Memphis, Huntsville
8
70.7 mi into trip | ~1h 21m in

Take the exit toward TN 96: Franklin, Murfreesboro

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 65 Toward TN 96: Franklin, Murfreesboro

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$12.25 one way

$24.51 round trip

$4.22/gal 25.4 MPG avg 26 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.60 $13.35 $26.69
premium $5.18 $15.04 $30.08
diesel $5.35 $15.52 $31.05

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 22.1 0 $7.74 $3.54
Efficient EV 18.4 0 $6.45 $2.95
EV Truck/SUV 29.5 0 $10.32 $4.72

Gas CO2

26 kg

EV CO2

9 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 May 10, 2026

Origin

Guthrie, KY

Evening in Guthrie on Wednesday

Local time

5:57 PM

CDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Franklin, TN

Evening in Franklin on Wednesday

Local time

5:57 PM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Mostly Sunny

WNW 5 mph 2% chance 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

15 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 26m 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?

You'll spend 83% of this 73.7-mile trip on highways, with the longest continuous stretch being 44.6 miles on I 24. The route transitions from Guthrie Highway onto I 24, then I 65, before concluding on surface roads in Franklin. Expect to encounter a fairly continuous flow of traffic and numerous exits, especially as you approach the Tennessee border and enter the Nashville metropolitan area.

83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 44.6 mi on I 24.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 24 and I 65. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.7 miles you will encounter 10 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 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.1 miles (I 24): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 47.7 miles (I 24): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

842 ft 392 ft

Total Climb

892 ft

Total Descent

797 ft

Highest Point

842 ft

~36.9 mi in

Elevation Range

450 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Guthrie, KY and Franklin, TN, road signs point toward Knoxville and Huntsville.

Knoxville

50 mi in | ~57m | via I 24

Huntsville

52.8 mi in | ~1h 1m | via Downtown Loop

About the Cities

Starting in Guthrie, KY

Full guide →

Founded 1867

Arriving in Franklin, TN

Full guide →

Founded 1799

Franklin is a city of 81,000 people (2018) in Tennessee, just a few miles south of Nashville. There are two main areas of interest. One is the Cool Springs area, which is identified by its corporate and retail growth surrounding one of the largest malls in the Southeast, the CoolSprings Galleria. The other is historic downtown Franklin which retains much of its small town charm. It is a walkable, friendly historic downtown district, recognized as a Great American Main Street.

Top landmarks

  • Hiram Masonic Lodge No. 7 — masonic temple in Franklin, United States of America
  • Carter House — Tennessee state-owned historic site
  • Toussaint L'Overture County Cemetery — historic cemetery in Tennessee, United States

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 26m. Total distance: 73.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 44.6 miles on I 24. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 3 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 Franklin, TN 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 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.1 miles (I 24): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 47.7 miles (I 24): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Franklin, 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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