Origin
Jefferson City, TN
Morning in Jefferson City on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jefferson City, TN to Kingsport, 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 24m
Distance
70.5 mi
114 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jefferson City, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Jefferson City to Kingsport covers 70.5 miles across the Southeast region of Tennessee. You can expect a drive time of approximately 1 hour and 24 minutes, making this a straightforward day trip that does not require an overnight stay. With a fuel budget of about $11, this journey is an economical option for connecting two neighboring communities. You will navigate a mix of road types, including I-81 and local highways, as you transition between these areas. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a short getaway, the route is manageable and efficient for a single day of travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 38.2 mi | 40m |
| Andrew Johnson Highway | 7 mi | 9m |
| Gov Dewitt Clinton Sentor Highway | 6.2 mi | 7m |
| South Wilcox Drive | 4.1 mi | 6m |
| Enka Highway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Sullivan Gardens Drive | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| TN 93 | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Air Park Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 38.2 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jefferson City, TN and Kingsport, TN.
1
Start on Russell Avenue
480 ft
·
19 sec
·
Russell Avenue
2
Turn left onto Ken Sparks Way
480 ft
·
15 sec
·
Ken Sparks Way
3
Turn right onto George Avenue
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
George Avenue
4
Turn left onto US 11E
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Andrew Johnson Highway
5
Turn right onto SR 160; SR 342
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Air Park Boulevard
6
Continue on SR 160; SR 342
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Gov Dewitt Clinton Sentor Highway
7
Continue on SR 160
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Enka Highway
8
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
9
Merge onto I 81
38 mi
·
40 min
·
I 81
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
11
Keep slight right at fork
509 ft
·
14 sec
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
12
Merge onto SR 93
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
SR 93
13
Continue on TN 93
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
TN 93
14
Continue on SR 93
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Sullivan Gardens Drive
15
Continue on SR 93
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Wilcox Drive
16
Continue on SR 93
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Sullivan Gardens Parkway
17
Turn left onto SR 126
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
South Wilcox Drive
Use the straight lane.
18
Turn left onto East Sullivan Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Sullivan Street
19
Turn slight left onto East Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
20
Turn right onto Broad Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Broad Street
21
Enter roundabout onto Broad Street
46 ft
·
1 sec
·
Broad Street
22
Continue on Broad Street
433 ft
·
19 sec
·
Broad Street
23
Turn left onto TN 36
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
West Center Street
24
Arrive at destination
TN 36
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 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 35.3 miles from Jefferson City, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 70.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ken Sparks Way
Turn left onto Ken Sparks Way
Navigation decision point
6
57.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
8
57.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 50
Toward SR 93: Jonesborough, Fall Branch
5
70.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
|
Broad Street
Enter roundabout onto Broad Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
70.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
|
TN 36 / West Center Street
Turn left onto TN 36 / West Center Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.02 one way
$22.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.10 | $24.20 |
| premium | $4.89 | $13.57 | $27.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.57 | $31.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.7 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 | 21.2 | 0 | $7.40 | $3.38 |
| Efficient EV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.17 | $2.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.2 | 0 | $9.87 | $4.51 |
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
Kingsport, TN
Morning in Kingsport on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°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
36 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 24m 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?
This trip offers a mixed drive experience, transitioning between high-speed interstate travel and local highway navigation. Roughly 60% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a balanced pace for your journey. You will spend a significant portion of the trip on I-81, which features a longest stretch of 38.2 miles of uninterrupted interstate driving. As you move from the interstate onto the Andrew Johnson Highway and Gov. Dewitt Clinton Senator Highway, the character of the road shifts, requiring you to adapt to varying speed limits and local traffic patterns.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 38.2 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Ken Sparks Way.
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 70.5 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.1 miles (Ken Sparks Way): Navigation decision point; at 57.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 57.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,431 ft
1,121 ft
Total Climb
230 ft
Total Descent
309 ft
Highest Point
1,431 ft
~15.1 mi in
Elevation Range
309 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Jefferson City, TN to Kingsport, TN, road signs begin pointing toward Fall Branch along the way.
Fall Branch
57.5 mi in
|
~1h 5m
About the Cities
Arriving in Kingsport, TN
Full guide →Kingsport (pop. 48,205) is a city in Eastern 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 24m. Total distance: 70.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 38.2 miles on I 81. 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: at 0.1 miles (Ken Sparks Way): Navigation decision point; at 57.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 57.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kingsport, 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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