Origin
Johnson City, TN
Late night in Johnson City on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Johnson 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
32m
Distance
23.2 mi
37 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Johnson City, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick connection between Johnson City and Kingsport, this 23.2-mile journey is as straightforward as it gets. You can easily complete the trip in about 32 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a half-day excursion or a simple commute. Because the route is so brief, you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay; a single day is plenty of time to head out and return. Budgeting roughly $4 for fuel will cover your transit costs comfortably. Navigating through the Southeast, you will find this path serves as a highly efficient link between these two Tennessee hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| James H. Quillen Parkway | 17.7 mi | 20m |
| South Wilcox Drive | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| East Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Watauga Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Roan Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Buffalo Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Sullivan Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
James H. Quillen Parkway
— 17.7 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Johnson City, TN and Kingsport, TN.
1
Start on this road
433 ft
·
35 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Buffalo Street
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
Buffalo Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left onto North Roan Street
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Roan Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto SR 400
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Watauga Avenue
5
Turn left onto Oak Street
441 ft
·
10 sec
·
Oak Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
7
Merge onto I 26; US 19W; US 23
18 mi
·
20 min
·
James H. Quillen Parkway
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 4
9
Keep slight left at fork
237 ft
·
7 sec
Exit 4
10
Continue on SR 126
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
South Wilcox Drive
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn left onto East Sullivan Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Sullivan Street
12
Turn slight left onto East Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
13
Turn right onto Broad Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Broad Street
14
Enter roundabout onto Broad Street
46 ft
·
1 sec
·
Broad Street
15
Continue on Broad Street
433 ft
·
19 sec
·
Broad Street
16
Turn left onto TN 36
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
West Center Street
17
Arrive at destination
TN 36
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 23.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Buffalo Street
Turn left onto Buffalo Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North Roan Street
Turn left onto North Roan Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
19.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 4
5
23 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Broad Street
Enter roundabout onto Broad Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
23.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
TN 36 / West Center Street
Turn left onto TN 36 / West Center Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.63 one way
$7.25 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.98 | $7.96 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.46 | $8.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.12 | $10.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.44 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.25 | $1.48 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Late night in Kingsport on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Partly Cloudy
SE 0 to 5 mph
1% 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
22 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
32m 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 highway-focused experience, as 76% of your time behind the wheel will be spent on major corridors. You will rely primarily on the James H. Quillen Parkway, South Wilcox Drive, and East Main Street to navigate the terrain. The longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on the James H. Quillen Parkway, which spans 17.7 miles, allowing you to settle into a steady pace. Unlike winding backroads, this route prioritizes speed and directness, moving you efficiently from point to point without the need for frequent stops.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.7 mi on James H. Quillen Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on James H. Quillen Parkway and South Wilcox Drive. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Buffalo Street.
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 23.2 miles you will encounter 12 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 (Buffalo Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (North Roan Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 32m. Total distance: 23.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.7 miles on James H. Quillen Parkway. 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 Kingsport, 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 0.1 miles (Buffalo Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (North Roan Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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