The drive from Johnson City, TN to Obion, TN covers 474.5 miles and takes about 8h 46m behind the wheel.
It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on I 40, I 81, US 412 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 338.7 miles on I 40.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $75.02 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
237.2 miles from Johnson City, TN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 4h 21m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 40
338.7 mi
6h 8m
I 81
57.1 mi
1h 1m
US 412
42.9 mi
51m
US 51
16 mi
17m
James H. Quillen Parkway
13.7 mi
16m
Downtown Loop
2.9 mi
3m
West Palestine Avenue
0.9 mi
1m
Elbridge-Obion Road
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 338.7 mi, about 6h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Johnson City, TN and Obion, 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
14 mi·16 min·James H. Quillen Parkway
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi·37 sec
Exit 8AToward I 81 South: Knoxville
9
Merge onto I 81
56 mi·1 hr·I 81
10
Continue on I 81
0.7 mi·45 sec·I 81
Exit 1BToward I 40 West: Knoxville
11
Merge onto I 40
53 mi·59 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40
155 mi·2 hr 46 min·I 40
Toward NashvilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40
2.1 mi·3 min·I 40
Exit 213BToward I 24 West, I 40 West: NashvilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
0.4 mi·42 sec·I 40
Toward I 40 West: Huntsville, MemphisUse the slight left lane.
15
Merge onto I 40
0.6 mi·52 sec·Downtown Loop
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on I 40
2.3 mi·3 min·Downtown Loop
Exit 210AToward I 40 West, I 65 North: Memphis, LouisvilleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
128 mi·2 hr 18 min·I 40
Toward I 40 West: MemphisUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit onto US 412
0.2 mi·31 sec·US 412
Exit 79Toward US 412 West: Alamo, Dyersburg
19
Keep slight left at fork onto US 412
268 ft·6 sec·US 412
Toward US 412 West: Alamo, Dyersburg
20
Keep slight right at fork onto US 412
27 mi·32 min·US 412
Toward US 412 West: Alamo, Dyersburg
21
Continue on US 412
16 mi·18 min·US 412
22
Keep slight right at fork onto US 51
16 mi·17 min·US 51
Toward US 51 North: Union City
23
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward SR 183: Obion
24
Turn right onto SR 183
0.4 mi·39 sec·Elbridge-Obion Road
25
Continue on SR 183
0.9 mi·1 min·West Palestine Avenue
26
Turn right onto 7th Street
0.1 mi·25 sec·7th Street
27
Turn right
128 ft·10 sec
28
Turn right
99 ft·7 sec
29
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 237.2 miles from Johnson City, TN, or about 4h 21m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 338.7 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 104 miles or 1h 57m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 237.2 miles or 4h 21m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 237.2 miles or 4h 21m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 35m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Obion, TN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Johnson City, TN so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Johnson City, TN
Aim for roughly 237 miles and 4.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Obion, TN
Aim for roughly 237 miles and 4.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 104 miles from Johnson City, TN.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 40 for about 338.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 24
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 285.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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.
7
125.1 mi into trip|~2h 20m in|I 40
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40 toward Nashville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Nashville
9
279.9 mi into trip|~5h 7m in|I 40
Keep slight right at fork onto I 40 toward I 24 West, I 40 West: Nashville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 213B
Toward I 24 West, I 40 West: Nashville
8
282 mi into trip|~5h 10m in|I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40 toward I 40 West: Huntsville, Memphis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 40 West: Huntsville, Memphis
7
285.4 mi into trip|~5h 15m in|I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40 toward I 40 West: Memphis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 40 West: Memphis
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$75.02 one way
$150.05 round trip
$4.02/gal25.4 MPG avg166 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.38
$81.80
$163.61
premium
$4.99
$93.14
$186.29
diesel
$5.35
$99.91
$199.81
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$75
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$205–$315
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 166 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-03.
EV Charging Along Route
28 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Sevierville, TN - Tesla Supercharger
Kodak, TN
Tesla
24 DCFC
Knoxville, TN - Ray Mears Boulevard - Tesla Supercharger
Knoxville, TN
Tesla
16 DCFC
Bucees Sevierville MB.HPC
Kodak, TN
MERCEDES_BENZ
10 DCFC
Johnson City, TN - Tesla Supercharger
Johnson City, TN
Tesla
8 DCFC
Knoxville, TN - Brookview Centre Way - Tesla Supercharger
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $50 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
142.4
1
$49.82
$22.78
Efficient EV
118.6
1
$41.52
$18.98
EV Truck/SUV
189.8
2
$66.43
$30.37
Gas CO2
166 kg
EV CO2
56 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Sep 2, 2026
Origin
Johnson City, TN
Late night
in Johnson City on Wednesday
Local time
1:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Obion, TN
Late night
in Obion on Wednesday
Local time
12:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
94°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
91°F
Lafayette, TN
237 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
14 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
8h 46m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
474.5 mi in 8h 46m, mostly highway — 338.7 mi of that is on I 40.
99% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 338.7 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and I 81. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near North Roan Street.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 24 significant decision points across 474.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North Roan Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 125.1 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 279.9 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,782 ft290 ft
Total Climb
908 ft
Total Descent
2,246 ft
Highest Point
1,782 ft
~169.5 mi in
Elevation Range
1,492 ft
Notable High Points
1,782 ft at ~169.5 miles+665 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Johnson City, TN and Obion, TN, road signs point toward Nashville, Memphis, Louisville and Dyersburg.
The longest stretch is about 338.7 miles on I 40. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 237 miles on day one.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Obion, TN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North Roan Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 125.1 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 279.9 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 8.8 hours each way, a round trip means 17.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Obion, TN before the return drive.
