Origin
Lake City, GA
Morning in Lake City on Sunday
Local time
6:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake City, GA to Sandy Springs, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
27.2 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake City, GA
CHINA YU
Trip Overview
Lake City, GA to Sandy Springs, GA is 27.2 miles and takes about 43m via Jonesboro Road and T Harvey Mathis Parkway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Georgia, connecting two points in the Southeast region. It's a fairly short drive, making it ideal for a quick transit or a leisurely start to a day. You'll primarily be on a mix of highway and surface roads, so expect some variation in your driving experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro Road | 8 mi | 13m |
| T Harvey Mathis Parkway | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Downtown Connector | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| Northeast Expressway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Forest Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Roswell Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| University Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Lake Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jonesboro Road
— 8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake City, GA and Sandy Springs, GA.
1
Start on this road
31 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Lake Drive
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
North Lake Drive
3
Continue on Forest Parkway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Forest Parkway
4
Turn right onto GA 54
8.0 mi
·
13 min
·
Jonesboro Road
Use the right lane.
5
Turn slight left onto GA 54
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
McDonough Boulevard Southeast
6
Turn left onto GA 54
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
University Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 75 North, I 85 North
8
Continue on I 75; I 85
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Downtown Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 85
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Northeast Expressway
Exit 251B
Toward I 85 North: Greenville
10
Keep slight right at fork onto GA 400
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
T Harvey Mathis Parkway
Exit 87
Toward GA 400 North: Buckhead, Cumming
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 4A
Toward I 285 East: Greenville, Augusta, Glenridge Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 4A-B
Toward I 285: Chattanooga, Greenville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Exit 4
Toward I 285 West, I 285 East: Chattanooga, Birmingham, Greenville, Augusta
14
Keep slight left at fork
1.5 mi
·
3 min
Toward I 285 West: Chattanooga, Birmingham
Use the slight left lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto US 19
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
US 19
Toward US 19 South: Roswell Road, Sandy Springs
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto GA 9
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Roswell Road
Use the right lane.
17
Turn right onto Mount Vernon Highway
180 ft
·
3 sec
·
Mount Vernon Highway
18
Arrive at destination
Mount Vernon Highway
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 17.7 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
17.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway toward GA 400 North: Buckhead, Cumming
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 87
Toward GA 400 North: Buckhead, Cumming
8
23.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward I 285 East: Greenville, Augusta, Glenridge Connector
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 4A
Toward I 285 East: Greenville, Augusta, Glenrid...
9
23.9 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 285: Chattanooga, Greenville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4A-B
Toward I 285: Chattanooga, Greenville
8
24.7 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 285 West: Chattanooga, Birmingham
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 285 West: Chattanooga, Birmingham
8
26.2 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
US 19
Keep slight right at fork onto US 19 toward US 19 South: Roswell Road, Sandy Springs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 19 South: Roswell Road, Sandy Springs
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.25 one way
$8.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.65 | $9.30 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.03 | $10.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.01 | $12.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Sandy Springs, GA
Morning in Sandy Springs on Sunday
Local time
6:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
43m 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 route features a 35% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your time on faster roads before transitioning to surface streets. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 8 miles on Jonesboro Road. You'll notice the shift from highway cruising to navigating more urban intersections as you approach your destination.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on Jonesboro Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 17.7 miles in near GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 27.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 17.7 miles (GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Lake City, GA and Sandy Springs, GA, road signs point toward Cumming, Augusta, Greenville and Birmingham.
Cumming
17.7 mi in
|
~28m
|
via GA 400
Augusta
23.6 mi in
|
~35m
Greenville
23.9 mi in
|
~36m
Birmingham
24.6 mi in
|
~37m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 27.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8 miles on Jonesboro Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 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 Sandy Springs, 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 17.7 miles (GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.9 miles: 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 Sandy Springs, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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