Origin
Lilburn, GA
Late night in Lilburn on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lilburn, GA to Atlanta, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
22.8 mi
37 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 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lilburn, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 22.8-mile journey from Lilburn, GA to Atlanta, GA is easily managed as a single-day trip, taking about 31 minutes. You'll primarily navigate on the Northeast Expressway and the Downtown Connector, with Rockbridge Road also playing a part. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $4, this route is designed for efficiency, not leisure. Given its short distance and highway-focused profile, it's ideal for a direct commute or a brief connection between these Southeast Georgia locations without needing an overnight stay. You'll spend about 61% of your time on highways, making for a straightforward drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast Expressway | 12.6 mi | 15m |
| Downtown Connector | 3 mi | 4m |
| Rockbridge Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Interstate Highway 85 | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Jimmy Carter Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Lawrenceville Highway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Capitol Square Southwest | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Avenue Southeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Northeast Expressway
— 12.6 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lilburn, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on Church Street Northwest
292 ft
·
14 sec
·
Church Street Northwest
2
Turn right onto Pine Street Northwest
108 ft
·
9 sec
·
Pine Street Northwest
3
Turn left onto US 29; GA 8
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Lawrenceville Highway
4
Turn straight
284 ft
·
10 sec
5
Turn slight right onto Rockbridge Road
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Rockbridge Road
Use the right lane.
6
Turn straight onto Jimmy Carter Boulevard
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Jimmy Carter Boulevard
7
Continue on Jimmy Carter Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 85 South
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Merge onto I 85
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate Highway 85
10
Continue on I 85
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Northeast Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 75; I 85
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Downtown Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 248A
Toward Martin Luther King Junior Drive, State Capitol, Turner Field
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
288 ft
·
13 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Capitol Square Southwest
Use the straight / left lanes.
15
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
318 ft
·
6 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Use the right lane.
16
Arrive at destination
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 22.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Pine Street Northwest
Turn right onto Pine Street Northwest
Navigation decision point
5
4.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 85 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward I 85 South
8
22.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Martin Luther King Junior Drive, State Capitol, Turner Field
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 248A
Toward Martin Luther King Junior Drive, State C...
6
22.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Capitol Square Southwest
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
22.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.57 one way
$7.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.90 | $7.80 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.22 | $8.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.03 | $10.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 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 | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
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
Atlanta, GA
Late night in Atlanta on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Clear
SW 0 to 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Fire Weather Watch
Fire Weather Watch issued April 17 at 2:19PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL
Fire Weather Watch
Fire Weather Watch issued April 17 at 2:19PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL
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
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
31m 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-centric experience on this route, with 61% of the drive on major roadways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 12.6 miles on the Northeast Expressway, offering a period of consistent speed. While the overall profile is highway-focused, the incorporation of roads like Rockbridge Road might introduce slightly more varied driving conditions as you approach your destination. This isn't a winding country road; it's built for moving traffic efficiently between points.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.6 mi on Northeast Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Northeast Expressway and Downtown Connector. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Pine Street Northwest.
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 22.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Pine Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 4.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Lilburn, GA
Full guide →Lilburn is a city in the Metro Atlanta region of Georgia.
Arriving in Atlanta, GA
Full guide →Atlanta is the vanguard of the New South, with the charm and elegance of the Old. It's a city that balances southern traditions with sleek modernism, and southern hospitality with three skylines and the world’s busiest airport. It's a city that has been burnt to the ground and built back up; seen the horrors of war; felt the pain of droughts and floods; and given birth to Martin Luther King, Jr., the greatest figure of the civil rights movement. Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia.
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 31m. Total distance: 22.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.6 miles on Northeast Expressway. 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 Atlanta, 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 0.1 miles (Pine Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 4.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Atlanta, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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