Origin
Lithonia, GA
Late night in Lithonia on Tuesday
Local time
5:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lithonia, GA to Atlanta, GA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
18.5 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lithonia, GA
Joshua Brown
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Lithonia to Atlanta covers a quick 18.5-mile journey that typically takes about 24 minutes. Because of the short distance, this trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You will navigate a mix of local roads and major thoroughfares, including the Ralph David Abernathy Freeway, the Purple Heart Highway, and Old Hillandale Drive. With an estimated fuel cost of only $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly transit within the Southeast region. Whether you are commuting or heading into the city for the day, the straightforward nature of this drive makes it a practical choice. You can easily complete the entire trip in under half an hour, allowing you to maximize your time once you arrive at your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ralph David Abernathy Freeway | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| Purple Heart Highway | 5.9 mi | 6m |
| Old Hillandale Drive | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Evans Mill Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Avenue Southeast | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Rock Chapel Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
— 9.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lithonia, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on Rock Chapel Road
57 ft
·
2 sec
·
Rock Chapel Road
2
Continue on Main Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
3
Continue on Evans Mill Road
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Evans Mill Road
4
Turn right onto Old Hillandale Drive
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Hillandale Drive
5
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 20 West
6
Merge onto I 20
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on I 20
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 58A
Toward Capital Avenue, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Use the right lane.
10
Arrive at destination
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 18.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Old Hillandale Drive
Turn right onto Old Hillandale Drive
Navigation decision point
3
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 20 West
Navigation decision point
Toward I 20 West
5
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 20 / Purple Heart Highway
Merge onto I 20 / Purple Heart Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
17.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward Capital Avenue, Downtown
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 58A
Toward Capital Avenue, Downtown
5
18.3 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.89 one way
$5.79 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.16 | $6.33 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.42 | $6.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.08 | $8.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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 Tuesday
Local time
5:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°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
20 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
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 route offers a mixed driving experience, balancing local navigation with faster highway segments. Roughly 50% of your travel time will be spent on highways, providing a steady pace for half of the commute. You will encounter your longest stretch of continuous travel while covering 9.3 miles on the Ralph David Abernathy Freeway. The transition from local streets like Old Hillandale Drive to the larger Purple Heart Highway defines the character of this drive, shifting from neighborhood-level traffic to higher-speed transit. Expect a functional, straightforward journey that changes in intensity as you move from the quieter outskirts of Lithonia toward the busier corridors leading into Atlanta.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.3 mi on Ralph David Abernathy Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near Old Hillandale Drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 24m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (Old Hillandale Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (I 20 / Purple Heart Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Atlanta, GA
Full guide →“The Big Peach” · Founded 1845
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.
Top landmarks
- • Georgia State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Georgia
- • Virginia-Highland — human settlement in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- • Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park — heritage site in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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 24m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.3 miles on Ralph David Abernathy Freeway. 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 1 miles (Old Hillandale Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (I 20 / Purple Heart Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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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