Monterey to Parragon is 17.6 miles and takes about 30 minutes via I 40 and local roads, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Tennessee, moving from the Southeast region to itself. Expect a mixed driving experience that's perfect for a quick trip or an add-on to another journey. Given its brevity, you won't need to worry about significant time commitments, making it a flexible option for your travel plans.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 40
10.2 mi
11m
Buck Mountain Road
2.3 mi
5m
Parragon Road
1.7 mi
6m
Dry Valley Road South
1.5 mi
3m
South Holly Street
0.6 mi
<1m
East Spring Street
0.6 mi
<1m
Monterey Highway
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 10.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Monterey, TN and Parragon, TN.
1
Start on SR 84
0.6 mi·56 sec·South Holly Street
2
Turn straight onto US 70N; SR 84
366 ft·7 sec·Monterey Highway
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·31 sec
4
Merge onto I 40
10 mi·11 min·I 40
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi·31 sec
Toward US 70N: Cookeville
6
Keep slight right at fork
382 ft·9 sec
Toward US 70N: Cookeville
7
Turn straight onto US 70N
0.6 mi·54 sec·East Spring Street
8
Turn right onto Dry Valley Road South
1.5 mi·3 min·Dry Valley Road South
9
Turn right onto Buck Mountain Road
2.3 mi·5 min·Buck Mountain Road
10
Turn left onto Parragon Road
1.7 mi·6 min·Parragon Road
11
Arrive at destination
Parragon Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 13.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
3
1 mi into trip|~1m in|I 40
Merge onto I 40
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
11.1 mi into trip|~12m in
Take the exit toward US 70N: Cookeville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 70N: Cookeville
6
11.4 mi into trip|~13m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 70N: Cookeville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 70N: Cookeville
4
13.6 mi into trip|~18m in|Buck Mountain Road
Turn right onto Buck Mountain Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.60 one way
$5.20 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg6 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$2.87
$5.74
premium
$4.72
$3.27
$6.54
diesel
$4.80
$3.32
$6.65
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
5.3
0
$1.85
$0.84
Efficient EV
4.4
0
$1.54
$0.70
EV Truck/SUV
7
0
$2.46
$1.13
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.
Forecast as of Jul 8, 2026
Origin
Monterey, TN
Evening
in Monterey on Monday
Local time
6:54 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
WSW 5 mph83% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 8 at 12:20PM CDT until July 12 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Memphis TN
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 8 at 11:05AM CDT until July 12 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Nashville TN
Destination
Parragon, TN
Evening
in Parragon on Monday
Local time
6:54 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
WSW 5 mph85% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 8 at 12:20PM CDT until July 12 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Memphis TN
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 8 at 11:05AM CDT until July 12 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Nashville TN
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
30m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This 17.6-mile trip offers a mixed drive, with 58% of it on highway. You'll experience a 10.2-mile stretch on I 40, providing a period of consistent, faster travel. Following this, the route transitions to local roads like Buck Mountain Road and Parragon Road. These segments will likely involve lower speeds and potentially more turns as you navigate the final approach to Parragon. The shift from interstate to more rural roads defines the character of this journey.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.2 mi on I 40.
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 0.7 miles in.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,881 ft953 ft
Total Climb
582 ft
Total Descent
1,049 ft
Highest Point
1,881 ft
Elevation Range
927 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
The longest stretch is about 10.2 miles on I 40. 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 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Parragon, TN before heading back.
