Origin
Monticello, GA
Late night in Monticello on Tuesday
Local time
5:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Monticello, 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
1h 20m
Distance
60.7 mi
98 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Monticello, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Monticello to Atlanta covers 60.7 miles and typically takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Because of the manageable distance, this route is perfectly suited for a quick day trip rather than an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the Purple Heart Highway, GA 212, and the Ralph David Abernathy Freeway. Budgeting approximately $10 for fuel should cover your needs for this transition from the rural Southeast to the urban hub of Atlanta. It is a straightforward journey that offers a practical connection between these two points in Georgia.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Highway | 22.8 mi | 24m |
| GA 212 | 13.2 mi | 19m |
| Ralph David Abernathy Freeway | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| State Route 36 | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| Highway 36 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Jackson Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Highway 278 Northwest | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 278 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Highway
— 22.8 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Monticello, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on GA 83
118 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Warren Street
2
Turn right onto GA 16; GA 83; GA 212
175 ft
·
6 sec
·
West Greene Street
3
Turn left onto GA 11; GA 16; GA 83; GA 212
301 ft
·
13 sec
·
Forsyth Street
4
Turn right onto GA 16; GA 212
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Washington Street
5
Turn right onto GA 212
13 mi
·
19 min
·
GA 212
6
Enter roundabout onto GA 36
33 ft
·
0 sec
·
State Route 36
7
Continue on GA 36
8.2 mi
·
11 min
·
State Route 36
8
Continue on GA 36
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Highway 36
9
Continue on Jackson Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Jackson Highway
10
Turn slight right onto Church Street
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Church Street
11
Continue on Pace Street
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Pace Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto US 278; GA 12
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Highway 278 Northwest
Use the left lane.
13
Take the ramp onto US 278; GA 12
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US 278; GA 12
Toward I 20 West: Atlanta
14
Merge onto I 20; US 278; GA 12
23 mi
·
24 min
·
Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 20
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 58A
Toward Capital Avenue, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Use the right lane.
18
Arrive at destination
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.4 miles from Monticello, GA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 60.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
GA 16; GA 83; GA 212 / West Greene Street
Turn right onto GA 16; GA 83; GA 212 / West Greene Street
Navigation decision point
5
26.3 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
US 278; GA 12 / Highway 278 Northwest
Turn left onto US 278; GA 12 / Highway 278 Northwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
27.8 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
I 20; US 278; GA 12 / Purple Heart Highway
Merge onto I 20; US 278; GA 12 / Purple Heart Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
59.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m 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
60.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.49 one way
$18.98 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $10.38 | $20.76 |
| premium | $4.70 | $11.23 | $22.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.40 | $26.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.37 | $2.91 |
| Efficient EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.31 | $2.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.3 | 0 | $8.50 | $3.88 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
5:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
82°F
Covington, GA
30 mi in
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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 20m 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 60.7-mile trek offers a mixed driving profile that keeps the experience varied. You will spend roughly 56% of your time on highways, balancing open stretches with local navigation. The longest uninterrupted portion of the trip is a 22.8-mile run along the Purple Heart Highway, which provides a consistent pace before the route transitions toward the city. Expect the character of the road to shift as you move from smaller regional corridors onto the busier Ralph David Abernathy Freeway. The combination of these road types ensures you experience both rural flow and urban density.
56% 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: 22.8 mi on Purple Heart Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near GA 16; GA 83; GA 212 / West Greene Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 60.7 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (GA 16; GA 83; GA 212 / West Greene Street): Navigation decision point; at 26.3 miles (US 278; GA 12 / Highway 278 Northwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.8 miles (I 20; US 278; GA 12 / 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 1h 20m. Total distance: 60.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.8 miles on Purple Heart Highway. 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: near the start (GA 16; GA 83; GA 212 / West Greene Street): Navigation decision point; at 26.3 miles (US 278; GA 12 / Highway 278 Northwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.8 miles (I 20; US 278; GA 12 / Purple Heart Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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