Origin
Norcross, GA
Late night in Norcross on Tuesday
Local time
5:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Norcross, 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
27m
Distance
20.4 mi
33 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 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Norcross, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 20.4-mile drive from Norcross, GA to Atlanta, GA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 27 minutes to complete. Your journey will primarily utilize major highways like the Northeast Expressway and the Downtown Connector, with a significant 69% highway share. The estimated fuel cost for this route is around $3, making it an economical option. Given the short distance and duration, you won't need an overnight stop, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule. This drive stays within the Southeast region, connecting two points within Georgia.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast Expressway | 12.6 mi | 15m |
| Downtown Connector | 3 mi | 4m |
| Jimmy Carter Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Interstate Highway 85 | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Buford Highway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Peachtree Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Norcross Tucker Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Square Southwest | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Northeast Expressway
— 12.6 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Norcross, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on South Peachtree Street
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Peachtree Street
2
Continue on North Norcross Tucker Road
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
North Norcross Tucker Road
3
Turn right onto US 23; GA 13
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Buford Highway
4
Turn left onto GA 140
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 85 South
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 85
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate Highway 85
7
Continue on I 85
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Northeast Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 75; I 85
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Downtown Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
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.
10
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
288 ft
·
13 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southeast
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Capitol Square Southwest
Use the straight / left lanes.
12
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
318 ft
·
6 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Use the right lane.
13
Arrive at destination
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 20.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
GA 140 / Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Turn left onto GA 140 / Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 85 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 85 South
8
19.9 mi into trip
|
~26m 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
20.2 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Capitol Square Southwest
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.19 one way
$6.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.49 | $6.98 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.50 | $9.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
5:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
W 0 to 10 mph
1% chance
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
17 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
27m 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-focused drive for most of this trip, with 69% of the route on major roadways. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 12.6 miles on the Northeast Expressway, offering a consistent pace. The main roads you'll navigate include the Northeast Expressway, Downtown Connector, and Jimmy Carter Boulevard, indicating a blend of high-speed travel and some local artery transitions as you approach your destination. This route is designed for efficient travel rather than scenic detours.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near GA 140 / Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
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 20.4 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.9 miles (GA 140 / Jimmy Carter Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 27m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). 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 0.9 miles (GA 140 / Jimmy Carter Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.9 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Atlanta, GA
More trips to Atlanta, GA
Explore more options from Norcross, GA or browse trips ending in Atlanta, GA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse GA road trips.