Origin
Porterdale, GA
Morning in Porterdale on Tuesday
Local time
11:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Porterdale, GA to Roswell, 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 9m
Distance
54.1 mi
87 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 4m
★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Porterdale, GA
RDNE Stock project
Roswell, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 54.1-mile drive from Porterdale to Roswell, Georgia, is a straightforward day trip, easily completed in about 1 hour and 9 minutes. You'll primarily navigate via the Purple Heart Highway and the Atlanta Bypass/The Perimeter, with a portion on Turner McDonald Parkway. With a fuel cost estimated at $8, this route is quite economical for a single day of travel. The drive offers a turn-heavy local feel, making it a good option if you prefer engaging with the road over long stretches of highway. Since it's a short journey within the same Southeast region, no overnight stays are necessary, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Highway | 22.5 mi | 24m |
| Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter | 17.8 mi | 20m |
| Turner McDonald Parkway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Roswell Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Dunwoody Place | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Washington Street Southwest | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Turner Lake Road Northwest | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Atlanta Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Highway
— 22.5 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Porterdale, GA and Roswell, GA.
1
Start on GA 81
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Broad Street
2
Continue on GA 81
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Street Southwest
3
Turn left onto Turner Lake Road Southwest
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Turner Lake Road Southwest
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on Turner Lake Road Northwest
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Turner Lake Road Northwest
5
Enter roundabout onto Turner Lake Road Northwest
160 ft
·
7 sec
·
Turner Lake Road Northwest
6
Continue on Turner Lake Road Northwest
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Turner Lake Road Northwest
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on this road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
8
Merge onto I 20; US 278; GA 12
22 mi
·
24 min
·
Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 67B
Toward I 285 Bypass North: Greenville, Chattanooga
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 285
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward GA 400 North, GA 400 South, Peachtree Dunwoody Road, US 19 North: Cumming, Dahlonega, Atlanta
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
47 sec
Toward US 19 North, GA 400 North, GA 400 South: Cumming, Dahlonega, Atlanta
13
Keep slight right at fork
2.0 mi
·
2 min
Toward US 19 North, GA 400 North: Cumming, Dahlonega
Use the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto US 19; GA 400
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Turner McDonald Parkway
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 6
Toward Northridge Road
Use the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward Dunwoody Place
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn right onto Dunwoody Place
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Dunwoody Place
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto GA 9
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Roswell Road
Use the right lane.
19
Continue on GA 9; GA 120
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Atlanta Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Keep slight left at fork onto GA 9; GA 120
393 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Atlanta Street
21
Arrive at destination
GA 9; GA 120
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.1 miles from Porterdale, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 25.8 and 50.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
25.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward I 285 Bypass North: Greenville, Chattanooga
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 67B
Toward I 285 Bypass North: Greenville, Chattano...
7
44.1 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Take the exit toward GA 400 North, GA 400 South, Peachtree Dunwoody Road, US 19 North: Cumming, Dahlonega, Atlanta
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward GA 400 North, GA 400 South, Peachtree Du...
8
45.2 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 19 North, GA 400 North: Cumming, Dahlonega
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 19 North, GA 400 North: Cumming, Dahl...
7
50.2 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward Northridge Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6
Toward Northridge Road
8
50.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Dunwoody Place
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Dunwoody Place
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.46 one way
$16.92 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $9.25 | $18.50 |
| premium | $4.70 | $10.01 | $20.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.94 | $23.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.68 | $2.60 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.57 | $3.46 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Roswell, GA
Morning in Roswell on Tuesday
Local time
11:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
81°F
Decatur, GA
27 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
22 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
1h 9m 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?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 54.1-mile journey. While 6% of the route is on highways, the majority involves navigating local roads and intersections. The longest uninterrupted stretch you’ll encounter is 22.5 miles on Purple Heart Highway, offering a brief period of consistent travel before you resume more frequent turns. The road character shifts as you progress, moving from potentially more rural stretches to busier urban and suburban environments as you approach the Atlanta metropolitan area. This dynamic suggests a drive that keeps you actively engaged with the navigation.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.5 mi on Purple Heart Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 25.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.1 miles you will encounter 15 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 25.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Porterdale, GA and Roswell, GA, road signs point toward Chattanooga, Dahlonega and Atlanta.
Chattanooga
25.8 mi in
|
~30m
Dahlonega
44.1 mi in
|
~52m
Atlanta
44.1 mi in
|
~52m
About the Cities
Arriving in Roswell, GA
Full guide →Roswell is a city in Metro Atlanta.
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 9m. Total distance: 54.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.5 miles on Purple Heart Highway. 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 Roswell, 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 25.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Roswell, 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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