Origin
Rockmart, GA
Late night in Rockmart on Sunday
Local time
12:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockmart, GA to Atlanta, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
47 mi
76 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockmart, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Rockmart to Atlanta, you are looking at a manageable 47-mile journey that typically takes about an hour and five minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, as the distance is short enough that you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations. You can expect to spend roughly $8 on fuel, making it a very budget-friendly transit across the Southeast. Navigating primarily via the Tom Murphy Freeway, C H James Parkway, and Nathan Dean Parkway, the trip is straightforward and efficient. Whether you are heading into the city for business or a quick visit, this highway-focused drive offers a direct connection between the two locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Murphy Freeway | 11.9 mi | 14m |
| C H James Parkway | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Nathan Dean Parkway | 7 mi | 8m |
| Jimmy Campbell Parkway | 5.9 mi | 8m |
| Rockmart Highway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Thornton Road | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Wendy Bagwell Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Tom Murphy Freeway
— 11.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockmart, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on Goodyear Street
61 ft
·
4 sec
·
Goodyear Street
2
Continue on Goodyear Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Goodyear Avenue
3
Take the ramp
120 ft
·
3 sec
4
Turn right onto US 278; GA 6; GA 101; GA 113
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Nathan Dean Parkway
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 278; GA 6
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Rockmart Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Continue on US 278; GA 6
5.9 mi
·
8 min
·
Jimmy Campbell Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Continue on US 278; GA 6; GA 120
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on US 278; GA 6
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Wendy Bagwell Parkway
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on US 278; GA 6
7.4 mi
·
10 min
·
C H James Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Continue on US 278; GA 6
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Thornton Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 20 East: Atlanta
Use the right lane.
12
Merge onto I 20
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Tom Murphy Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 56B
Toward Windsor Street, Ted Turner Drive, State Farm Arena
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto Rawson Street Southwest
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Rawson Street Southwest
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Turn left onto Central Avenue Southwest
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Central Avenue Southwest
16
Turn right onto Memorial Drive Southwest
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Memorial Drive Southwest
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Use the left 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
24 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.5 miles from Rockmart, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 33.4 and 46.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
33.4 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the exit toward I 20 East: Atlanta
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 20 East: Atlanta
8
45.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Take the exit toward Windsor Street, Ted Turner Drive, State Farm Arena
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 56B
Toward Windsor Street, Ted Turner Drive, State...
6
46.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
Rawson Street Southwest
Keep slight left at fork onto Rawson Street Southwest
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
46.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
|
Memorial Drive Southwest
Turn right onto Memorial Drive Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
46.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn left onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.35 one way
$14.70 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $8.04 | $16.07 |
| premium | $4.70 | $8.70 | $17.40 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.38 | $20.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.94 | $2.26 |
| Efficient EV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.11 | $1.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.58 | $3.01 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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 Sunday
Local time
12:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
54°F
California, GA
24 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
7 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 5m 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 drive defined by its highway-focused nature, with approximately 78% of your journey spent on high-speed roads. You will find yourself cruising along stretches like the Tom Murphy Freeway, which features the longest uninterrupted segment of the trip at 11.9 miles. The experience is largely practical, prioritizing speed and connectivity over winding backroads or scenic detours. As you transition between the parkways and the freeway, the pace remains consistent, allowing you to settle into a steady rhythm behind the wheel. It is a functional, efficient drive that minimizes stop-and-go traffic compared to local surface streets.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.9 mi on Tom Murphy Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Tom Murphy Freeway and C H James Parkway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 33.4 miles in.
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 47 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 33.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.1 miles (Rawson Street Southwest): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Atlanta, GA
Full guide →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.
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 5m. Total distance: 47 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.9 miles on Tom Murphy Freeway. 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 33.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.1 miles (Rawson Street Southwest): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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