Origin
Sandy Springs, GA
Late night in Sandy Springs on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sandy Springs, 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
22m
Distance
14.7 mi
24 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Sandy Springs to downtown Atlanta, you are looking at a quick 14.7-mile journey that typically takes about 22 minutes. Because this trip is so brief, it is perfectly suited for a single-day outing, meaning you can easily head into the city and return home without needing an overnight stay. You will spend roughly $2 on fuel for the entire drive, making it a very budget-friendly transit within the Southeast. The route relies on a mix of major thoroughfares, including the Northeast Expressway and the Downtown Connector, to get you where you need to go. Whether you are commuting for work or heading in for a quick visit, this straightforward trip offers a practical way to navigate between these two Georgia locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| T Harvey Mathis Parkway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Downtown Connector | 3 mi | 4m |
| Northeast Expressway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Glenridge Drive Northeast | 1 mi | 2m |
| Johnson Ferry Road Northeast | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Glenridge Connector | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Mount Vernon Highway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Square Southwest | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
T Harvey Mathis Parkway
— 5.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sandy Springs, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on Mount Vernon Highway
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Mount Vernon Highway
2
Continue on Johnson Ferry Road Northeast
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Johnson Ferry Road Northeast
3
Turn right onto Glenridge Drive Northeast
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Glenridge Drive Northeast
4
Keep slight left at fork onto Glenridge Connector
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Glenridge Connector
5
Take the ramp
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward GA 400 South
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto GA 400
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
T Harvey Mathis Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 85
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Northeast Expressway
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 14.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward GA 400 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward GA 400 South
5
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway
Merge onto GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
14.2 mi into trip
|
~21m 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
14.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Capitol Square Southwest
Turn left onto Capitol Square Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
14.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.30 one way
$4.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.51 | $5.03 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.72 | $5.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.25 | $6.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.54 | $0.71 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.29 | $0.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
5:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
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
1 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
22m 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 mixed driving experience that transitions from suburban corridors to the high-traffic flow of the city center. With approximately 58 percent of your travel occurring on highways, you will spend a significant portion of the trip at higher speeds before merging into urban traffic patterns. Your longest uninterrupted stretch covers 5.6 miles along T Harvey Mathis Parkway, providing a brief period of steady cruising. As you move from the outer reaches of Sandy Springs toward the heart of Atlanta, the character of the road shifts from open parkway lanes to the denser, more complex environment of the Downtown Connector. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes efficiency over leisure.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on T Harvey Mathis Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 14.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,091 ft
824 ft
Total Climb
304 ft
Total Descent
354 ft
Highest Point
1,091 ft
Elevation Range
267 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Sandy Springs, GA
Full guide →Founded 2005
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 22m. Total distance: 14.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on T Harvey Mathis Parkway. 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 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (GA 400 / T Harvey Mathis Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.2 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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