Origin
Smyrna, GA
Morning in Smyrna on Sunday
Local time
10:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Smyrna, GA to College Park, 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 27m
Distance
71.7 mi
115 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Smyrna, GA
Wikimedia Commons
College Park, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Smyrna, GA to College Park, GA is 71.7 miles and takes about 1h 27m via Purple Heart Highway and Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Georgia, moving from the Southeast region to the Southeast region. Given its relatively short distance and duration, this route is well-suited for a single-day excursion. The majority of the drive will be on surface roads, so plan for typical local traffic patterns. It's a straightforward drive that gets you from point A to point B without significant detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Heart Highway | 46.9 mi | 50m |
| Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter | 9.2 mi | 10m |
| Madison Bypass | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Greensboro Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| Airport Loop Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Virginia Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Charles W Grant Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Eatonton Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Purple Heart Highway
— 46.9 mi, about 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Smyrna, GA and College Park, GA.
1
Start on Buckhead Road
103 ft
·
6 sec
·
Buckhead Road
2
Turn left onto US 278; GA 12
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Greensboro Road
3
Turn left onto US 129 Bypass; US 441 Bypass; GA 24 Bypass
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Madison Bypass
4
Continue on US 129; US 441; GA 24
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Eatonton Road
Use the left lane.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 20 West: Atlanta
6
Continue on I 20
47 mi
·
50 min
·
Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 20
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
Ralph David Abernathy Freeway
8
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
2 min
Exit 67A
Toward I 285 South Bypass: Atlanta Airport, Macon
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 285
9.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Atlanta Bypass / The Perimeter
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 58
Toward I 75: Atlanta, Macon
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward US 19, US 41: Hapeville
12
Turn right
120 ft
·
3 sec
Toward US 19 North, US 41 North, GA 3 North
13
Turn right onto US 19; US 41; GA 3
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
Old Dixie Road
14
Turn left onto Charles W Grant Parkway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Charles W Grant Parkway
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto Airport Loop Road
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Airport Loop Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto Airport Loop Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Airport Loop Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
17
Turn right onto Toffie Terrace
485 ft
·
19 sec
·
Toffie Terrace
18
Turn left onto Virginia Avenue
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Virginia Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn slight right
450 ft
·
16 sec
Use the right lane.
20
Keep slight right at fork
184 ft
·
8 sec
21
Turn slight right onto US 29; GA 14; GA 139
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
Main Street
22
Turn left onto Harvard Avenue
44 ft
·
1 sec
·
Harvard Avenue
Use the left lane.
23
Arrive at destination
Harvard Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35.9 miles from Smyrna, 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 7.8 and 66.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
7.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward I 20 West: Atlanta
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 20 West: Atlanta
8
55.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Take the exit toward I 285 South Bypass: Atlanta Airport, Macon
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 67A
Toward I 285 South Bypass: Atlanta Airport, Mac...
8
65.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
Take the exit toward I 75: Atlanta, Macon
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 58
Toward I 75: Atlanta, Macon
6
65.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 19, US 41: Hapeville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 19, US 41: Hapeville
6
66.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Turn right toward US 19 North, US 41 North, GA 3 North
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 19 North, US 41 North, GA 3 North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.21 one way
$22.42 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $12.26 | $24.52 |
| premium | $4.70 | $13.27 | $26.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.83 | $31.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.5 | 0 | $7.53 | $3.44 |
| Efficient EV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.27 | $2.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.7 | 0 | $10.04 | $4.59 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 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
College Park, GA
Morning in College Park on Sunday
Local time
10:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°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
5 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 27m 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 route is predominantly surface roads, with only a small portion on highways. You'll cover 46.9 miles on Purple Heart Highway, which is the longest continuous stretch. After that, expect to navigate local streets and intersections. The high percentage of surface road driving means you'll encounter frequent traffic lights and varying speed limits.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 46.9 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 7.8 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 71.7 miles you will encounter 18 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 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 55.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 65.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from Smyrna, GA to College Park, GA, road signs begin pointing toward Macon along the way.
Macon
55.3 mi in
|
~1h 2m
About the Cities
Arriving in College Park, GA
Full guide →College Park is a city of 15,000 people (2019) 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 27m. Total distance: 71.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 46.9 miles on Purple Heart Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 College Park, 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 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 55.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 65.4 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 College Park, 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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