Origin
Spring City, TN
Morning in Spring City on Sunday
Local time
6:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Spring City, TN to Knoxville, TN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
63.1 mi
101 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 23m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Spring City, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Knoxville, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head from Spring City to Knoxville, you are looking at a straightforward 63.1-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 12 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as it is short enough to complete in a quick morning or afternoon stint. You can expect to spend approximately $9 in fuel, making it a very budget-friendly transit across the Southeast. Because the drive is relatively brief, there is no need to worry about overnight lodging or complex trip splits. Whether you are commuting for business or heading out for a change of scenery, this route provides a reliable connection between these two Tennessee locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 39.5 mi | 44m |
| Rhea County Highway | 9.8 mi | 11m |
| Roane State Highway | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Spring City Highway | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| South Gateway Avenue | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Henley Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 39.5 mi, about 44m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Spring City, TN and Knoxville, TN.
1
Start on US 27
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Rhea County Highway
2
Merge onto US 27
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Spring City Highway
3
Continue on US 27; US 70
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Gateway Avenue
4
Continue on US 27; US 70
5.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Roane State Highway
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
6
Merge onto I 40
37 mi
·
40 min
·
I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
I 40
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 388
Toward Convention Center, East Tennessee History Center, Museum of Art
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
Exit 388
Toward Convention Center, East Tennessee History Center, Museum of Art
10
Continue on US 441
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Henley Street
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on US 441
255 ft
·
11 sec
·
Henley Street
12
Arrive at destination
US 441
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.5 miles from Spring City, TN, 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 65 decision points cluster between mile 9.8 and 62.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
9.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 27 / Spring City Highway
Merge onto US 27 / Spring City Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
22.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 40
Merge onto I 40
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
59 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
I 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 40
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
61.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward Convention Center, East Tennessee History Center, Museum of Art
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 388
Toward Convention Center, East Tennessee Histor...
7
62.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Convention Center, East Tennessee History Center, Museum of Art
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 388
Toward Convention Center, East Tennessee Histor...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.86 one way
$19.73 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.83 | $21.66 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.14 | $24.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.93 | $27.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.63 | $3.03 |
| Efficient EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.83 | $4.04 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Knoxville, TN
Morning in Knoxville on Sunday
Local time
6:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
84°F
Kingston, TN
32 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
1 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
1h 12m 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 drive is heavily highway-focused, with 63% of your travel occurring on major thoroughfares. You will navigate a mix of Rhea County Highway and Roane State Highway before transitioning to the interstate. A significant portion of your trip involves a 39.5-mile stretch on I-40, which serves as the backbone of your journey. Behind the wheel, you should expect a transition from local roads to a more consistent, high-speed interstate environment. The route avoids the complexity of technical mountain passes, favoring a more direct and efficient path toward your destination.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 39.5 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and Rhea County Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 9.8 miles in near US 27 / Spring City Highway.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 12m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.8 miles (US 27 / Spring City Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 22.4 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 59 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,043 ft
768 ft
Total Climb
548 ft
Total Descent
416 ft
Highest Point
1,043 ft
~45 mi in
Elevation Range
275 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Knoxville, TN
Full guide →Knoxville, in Knox County, is the third-largest city in Tennessee. It is the home of the University of Tennessee's primary campus (UTK) and site of the 1982 World's Fair.
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 12m. Total distance: 63.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 39.5 miles on I 40. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 9.8 miles (US 27 / Spring City Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 22.4 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 59 miles (I 40): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Knoxville, TN 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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