Origin
Union City, GA
Morning in Union City on Sunday
Local time
10:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union City, 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
26m
Distance
17.5 mi
28 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union City, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Atlanta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Union City to Atlanta, you are looking at a quick 17.5-mile journey that typically takes about 23 minutes. Since this is a straightforward trip within the Southeast, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. Expect to spend roughly $3 on fuel for the entire distance. Navigating this route involves sticking to local roads like Limerick Drive, Kilkenny Drive, and Bally Shannon Drive. Given the short duration and simple logistics, it functions perfectly as a flexible day trip for anyone needing to move between these two Georgia locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 85 | 13.7 mi | 16m |
| Flat Shoals Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Capitol Avenue Southeast | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Fulton Street Southwest | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Limerick Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bally Shannon Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bantry Circle | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Kilkenny Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 85
— 13.7 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union City, GA and Atlanta, GA.
1
Start on Bantry Circle
267 ft
·
18 sec
·
Bantry Circle
2
Turn left onto Limerick Drive
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Limerick Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto Kilkenny Drive
205 ft
·
11 sec
·
Kilkenny Drive
4
Turn right onto Bally Shannon Drive
498 ft
·
27 sec
·
Bally Shannon Drive
5
Turn left onto Flat Shoals Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Flat Shoals Road
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 85 North: Atlanta
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 85
14 mi
·
16 min
·
I 85
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 246
Toward Fulton Street, Central Avenue, Georgia State University
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
Toward Fulton Street, Zoo Atlanta
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto Fulton Street Southwest
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Fulton Street Southwest
Use the left / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto Capitol Avenue Southeast
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Capitol Avenue Southeast
12
Arrive at destination
Capitol Avenue Southeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 16.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Kilkenny Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Kilkenny Drive
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
2.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 85 North: Atlanta
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 85 North: Atlanta
8
16.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward Fulton Street, Central Avenue, Georgia State University
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 246
Toward Fulton Street, Central Avenue, Georgia S...
8
16.4 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Fulton Street, Zoo Atlanta
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Fulton Street, Zoo Atlanta
6
16.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Fulton Street Southwest
Turn right onto Fulton Street Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.74 one way
$5.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.99 | $5.98 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.24 | $6.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.86 | $7.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.84 | $0.84 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Morning in Atlanta on Sunday
Local time
10:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 13 at 12:31PM EDT until April 13 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 11:57AM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
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
32 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
26m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features zero highway driving. You will spend your time navigating through local neighborhood streets, meaning there is no long-distance cruising involved. In fact, the longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is 0 miles on Limerick Drive. Because the entire 17.5-mile trip is comprised of surface streets, you should prepare for a series of turns and stop-and-go maneuvers. This is a practical, utilitarian drive that keeps you off the major highways entirely.
78% 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: 13.7 mi on I 85.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 85 and Flat Shoals Road. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Kilkenny Drive.
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 17.5 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.2 miles (Kilkenny Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 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
1,040 ft
870 ft
Total Climb
317 ft
Total Descent
251 ft
Highest Point
1,040 ft
~17.5 mi in
Elevation Range
171 ft
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 Union City, GA and Atlanta, GA, road signs point toward Georgia State University and Zoo Atlanta.
Georgia State University
16.1 mi in
|
~23m
Zoo Atlanta
16.4 mi in
|
~24m
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 26m. Total distance: 17.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m 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 13.7 miles on I 85. 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 0.2 miles (Kilkenny Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Atlanta, GA
More from Union City, GA
More trips to Atlanta, GA
Explore more options from Union City, GA or browse trips ending in Atlanta, GA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse GA road trips.