Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 23, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
15.5 mi
25 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Walden, TN
Wikimedia Commons
Northwoods, TN
K
Walden, TN to Northwoods, TN is 15.5 miles and takes about 30m via Taft Highway and Signal Mountain Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Southeast region of Tennessee, transitioning between local roadways. It's a straightforward trip ideal for a quick transfer or a scenic local exploration. Given its brevity, this route offers a lot of flexibility for departure times and potential short stops.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Taft Highway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Signal Mountain Boulevard | 3 mi | 4m |
| Dayton Boulevard | 2 mi | 3m |
| Mountain Creek Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Gadd Road | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Morrison Springs | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| TN 153 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Key-Hulse Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Walden, TN and Northwoods, TN.
Start on Ivory Avenue
Turn right onto Lake Avenue
Continue on Key-Hulse Road
Turn straight onto Fairmount Pike
Turn straight onto US 127
Continue on US 127
Continue on US 127
Turn left onto Russell Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Mountain Creek Road
Enter roundabout onto Mountain Creek Road
Continue on Mountain Creek Road
Enter roundabout onto Mountain Creek Road
Continue on Mountain Creek Road
Turn right onto Morrison Springs
At end of road, turn left onto Dayton Boulevard
Turn right onto Gadd Road
Turn left onto TN 153
Continue on Carmack Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 8.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Lake Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Russell Avenue
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn left onto Mountain Creek Road
Navigation decision point
Enter roundabout onto Mountain Creek Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Enter roundabout onto Mountain Creek Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$2.59 one way
$5.17 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.62 | $2.82 | $5.64 |
| premium | $5.25 | $3.21 | $6.41 |
| diesel | $6.28 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.36 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Walden on Friday
Local time
4:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Clear
Destination
Afternoon in Northwoods on Friday
Local time
4:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
This route is primarily surface roads, with highway driving making up about 25% of the total distance. You'll encounter the longest continuous stretch on Taft Highway for 3.1 miles. Expect to navigate local traffic patterns as you transition from Taft Highway to Signal Mountain Boulevard and then Dayton Boulevard. The limited highway percentage means most of your time will be spent at lower speeds on these main surface roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Lake Avenue.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Lake Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.5 miles (Russell Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.7 miles (Mountain Creek Road): Navigation decision point.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
354 ft
Total Descent
1,537 ft
Highest Point
2,062 ft
~1.1 mi in
Elevation Range
1,373 ft
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 15.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (4%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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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