Pleasantly bustling away in the northern foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee stands among the top tourist towns in America, and—given the country’s most popular national park is right on its doorstep—also one of the truly iconic gateway communities in the National Park System. (Heck, you can hike or bike from town straight into Great Smoky Mountains National Park!)
Known not only for its proximity to the world-class trails and viewpoints of the Great Smokies but also a surfeit of in-town attractions—from Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park and Ober Gatlinburg to multiple Ripley’s Believe It or Not! institutions—Gatlinburg is wonderfully accessible. The town, after all, lies within a day’s drive of roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population.
In this article, we’ll break down the driving distance and time from a number of close-ish major cities in the broader region. Now, bear in mind that the driving times in particular that are listed below are only basic estimates: As you might imagine, traffic, weather conditions, and other contingencies can affect how long it actually takes to get to Gatlinburg from these destinations on any given day. But these estimates should, we hope, be helpful for general trip-planning purposes.
Also, in the following list, the general directions are from the city in question to Gatlinburg, identified via the primary highway or highways. These aren’t exact, step-by-step directions, by any means: just indicators of the main route.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Via U.S. 441 & the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway
About 1 hour and 13 minutes
34.5 miles northwest
Knoxville, the biggest city in East Tennessee (and the third-biggest in the state) with a population of about 880,000, lies in the Tennessee Valley—part of the Appalachian subdivision known as the Ridge-and-Valley Province—only about 34.5 miles northwest of Gatlinburg.
The drive from Knoxville to Gatlinburg via U.S. 441 and the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway (or simply “Parkway”) takes about an hour and 13 minutes.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Via I-75 N
About 3 hours
147 miles southwest
The other major metro area in East Tennessee, Chattanooga sits along the Tennessee River some 147 miles southwest of Gatlinburg. This is roughly a three-hour drive.
Nashville, Tennessee
Via I-40 E
About 4 hours and 17 minutes
221 miles west-northeast
The capital of the Centennial State and its biggest city, Nashville, Tennessee is a top-draw destination. This is Music City, USA, after all, famed for its deep association with country music (some of the defining venues of which, from the Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry to the Bluebird Cafe, can be found here).
Located within Tennessee’s Central (or Nashville) Basin, Nashville is about 221 miles west-northwest of Gatlinburg. The drive along Interstate 40 takes about four hours and 17 minutes. Keep in mind that Nashville’s in a different time zone (Central) than Gatlinburg (Eastern), so you’ll gain an hour along the way.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Via I-40
About 3 hours and 55 minutes
215 miles southeast
The biggest city in North Carolina—and also one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country—Charlotte is located about 215 miles southeast of Gatlinburg out on the Piedmont, that upland lying between the Appalachians and the Coastal Plain.
You’re looking at about a three-hour-and-55-minute drive from Charlotte to Gatlinburg via Interstate 40, the major west-east interstate highway of the southern tier of the U.S.
Atlanta, Georgia
Via U.S. Route 23 N
About 4 hours
197 miles south-southwest
Georgia’s biggest city, Atlanta boasts what’s on average the busiest airport in the world and also one of America’s finest urban forests.
Situated in the far southern foothills of the Appalachians, Atlanta is about 197 miles south-southwest of Gatlinburg, which shakes out to an approximately four-hour drive via U.S. 23.
Huntsville, Alabama
Via U.S. Route 72E/Hwy 72 & I-75 N
About 4 hours and 45 minutes
252 miles southeast
Set in the Appalachians of northern Alabama, Huntsville is a major Southeastern hub, host to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and future site of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Innovation Center.
The drive from Huntsville to Gatlinburg via U.S. Route 72 and Interstate 75 is about 252 miles, or roughly four hours and 45 minutes.
Louisville, Kentucky
Via I-64 E & I-75 S
About 4 hours and 48 minutes
286 miles northwest
From the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory to the world-famous racetrack of Churchill Downs, Kentucky’s largest city boasts some big-time attractions. It can also be a springboard for getaways to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains, about 286 miles away. We’re talking only about a four-hour, 48-minute drive.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Via I-75 S
About 4 hours and 51 minutes
291 miles north
One of the top sports towns in the country—and also a hotspot for higher learning, given its large, well-respected university—Cincinnati sits about 291 miles north of Gatlinburg: approximately four hours and 51 minutes away via Interstate 75.
Another Option: Flying to Gatlinburg, TN
Of course, a road trip isn’t the only way by which you can visit Gatlinburg. Flying—at least for part of the journey—is also an option, with the McGhee Tyson Airport in Alcoa, Tennessee being only about an hour away and the Asheville Regional and Tri-Cities airports within two hours or so.
And in terms of international airports, you’ve got Charlotte, Atlanta, and Nashville runways in roughly the 200-mile range from Gatlinburg.
You can learn a whole lot more about flying into Gatlinburg, including detailed directions from local and regional airports, in our dedicated article on the topic.
Drive to Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains Gateway of Gatlinburg
What we’ve detailed above only covers some of the nearest major cities to Gatlinburg, mind you. As we noted up at the start, the majority of the U.S. population lives within a day’s drive of this delightful town.
And, hey: Even if you call home somewhere outside of that day’s-drive range, cross-country road-tripping or flying in to nearby airports still makes Gatlinburg easy to reach. So isn’t it high time that you start planning your getaway to this fabulous Smoky Mountain portal?
