The perfect Atlanta to New Orleans road trip takes you through the heart of the Deep South of the United States.
A 495-mile Atlanta to New Orleans road trip takes you from Georgia, through Mississippi and Alabama, to Louisiana. You will pass through countless cities bursting with southern charm, history, and culture, and natural preserves that show off the region’s iconic landscapes and wildlife, as you travel to “The Big Easy”, on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
For help planning a perfect Atlanta to New Orleans road trip itinerary, we highly recommend reading on.
A Perfect Atlanta To New Orleans Road Trip: How Far Is It, How Long Will It Take To Get There & What Is The Best Route?
A road trip from Atlanta to New Orleans covers at least 470 miles and takes around 6 hours and 40 minutes to drive. However, the perfect Atlanta to New Orleans road trip covers 495 miles and takes 7 hours and 15 minutes to drive. While the increase in distance and duration between these two routes is minimal, the difference between them is not, as we feel our suggested route adds far more value to the journey.
The best route for an Atlanta to New Orleans road trip is also extremely straightforward. You will set off west on I-20 and drive 135 miles to Exit 136, on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama. Here you’ll take I-459 around the southeast side of the city, before rejoining I-20 and following it southwest another 125 miles.
Upon reaching Meridian, Mississippi, use Exit 149 to head south on I-59 and follow it to its conclusion in Slidell, Louisiana, some 160 miles away. You then simply join the I-10 heading west and take it the remaining 35 miles to your destination in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Best Time For An Atlanta To New Orleans Road Trip
The best time for an Atlanta to New Orleans road trip is between early February and late May. This window will allow you to avoid hurricane season, which hits southern Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf of Mexico between June and October, as well as the blisteringly hot, wet, and busy summer months. This should ensure your drive offers weather that is generally warm, dry, and pleasant throughout.
This period also allows you to be in New Orleans during one of its most legendary events, the Mardi Gras festival, which takes place between late February and early March.
If this window doesn’t suit you, another great time to visit New Orleans is late October. This is because it will offer similar weather conditions to parts of our original suggestion, while New Orleans is also known as one of the very best places to spend Halloween in the United States, especially if you are interested in ghost tours.
Best Place To Stop On An Atlanta To New Orleans Road Trip
While some people will be happy to complete a 7 and ¼ hour drive in one go, most will want to split it into smaller chunks, to make it more manageable and ensure they have plenty of time to enjoy all the attractions along the way. There are a few good options you could choose to make a longer stop at, but the best place to stop on an Atlanta to New Orleans road trip is Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is the 5th most populous and 6th largest city in Alabama. Located relatively close to the halfway point of the drive, it is ideal for splitting an Atlanta to New Orleans road trip in half. It boasts all of the amenities and comforts you would expect from a big city, as well as fabulous attractions like the Alabama Museum of Natural History, Lake Lurleen State Park, and a collection of Antebellum homes.
However, there is one thing that Tuscaloosa is more famous for than anything else, and that is being the location of the University of Alabama. Home to the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, one of the very best in the college system, sports fans from around the world visit Tuscaloosa to watch the team play, learn about its history, and see trophies and memorabilia from its storied past.
While Tuscaloosa is a great place for anyone to visit, if you are interested in college sports or Southern history, culture, and architecture, it is simply a destination you cannot miss on a drive like this.
Best Hotel To Stay At In Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Homewood Suites By Hilton Tuscaloosa Downtown
Homewood Suites by Hilton Tuscaloosa Downtown is a wonderful, modern, pet-friendly 3-star hotel perfectly situated in the heart of Tuscaloosa, just minutes from the University of Alabama, the city’s entertainment district, and some of its very best attractions.
Its spacious suites are beautifully decorated and equipped with full kitchens, living areas, workspaces, sofa beds, and amenities like Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and flat-screen TVs. Communal facilities, including an outdoor pool and a fitness center, free parking, and a complimentary breakfast then aim to ensure visitors have everything they need during their stay.
Top Attractions On An Atlanta To New Orleans Road Trip
Talladega National Forest
Talladega National Forest is a 390,000-acre national preserve in northern Alabama. A destination filled with diverse landscapes and wildlife, it’s home to a varied selection of species, including deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, and a variety of birds. However, it is best known for containing Cheaha Mountain, which is the highest point in Alabama. An incredibly popular destination with lovers of the great outdoors, there is always plenty to keep visitors occupied.
You can enjoy hiking its stunning hardwood and pine forests, rolling hills, and trails, including the famed Pinhoti Trail, which stretches for more than 300 miles, climbing the mountain and taking in the panoramic views it offers, camping at both primitive and developed camping areas, boating or fishing on lakes and streams like Lake Chinnabee and Cheaha Lake, picnicking in scenic spots, or observing or photographing the wildlife.
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is one of the most legendary and thrilling racetracks on Earth, and it attracts countless visitors from around the world each year. Known for hosting adrenaline-filled NASCAR races, its oval is the longest track on the NASCAR circuit at 2.66 miles, surpassing the length of the legendary Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Visitors can attend race weekends featuring various high-speed competitions, including NASCAR Cup Series races. It also hosts car shows, fan festivals, and various other family-friendly activities and offers guided tours of the track, pit areas, and exclusive racing zones. Given its history and the range of attractions it offers, Talladega Superspeedway is simply a can’t-miss destination for any car or NASCAR enthusiasts making the drive.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the 2nd most populous and 3rd largest city in Alabama. Known for its rich history and diverse culture, the city is infamous for being at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. People interested in this aspect of its past can explore the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the 16th Street Baptist Church, and Kelly Ingram Park, all of which played a vital role in the struggle for racial equality.
Other popular attractions in the city include the Birmingham Museum of Art, which boasts a diverse collection of art, Vulcan Park and Museum, which is home to the largest cast-iron statue on Earth and provides stunning panoramic views of the city, Red Mountain Park, where outdoor lovers can enjoy attractions such as trails, scenic overlooks, and remnants of the area’s mining history, Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, McWane Science Center, and Birmingham Zoo, which is recognised as one of the best zoos in the Deep South.
There is also Railroad Park, a 19-acre green space perfect for picnics and outdoor activities, a thriving food scene rich with Southern cuisine, craft breweries, trendy eateries, and an ever-growing list of vibrant cultural events and attractions.
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the 8th most populous and 3rd largest city in Mississippi. Founded in 1860, it was the largest city in the state from 1890 to 1930. Best described as a city frozen in time, it still bears countless reminders of this era, which was known as its “Golden Age”, making it a great place to visit for anyone wanting to know what Mississippi or this part of the Deep South was like around the turn of the century.
It features 9 historic districts, all of which are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. With many places offering tours and information on the stunning architecture and historically significant uses of the buildings, Meridian is an ideal place to learn about the often-overlooked style, culture, and history of Mississippi.
De Soto National Forest
De Soto National Forest is a 518,587-acre preserve in southern Mississippi named after 16th-century Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto. Known for its longleaf pine forests, winding blackwater streams, and peaceful nature trails, which include parts of the famous Black Creek Trail, it offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hiking, camping, fishing, birdwatching, canoeing, kayaking, and horseback riding.
Filled with campgrounds, picnic areas, and day-use spots, visitors can enjoy the forest in a huge variety of ways. Seasonal wildflowers and diverse plant life create an ever-changing landscape that moves with the seasons, while spotting deer, foxes, and a wide variety of bird species in their natural habitats can be enjoyed whenever you visit.
Pearl River Wildlife Management Area
Pearl River Wildlife Management Area is a 35,000-acre preserve filled with bayous, flooded forests, and streams just 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Pearl River. It was created in 2002 to protect the iconic animals, plants, and landscapes of southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana.
It is home to a diverse range of animal species, including bears, bobcats, beavers, coyotes, deer, frogs, opossums, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, terrapins, turtles, and countless varieties of birds and fish, as well as numerous unique plants. This makes it a great place to stop on the drive to enjoy activities like birdwatching, boating, fishing, hiking, and even hunting.
Cajun Encounters
Swamp tours are an activity that virtually every visitor to New Orleans wants to partake in, so why not stop and enjoy the very best one on your way into town when it is conveniently located on the route?
Located in Slidell, Louisiana, Cajun Encounters provides guided swamp tours where visitors can glide through the bayous of the Honey Island Swamp on flat-bottomed boats driven by knowledgeable local guides. Take the opportunity to spot iconic wildlife like alligators, turtles, wild boar, raccoons, and a wide variety of birds, as you learn about the ecosystem and landscape, as well as Cajun culture, folklore, and history.
If you enjoy your tour, which we’re sure you will, Cajun Encounters even provides tours of historic plantations and New Orleans neighborhoods. This makes it a convenient place to book yourself onto additional tours to expand the experience even further into your vacation.
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is a 23,770-acre preserve that was established in 1990 to protect the marshlands of south Louisiana. Home to a broad selection of the region’s most iconic wildlife, such as alligators, bald eagles, marsh rabbits, and pelicans, plus various other species of birds and animals, its web of walkways makes it an amazing destination for nature lovers to stop and enjoy a hike while taking in the scenery.
Lake Pontchartrain
Located immediately to the north of New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain covers 631 square miles, making it the 10th largest natural lake in the United States by area and the fourth largest to be located in a single state. It is perhaps best known for the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway crossing it, which, at 23.88 miles long, is the longest continuous bridge over water on Earth.
Whether you want to take a drive across the causeway and soak in views that very few places on the planet can offer or sit by the shoreline and take in the wildlife and lake views before you head into the city, Lake Pontchartrain is a great final stop on any Atlanta to New Orleans road trip.
Final Thoughts On The Perfect Atlanta To New Orleans Road Trip
That concludes our guide to planning the perfect Atlanta to New Orleans road trip itinerary. You should now have all the information you need on everything from when to go and which route to use, to where to stay and what to see as you make the drive. For anyone who needs a little help working out where to stay when they arrive, our guide to the best places to stay in New Orleans should have you covered there, too.
All you have left to do now is decide what to take with you, and then you can start getting everything budgeted for and booked. Then you can sit back and look forward to enjoying it all for yourself as soon as possible.
Recent Posts
