Chattanooga, situated on the banks of the Tennessee River, is near enough to Atlanta to serve as a day trip destination, popular for its downtown riverfront district, and its historical and scenic natural sights and attractions.
The distance between Atlanta and Chattanooga is just under 120 miles, a straightforward drive along the I-75. In reasonable traffic, the drive can be made in under 2 hours. It is also easy to travel between Chattanooga and Atlanta by bus, with several journeys available daily and travel time of two to two-and-a-half hours.
It is technically possible to fly (non-stop) between the two cities, although the short distance by road makes this an impractical choice. It unfortunately isn’t possible to travel between Atlanta and Chattanooga by train, as the Tennessee city does not have a passenger rail station.
See also:
– Things to do in Atlanta
– Nature attractions near Atlanta
– Public transport in Atlanta
– The best time of year to visit Atlanta
!Please check all details before planning your travel. Availability of services, prices and other information may change at short notice.
The distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga is around 117 miles, via the I-75.
In ideal traffic, the journey can take as little as 1 hour 40 minutes. Typical drive time is around 2 hours, but it might take up to 3 hours in the heaviest traffic.
Distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga and typical drive time, via the fastest route:
Greyhound operates six daily bus services from Atlanta to Chattanooga, with departures from the early morning through to the early evening. Seven daily services run from Chattanooga to Atlanta, with morning through to later evening departure times. All services are direct, with no connections required.
Travel time is around 2 hours or so, depending on the time of day, with the longest trip taking 2 hours 30 minutes. An advance economy ticket costs around $15 each way ($30 round trip), with some trips a little cheaper and some slightly more expensive depending on the day of travel.
Due to the frequent daily trips, this is a reasonably convenient way of taking a day trip to either Atlanta or Chattanooga from the other city, with a full day (or less, if you prefer) to explore either city’s sights and attractions. The main downside is the location of Chattanooga’s bus station.
Atlanta to Chattanooga bus options:
Chattanooga to Atlanta bus options:
Atlanta’s Greyhound station is in Downtown Atlanta (232 Forsyth Street SW), with convenient links to onward travel via MARTA train or bus.
Chattanooga’s bus station is at 960 Airport Road, at Chattanooga Airport, around 11 miles from downtown Chattanooga. Taxi and ride share services are available to complete your journey. Alternatively, it is around a 15 minute walk to the bus stop from which you can take a city bus that will take you downtown.
Megabus offers two daily services from Atlanta to Chattanooga (one early morning and one mid afternoon) and also two daily services from Chattanooga to Atlanta (one early afternoon and one late evening).
It is possible to use these services for day trip travel in the Atlanta to Chattanooga direction, but it will be a very long day and you will have to stay in Chattanooga until late.
Travel times is from 1 hour 55 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes depending on the trip selected. Megabus fares rise the nearer you are to the day of travel, with tickets available for as little as $1 if you book well ahead, up to around $14 for a booking made closer to the time of travel.
Atlanta to Chattanooga bus options:
Chattanooga to Atlanta bus options:
Megabus’s Atlanta stop is at MARTA Civic Center Transit Station, in the center of Downtown. Onward public transportation is available by MARTA train or bus.
Chattanooga’s bus stop is at East 23rd Street, around 2-3 miles from downtown Chattanooga. City buses to downtown are available within a 10 minute walk of the Megabus stop, or you can use a taxi or rideshare service instead.
Groome Transportation offers shuttle services between Chattanooga and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, on either their Atlanta Airport to Nashville Airport or Chattanooga to Atlanta Airport routes.
Travel time on the first route is 3 hours to Atlanta Airport’s domestic terminal, or 2 hours on the second route. In both cases, it is an extra 15 minutes to the international terminal.
The fare is $86 each way for adults ($172 round trip) and $55 for children ages 3-7 ($110 round trip) on the Atlanta Airport to Nashville Airport route. On the Chattanooga to Atlanta Airport route, the fare is $44 ($88 round trip) for adults and $28 ($56 round trip) for children. Infants travel for free, and pets may travel for an additional fee.
Groome Transportation’s Chattanooga stop is at 5712 Ringgold Road, around 9 miles from downtown Chattanooga. A taxi or ride share service is the easiest way to complete your journey.
Delta offers non-stop flights between Atlanta and Chattanooga, with flight time of around 40-55 minutes. Some flights are operated by Delta’s affiliate Endeavor Air. Multiple departures in each direction are available daily.
United and American Airlines also offer flights between these two cities, but all require connections, and travel time is generally significantly longer than with the Delta flights.
Tickets on the Delta flights cost from around $140 round trip, with typical ticket prices closer to $200. Prices on the flights that require connections (with United or American Airlines) are typically very substantially more expensive.
Flights are between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Chattanooga Airport (CHA). Atlanta Airport is conveniently accessible by MARTA train, but you will need to take either a taxi, rideshare vehicle or shuttle to and from Chattanooga Airport if you will not have your own transportation.
It is not currently possible to travel between Atlanta and Chattanooga by train. The nearest Amtrak station to Chattanooga is itself in Atlanta!