Austin to Nashville road trip: the drive and a playlist for it
About 860 miles, 13 hours of driving and 28 songs. You'll hear Austin first, then Abbott, Dallas, Texarkana, Little Rock and Memphis, and pull into Nashville with its own artists.
The drive
How long is the drive from Austin to Nashville?
About 860 miles. Plan on about 13 hours of driving without stops.
What's the usual route from Austin to Nashville?
Take I-35 north through Waco. It splits at Hillsboro, so stay on I-35E into Dallas. From Dallas, I-30 east to Little Rock, then I-40 east through Memphis to Nashville. Little Rock and Memphis are both good places to break it up.
Good places to stop
- Dallas, TXThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, on John F. Kennedy and the 1963 assassination that happened there.
- Hot Springs, ARA detour off I-30 on Route 70 to Hot Springs National Park, for the thermal springs and the trails.
- Little Rock, ARThe Clinton Presidential Library, or Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.
- Memphis, TNGraceland, Sun Studio, Beale Street and barbecue.
Where the songs fall
The songs follow the road. Abbott's play on I-35 between Waco and Dallas, Dallas's as you go through, and Texarkana's as you cross into Arkansas. Little Rock's and Memphis's come up as you reach each one.
Checked Oct 13, 2026 against Wanderlog, Rome2rio, AARoads and Turo. Times are for driving straight through: the middle of what the sources say, rounded to the half hour.
For the back seat
Try one bingo card free (1-page PDF)
One card to print. The $4 pack has four different cards and three more games.
Every song is by an artist from that place, in the order you'll pass through. Tap a stop when you see the sign. Driving distances come from OpenStreetMap data.
For the drive
- Bluetooth FM transmitterFind one
No Bluetooth in the car? This plays your phone through the radio. - Dash or vent phone mountFind one
So the driver can see which stop is next. - Two-port USB-C car chargerFind one
Hours of streaming drains a phone fast. - Volume-limited kids' headphonesFind one
For when the back seat wants its own music.
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