Chicago to New Orleans road trip: the drive and a playlist for it
About 925 miles, 15 hours of driving and 31 songs. You'll hear Chicago first, then Champaign, Dyess, Memphis, Clarksdale, Indianola and Jackson, and pull into New Orleans with its own artists.
The drive
How long is the drive from Chicago to New Orleans?
About 925 miles. Plan on about 15 hours of driving without stops.
What's the usual route from Chicago to New Orleans?
Take I-57 south through Champaign to Sikeston, Missouri, where it meets I-55. Then I-55 south through Memphis and Jackson to I-10 at LaPlace, west of New Orleans, and I-10 east into the city. It's a long day, and Memphis, a little past halfway, is the easy place to split it.
Good places to stop
- Sikeston, MOLambert's Cafe, home of the throwed rolls, in the town where I-57 meets I-55.
- Memphis, TNGraceland, Sun Studio and the National Civil Rights Museum.
- Clarksdale, MSThe Delta Blues Museum, in a 1918 freight depot where Highways 61 and 49 cross. It's a detour off I-55 into the Delta.
- Jackson, MSThe Mississippi Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural Science.
Where the songs fall
The songs follow the road. Champaign's play on I-57, and Dyess's come up in Arkansas just before Memphis. Clarksdale and Indianola are Delta towns off the interstate, so their songs play on I-55 between Memphis and Jackson.
Checked Oct 13, 2026 against Wanderlog, Rome2rio, Jerry, AARoads, Enterprise, Lambert's Cafe and Delta Blues Museum. 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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