New York to Nashville road trip: the drive and a playlist for it
About 880 miles, 14 hours of driving and 32 songs. You'll hear New York first, then Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, Charlottesville and Bristol, and pull into Nashville with its own artists.
Driving the other way? Nashville to New York
The drive
How long is the drive from New York to Nashville?
About 880 miles. Plan on about 14 hours of driving without stops.
What's the usual route from New York to Nashville?
Take I-95 south toward Washington, then I-66 west to I-81. Most of the drive is I-81, south through Virginia to Bristol and on to I-40 just east of Knoxville. I-40 west goes the rest of the way. That's a lot for one day, so plan on a night somewhere along I-81.
Good places to stop
- Luray Caverns, VAA big cave system with tall columns and colored rock, a short detour off I-81.
- Natural Bridge, VAThe stone arch that gave Rockbridge County its name.
- Bristol, VAThe Birthplace of Country Music Museum, on the 1927 Bristol Sessions. The Carter Family song on the playlist plays here.
- Knoxville, TNMarket Square downtown, for lunch before the last stretch on I-40.
Where the songs fall
The playlist goes the I-95 way through Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington. Charlottesville is east of I-81, so its songs are for the drive through Virginia. Bristol's play at the Tennessee line.
Checked Oct 13, 2026 against Wanderlog, Rome2rio, Jerry, AARoads and Birthplace of Country Music 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.
As an Amazon Associate, Road Tunes earns from qualifying purchases. You don't need any of it to use the playlist.