There is a moment, somewhere past the last Chicago exit, when the city finally lets go and I-55 opens up ahead of you. That is the start of one of the most driven routes in America: roughly 925 miles and 14 hours of wheel time to New Orleans. Done right, it is not a slog. It is a string of good towns, better food stops and a couple of sights worth the detour.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Chicago
Aim to clear Chicago before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 530 miles to Memphis.
The headline stop on this route is Beale Street and Graceland. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Memphis
Memphis sits about 530 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Mississippi Blues Trail markers is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Jackson, the last stretch
Jackson sits about 746 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Rolling into New Orleans
The final 178 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Lake Pontchartrain causeway; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Beale Street and Graceland, Mississippi Blues Trail markers and Lake Pontchartrain causeway, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
Split the drive near the halfway mark. Most travelers sleep in Memphis, TN, which keeps each day under eight hours and leaves time for the stops that make the trip.
Check live gas prices along I-55 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
