There is a moment, somewhere past the last Chicago exit, when the city finally lets go and I-65 and I-75 opens up ahead of you. That is the start of one of the most driven routes in America: roughly 1,160 miles and 18 hours of wheel time to Orlando. 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 455 miles to Nashville.
The headline stop on this route is Nashville's Broadway. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Nashville
Nashville sits about 455 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, Chattanooga's Lookout Mountain is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Atlanta, the last stretch
Atlanta sits about 701 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.
Rolling into Orlando
The final 459 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Florida springs north of Ocala; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Nashville's Broadway, Chattanooga's Lookout Mountain and Florida springs north of Ocala, 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 Nashville, TN and Atlanta, GA, which keeps each day under eight hours and leaves time for the stops that make the trip.
Check live gas prices along I-65 and I-75 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
