Not through ATL
 

We came down from Arkansas and did not want to go through ATL. We decided to stop in Phenix City Al. ( Columbus GA) and stayed the night on Thursday. The only problem was the drive through Montgomery on US 80. We left Phenix City on US 280 to US 82 and then hit 75 at Tifton GA. and then drove down to TV. The only draw back is the roads are US highways and not Interstate but US highways. Lots of nice scenery and a pretty easy drive to 75.

We will avoid ATL at all costs.

Been driving to Florida from Michigan since 1960’s before the interstate was completed. Have always drove through Atlanta on 75. It’s a crap shoot that has gotten worse as years have gone by. Best time is between midnight and 4:00 am. Good luck.

From Chicago we’ve done 57 to 24 to 75 and 65 to 24 to 75. Taking 65 through Indiana is shorter distance by about 40 miles, but takes the same amount of time or longer than 57. No matter when you go, chances are your pinch points will be Atlanta and Nashville. Try to get through Atlanta before 6 am. Pack a lot of patience as you are going to run into traffic somewhere on the trip, and it may not be where you think it will be.

We have just returned from Michigan. Travel was good, more traffic in KY and TN than anything. Atlanta - we used the express lanes and moved right along and we went through during rush hour this morning. Beware - there are lots of police coming out of Atlanta and all the way to the FL state line. We saw a lot of electric company trucks leaving FL. Starting north of Valdosta, GA you will start seeing billboards damaged and debris. Traffic moved right along.

Just drove from WI down to FL. Went down to Jackson MS. Cut over to Mobile AL. Good roads, good traffic. 150 miles longer. I felt well worth it, for lack of traffic.

Dalton also has one of the very largest Mexican-American populations in the entire southeast. So, if you're looking for a quinceñera dress or some authentic pan dulce, this is your place to stop.

As for ATL, I spent my entire adult life driving the freeways of Los Angeles - often considered the worst in the country if not the world. Arguably. I bet the folks in Rome might disagree.

I would put Atlanta's at much worse than L.A.'s.

Much of that is due to the poor driving. Too many knuckleheads swerving from the inside lane to the exit ramp after they're already almost past it, and all the pole-positioning that goes on as people shoot in and out of lanes cause a lot of accidents. That of course, causes a lot of traffic. And stress. And injuries. And damage. Yeah, ATL blows.

I was hoping that post suggesting Dalton was impoverished wasn't because of racism. People may have to begin to avoid the impoverished Villages area because so many Latinos work here and live in the area.barf

BTW, Dalton GA produces 75% of the worlds carpets.

Flooring in general. Tons of Shaw and Mohawk flooring factory facilities in/around Dalton.

We have made the trip from Northern Illinois several times. It takes about 18 hours. We have found the best day to drive is Saturday. If we leave at 6:00 Am we hit Atlanta between 7:00 and 8:00 PM we have had good luck at that time.

It’s not just Atlanta anymore. Chattanooga has gotten worse too. The thing about Atlanta is nobody follows the HOV lane rules and the express lanes don’t cover Atlanta proper. We take 65 South, with a stop in Athens Alabama and down thru Dothan.

We drove Minneapolis .... Mt Pleasant Iowa

Mt Plesant Iowa ... Paducah Kentucky

Paducah Kentucky .... Kennesaw GA

It all sucked. Good luck.

But it was to escape from MN so it was worth it.

use by-passes to get thru ATL. Or drive it in the wee hours. I drove that route for years. I became bored driving that route and tried I-65 through Alabama. New sights and diversions. Northern AL is nice and very Space oriented. I would be gassed up, etc. and drive through the bigger cities express.

Atlanta Traffic Suggestions. I was raised in Gwinnett County (NE suburbs up I-85 Atlanta) learned to drive in mid 1980’s. Moved to Dallas. TX mid 1990’s & San Diego in 2011. As my family still Atlanta I return once or twice every year. Outside LA Atlanta has most traffic.

My mom moved to The Villages in 2020 and I drive her back to Atlanta about 4 times a year. It’s 420 miles her house to my sisters (Gwinnett County) and depending on timing for Ocala, FL & McDonough, GA takes almost 7 hours.

The key is use 285 around Atlanta (East for I-85 & West for I-75) only go through downtown before 6 am or after 9 pm. Regardless of Atlanta traffic once you’re South of 285 on 75 McDonough can get you. Henry county has been expanding exponentially for a decade and there’s no way to avoid that choke point except for timing to be able to use HOV.

If you’re up for it … we always travel through Atlanta between midnight and 4am. Never fails … clear roads, happy people, totally worth it. Even Buc-ees is empty 🤙

Alternate route
 

Go over past Tallahassee and north thru Doltham to Montgomery. Takes about 45 minutes longer but minimal traffic. We use that some for St Louis.

Chattanooga was the worst. Then Nashville. Then Atlanta. Via main highway not according to people that live there or businesses.

I only drive thru Atlanta on Sundays.

We come from Illinois coming down also, we leave home at about 3 AM and go through the center of Atlanta, we have tried the bypass in the past and honestly feel it was worse. Last year we tried something different and came through Alabama. Yes it did add more time but if your sitting in traffic in Atlanta for hours it kind of equaled out. The worst part was the 2 lanes instead of interstate. But was nice seeing different scenery. Been making this trip for 10 years now and it just stinks, but worth it once we get to the house and get some rest.

We used to always go thru Atlanta from Illinois. We tried the route thru Birmingham and Dothan and won’t go the other way now. Less stress and time wise ended up being virtually the same.

It may not be Sunday but Dec 3i is New Years, and then new Years Day. Great day to get thru Atlanta at anytime of day. Otherwise use wee hours of morning or weekends. Also another halfway decent time to drive thru Atlanta believe it or not is between 10 am and 1:30 pm.

Works for me too.

You will never find a happy medium navigating that trip...
We are Snowbirds from northern Wisconsin for the last 16 years now and it NEVER gets better.

It's a 2 day drive for us because we travel with our 2 dogs and I'm here to say that they are better behaved than I am by far when we go thru Atlanta, absolutely hate that drive.
Stalled traffic for hours, fatal accidents on the road, dead Pitbulls in the ditches, you name it we have seen it.

However...Our 2024 major traveling concern now is the horrific motels we are encountering along the way that we have stayed at . Filthy dirty rooms, sticky floors, no towels or soap, nasty bedding and absolutely no coffee offered in the morning. $135 per night because we travel with our dogs, major rip-off !!
It does no good to complain either because they threaten to throw you out and you will end up sleeping in your car at the rest stops...which we have also done on more then one occasion.

So before we embark on yet another trek north to Wisconsin we will be investing in a small RV which we can feel safer driving in, comes with a bathroom and refrigerator for sandwiches, clean towels and bedding and most importantly...my own coffee pot !!! And then we can finally say ADIOUS to all the crappy motels along the way !

What cities and motels have you stayed in that were subpar?

The last decent hotel/motel we stayed at was The Westin in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico almost 40 years ago.

Motels aren't what they were back in the day and they're more like airline travel now vs the 60's, IMHO.

We drove a class A RV from Lansing, Michigan down I75 and down I65. I agree if you go the Atlanta route traveling in am or on Sunday morning is more sane. We did the Sunday morning early.
Going down I65 is a longer route, but usually less crazy. Avoid rush hour in the big cities though.

82 is a nice road
 

82 from Tifton Ga to Montgomery, Al is a nice road to take

For those of you who travel through Alabama, where is a good safe place to stay the night south of Nashville off of 65?