Atlanta to Birmingham distance
Atlanta and Birmingham are 140 miles (225 km) apart in a straight line and 146 miles (235 km) apart by road: about 2 hr 45 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-20. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing, the time difference and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 146 mi (235 km)
- Driving time
- 2 hr 45 min
- Straight line
- 140 mi (225 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 140 mi (225 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 146 mi (235 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 2 hr 45 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +4% 1.04 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 54 mph (87 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 264° (west) leaving Atlanta toward Birmingham |
| Midpoint | 33.6407° N, 85.5968° W near Hollis Crossroads (Alabama) |
| Halfway by road | Near Hollis Crossroads (Alabama) 73.0 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | 1 hour behind Birmingham compared with Atlanta |
| Elevation | Atlanta: 1,050 ft (320 m) · Birmingham: 609 ft (186 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Atlanta: 529,110 · Birmingham: 195,893 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Atlanta to Birmingham by road
The fastest driving route is 146 miles (235 km) long and takes about 2 hr 45 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on I-20: 141 mi of 146 mi.
It goes through 2 states: Georgia (57.5 mi) and Alabama (88.5 mi). That’s an average of 54 mph (87 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 3 hr 5 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Atlanta and Birmingham are 140 miles (225 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 4% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 104. The route runs almost straight. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 108th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Atlanta, Birmingham lies to the west (bearing 264°), and from Birmingham, Atlanta lies to the east.
Halfway between Atlanta and Birmingham
Halfway along the straight line, 70.0 miles (113 km) from each city, is the point 33.6407° N, 85.5968° W. It falls near Hollis Crossroads (Alabama, pop. 785), 8.2 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 73.0 miles (117 km) from each city, near Hollis Crossroads (Alabama, pop. 785), 7.0 mi away. The two midpoints almost coincide (1.3 mi apart), because the road doesn’t stray far from the straight line.
Time difference and flight
Birmingham is 1 hour behind Atlanta all year (Central Time versus Eastern Time): when it’s 12:00 in Atlanta, it’s 11:00 in Birmingham.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Atlanta sits at 1,050 ft (320 m) and Birmingham at 609 ft (186 m), 441 ft (134 m) lower.
Atlanta has 529,110 people and Birmingham 195,893 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Atlanta to Birmingham?
140 miles (225 km) in a straight line and 146 miles (235 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-20).
How long is the drive from Atlanta to Birmingham?
About 2 hr 45 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 3 hr 5 min.
Where is the halfway point between Atlanta and Birmingham?
In a straight line, near Hollis Crossroads (Alabama). By road, 73.0 mi from each city, near Hollis Crossroads (Alabama).
What’s the time difference between Atlanta and Birmingham?
Birmingham is 1 hour behind Atlanta all year: when it’s 12:00 in Atlanta, it’s 11:00 in Birmingham.
Which city is higher, Atlanta or Birmingham?
Atlanta, at 1,050 ft (320 m); Birmingham sits at 609 ft (186 m).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
- Time difference calculator Compare the time in two or more places and find a good hour to call or meet across time zones.
More distances from Atlanta
All distances- Atlanta to Savannah 223 mi straight line · 248 mi by road · 4 hr 35 min
- Atlanta to Jacksonville 285 mi straight line · 345 mi by road · 6 hr 20 min
- Atlanta to Miami 604 mi straight line · 660 mi by road · 12 hr
- Atlanta to New Orleans 424 mi straight line · 469 mi by road · 8 hr 35 min
- New York to Atlanta 746 mi straight line · 880 mi by road · 16 hr 55 min
- Atlanta to Nashville 215 mi straight line · 249 mi by road · 4 hr 45 min
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology