Nashville to Louisville distance
Nashville and Louisville are 155 miles (249 km) apart in a straight line and 175 miles (281 km) apart by road: about 3 hr 15 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-65. 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
- 175 mi (281 km)
- Driving time
- 3 hr 15 min
- Straight line
- 155 mi (249 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 | 155 mi (249 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 175 mi (281 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr 15 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +13% 1.13 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 53 mph (86 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 21° (north) leaving Nashville toward Louisville |
| Midpoint | 37.2113° N, 86.2790° W near Oakland (Kentucky) |
| Halfway by road | Near Park City (Kentucky) 87.4 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | 1 hour ahead Louisville compared with Nashville |
| Elevation | Nashville: 555 ft (169 m) · Louisville: 461 ft (141 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Nashville: 721,074 · Louisville: 641,962 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Nashville to Louisville by road
The fastest driving route is 175 miles (281 km) long and takes about 3 hr 15 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on I-65: 166 mi of 175 mi.
It goes through 2 states: Tennessee (37.9 mi) and Kentucky (137 mi). That’s an average of 53 mph (86 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 3 hr 35 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, Nashville and Louisville are 155 miles (249 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 13% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 113. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 61st for detour (the average is 16%).
From Nashville, Louisville lies to the north (bearing 21°), and from Louisville, Nashville lies to the south.
Halfway between Nashville and Louisville
Halfway along the straight line, 77.4 miles (124 km) from each city, is the point 37.2113° N, 86.2790° W. It falls near Oakland (Kentucky, pop. 193), 11.5 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 87.4 miles (141 km) from each city, near Park City (Kentucky, pop. 629), 2.1 mi away. The two midpoints are 15.6 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time difference and flight
Louisville is 1 hour ahead of Nashville all year (Eastern Time versus Central Time): when it’s 12:00 in Nashville, it’s 13:00 in Louisville.
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
Nashville sits at 555 ft (169 m) and Louisville at 461 ft (141 m), 94 ft (29 m) lower.
Nashville has 721,074 people and Louisville 641,962 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Nashville to Louisville?
155 miles (249 km) in a straight line and 175 miles (281 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-65).
How long is the drive from Nashville to Louisville?
About 3 hr 15 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 3 hr 35 min.
Where is the halfway point between Nashville and Louisville?
In a straight line, near Oakland (Kentucky). By road, 87.4 mi from each city, near Park City (Kentucky).
What’s the time difference between Nashville and Louisville?
Louisville is 1 hour ahead of Nashville all year: when it’s 12:00 in Nashville, it’s 13:00 in Louisville.
Which direction is Louisville from Nashville?
North: the straight line leaves Nashville on a bearing of 21° (0° is north and 90° is east).
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 Nashville
All distancesMore distances from Louisville
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