Memphis · the midpoint
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Read more →
Meet halfway between Birmingham and New Orleans
The fair place to meet is Memphis, TN — the city closest to the midpoint of Birmingham and New Orleans. From the farther side that’s about 7 hr 32 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Memphis, TN
From Birmingham
4 hr 32 min
216 mi to Memphis
From New Orleans
7 hr 32 min
359 mi to Memphis
Birmingham has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 3 hr. The alternatives below can even it out. Birmingham and New Orleans are about 312 miles apart.
More meetups from Birmingham
Meeting in Memphis
Birmingham and New Orleans are about 312 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Memphis, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 4 hr 32 min of driving on the Birmingham side and 7 hr 32 min on the New Orleans side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Memphis suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Memphis doesn't have what you're after, Atlanta and Nashville are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Birmingham and New Orleans.
About the cities
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the third-most populous city in the state, with an estimated population of 196,357 as of 2024. Read more →
New Orleans
New Orleans is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Questions
- Where is the halfway point between Birmingham and New Orleans?
- Memphis, TN is closest to the geographic midpoint, which makes it the fairest place to meet.
- How far apart are they?
- About 312 miles by road.
- How long is the drive to meet in the middle?
- Roughly 7 hr 32 min from the farther city to Memphis.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.