Birmingham · the midpoint
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 →
Meet halfway between Memphis and New Orleans
The fair place to meet is Birmingham, AL — the city closest to the midpoint of Memphis and New Orleans. From the farther side that’s about 6 hr 33 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Birmingham, AL
From Memphis
4 hr 32 min
216 mi to Birmingham
From New Orleans
6 hr 33 min
312 mi to Birmingham
Memphis has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 2 hr 1 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Memphis and New Orleans are about 359 miles apart.
More meetups from Memphis
Meeting in Birmingham
Memphis and New Orleans are about 359 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Birmingham, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 4 hr 32 min of driving on the Memphis side and 6 hr 33 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 Birmingham suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Birmingham doesn't have what you're after, Nashville and Atlanta are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Memphis and New Orleans.
About the cities
Memphis
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. 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 Memphis and New Orleans?
- Birmingham, AL is closest to the geographic midpoint, which makes it the fairest place to meet.
- How far apart are they?
- About 359 miles by road.
- How long is the drive to meet in the middle?
- Roughly 6 hr 33 min from the farther city to Birmingham.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.