The fair place to meet is Charlotte, NC — the city closest to the midpoint of Nashville and Washington. From the farther side that’s about 7 hr 7 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Charlotte, NC
From Nashville
7 hr 7 min
339 mi to Charlotte
From Washington
6 hr 55 min
330 mi to Charlotte
That’s an even split — both sides drive within 12 min of each other. Nashville and Washington are about 566 miles apart.
Nashville and Washington are about 566 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Charlotte, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That splits the trip almost evenly — about 7 hr 7 min from Nashville and 6 hr 55 min from Washington.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Charlotte suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Charlotte doesn't have what you're after, Columbus and Cincinnati are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Nashville and Washington.
Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. With a population of 874,579 at the 2020 census, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., seventh-most populous city in the South, and second-most populous city in the Southeast. Read more →
Nashville is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, located on the Cumberland River. Read more →
Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as simply Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.