Your total trip with all stops is around 810 miles / 1300 km, taking roughly 13 hours for the whole trip. If you want to see every small town along the way, you can get a full list of cities between Springfield, MO and Hickory, NC.
Start from Springfield, Missouri.
Paducah, Kentucky is stopping point #1 after driving about 300 miles (480 km) or 5 hours.
Nashville, Tennessee is stopping point #2 after driving about 140 miles (220 km) or 2 hours. Your total trip so far is about 430 miles or 700 km over roughly 7 hours of driving.
Knoxville, Tennessee is stopping point #3 after driving about 180 miles (290 km) or 3 hours. Your total trip so far is about 620 miles or 990 km over roughly 10 hours of driving.
Finally, Hickory, North Carolina is your destination after driving about 190 miles (310 km) or 3 hours. Your total trip with all stops is around 810 miles or 1300 km, taking roughly 13 hours for the whole trip.
Travelmath helps you figure out where to stop when planning a long road trip from one location to another. The best stopping point for an overnight hotel stay or a break from driving often depends on how far or how long you want to drive before pausing to rest. You can find the closest city to your stopping point to look for hotels, or explore other cities and towns along the route. Use this as a road trip planner when you're driving cross-country or mapping a route with multiple stops.