Getting Around Germantown, TN: Roads and Commutes
Germantown Kelly Day October 8, 2026
Germantown Kelly Day October 8, 2026
Germantown covers roughly 20 square miles on a ridge between the Wolf River and Nonconnah Creek, and most daily trips here run along a handful of well-known roads. If you are thinking about a move to Germantown, or simply trying to picture how a particular street fits into your routine, it helps to know which roads carry the load, where the highway ramps are, and what the city has on its project list. Here is a plain look at how people get around the 38138 and 38139 zip codes.
Poplar Avenue is the spine. It carries U.S. 72 and State Route 57, connects to I-240 in East Memphis, runs through the middle of Germantown, and continues east into Collierville as West Poplar Avenue. The Norfolk Southern rail line runs alongside it for much of the way.
Germantown Road is the main north-south route and is signed as State Route 177. It begins at Winchester Road near Bill Morris Parkway, comes north through the older part of town at a posted 35 miles per hour, and crosses Poplar. North of Poplar it widens to six lanes, crosses the Wolf River, and continues as Germantown Parkway past Walnut Grove Road to I-40 at Exit 16 and on toward Bartlett.
Wolf River Boulevard runs east-west across the northern part of the city. Its intersection with Germantown Road is one of the busiest in town; the city has estimated about 70,000 drivers pass through it each day. Farmington Boulevard is the other east-west option between Germantown Road and the eastern neighborhoods, and Forest Hill-Irene Road runs north-south on the east side of the city down to Winchester Road.
Germantown does not have an interstate running through it, which is part of why the neighborhoods feel the way they do. Instead, the highways sit just outside the edges.
To the south, Bill Morris Parkway (State Route 385) runs east from I-240. The interchanges most Germantown drivers use are Kirby Parkway, Riverdale Road, Winchester Road, Hacks Cross Road, Forest Hill-Irene Road and Houston Levee Road. Follow 385 east and it ends at I-269 near Collierville, which is the outer loop around the metro area.
To the west, Poplar Avenue reaches I-240 in East Memphis. To the north, Germantown Parkway reaches I-40. Which one makes sense depends on where in Germantown you start. A home near Forest Hill-Irene Road and a home near Kirby Parkway can have noticeably different routes to the same destination, so it is worth driving your own route at the time of day you would actually travel.
Measured by road from the Germantown Municipal Center on South Germantown Road, these are rough figures to help you get oriented. Your mileage will vary by starting street.
Drive times change a great deal with the hour and the route, so I would rather you test them yourself than take a number from me.
The railroad has been part of Germantown since the Memphis and Charleston line was built through in 1852. The depot in Old Germantown was rebuilt in 1948, and the line is operated today by Norfolk Southern. Trains still run, and street-level crossings include Riverdale Road, Poplar Pike near Southern Avenue, Oak Manor Drive and Forest Hill-Irene Road. If you are looking at a home near the tracks, visit at a few different times of day and listen for yourself.
For public transit, MATA's Route 50 follows Poplar Avenue from the downtown transit center out to the Exeter Road and Poplar Avenue area, with stops along Farmington Boulevard. MATA added buses to that route in May 2026. Schedules change, so check MATA directly for current times.
The Germantown Greenway is a paved trail that is useful for more than exercise. The city reports more than 10 miles finished out of a planned 22-mile system, with trailheads at Poplar Estates, Wolf River Boulevard, Kimbrough Road, Farmington and Cameron Brown Park.
The largest recent project was the rebuild of the Wolf River Boulevard and Germantown Road intersection, which began in August 2023 and added turn lanes, through lanes and new signals. Local news reported it was nearly finished in late May 2025.
In May 2026 the city shared an update on several grant-funded projects that are in planning or design. These include resurfacing on Forest Hill-Irene Road and Farmington Boulevard, a new traffic signal on Poplar Avenue at Poplar Pike and Chapel Woods Cove, signal upgrades at Germantown Road and Poplar Pike, a new signal at Poplar and Kimbrough, and continued culvert replacement along Poplar Avenue. None of these had construction dates when I checked, so if a project is near a home you are considering, the City of Germantown's website is the place to confirm timing.
If it would help to talk through how a specific Germantown street connects to the places you go most, I am always glad to share what I know. No pressure, just a conversation whenever you are ready.
Kelly Day, SRES, SRS, AHWD, PSA, RENE
Multi Million Dollar Club
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901-289-9227
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Midtown Memphis
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