Chennai to Bangalore by road: routes, stops, and travel tips
The route at a glance
Chennai to Bangalore is 350 km via NH48 (the old Bangalore Highway, now NH44). Travel time is 5.5 to 6.5 hours depending on when you leave. The road is four-lane the entire stretch, with six-lane sections between Sriperumbudur and Vellore.
You’ll cross from Tamil Nadu into Karnataka about 30 km before Bangalore, right after the Hosur toll plaza.
Best time to leave
Start between 4:00 AM and 5:30 AM from Chennai. This gets you past Sriperumbudur before morning traffic builds, and you reach Bangalore’s Electronic City before the 11 AM rush.
Leaving after 8 AM means you hit construction zones near Kancheepuram in peak traffic, and the Hosur-to-Silk Board stretch turns into a crawl by noon.
Avoid Friday evenings. The Hosur exit becomes a bottleneck with weekend travelers heading both directions.
Route breakdown
Chennai to Sriperumbudur (40 km, 45 min): You join NH48 from either the Koyambedu flyover or Poonamallee bypass. The Sriperumbudur stretch has heavy truck traffic before dawn, so keep your high beams ready.
Sriperumbudur to Vellore (95 km, 1.5 hrs): The smoothest section of the drive. Road surface is excellent. You pass Kancheepuram and Ranipet. Fuel stations every 15-20 km.
Vellore to Krishnagiri (90 km, 1.5 hrs): The road climbs gently through the Eastern Ghats. Watch for speed bumps near Ambur and Vaniyambadi towns. This stretch has the best dhaba food on the route.
Krishnagiri to Hosur (50 km, 45 min): Fast, flat highway. The Krishnagiri dam is visible on your left; a good photo stop but skip it if you’re racing daylight.
Hosur to Bangalore (75 km, 1-2 hrs): This is where the trip can go sideways. The Hosur toll plaza creates a 15-20 minute queue during peak hours. After that, the Electronic City elevated expressway helps, but Silk Board junction remains one of India’s slowest intersections. Expect 30-45 minutes from Electronic City to central Bangalore.
Toll plazas
There are four toll plazas on this route:
- Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu)
- Walajahpet, near Ranipet (Tamil Nadu)
- Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu)
- Hosur/Attibele (Karnataka border)
Total toll for a sedan: approximately Rs 500-600 one way. Keep FASTag active; cash lanes are slower and charge double.
Where to stop
A2B Veg Restaurant, Ambur (km 180): Clean restrooms, fast service, good filter coffee. 15-minute stop.
Krishnagiri (km 250): Multiple options including Sri Annapoorna and local biryani shops. Krishnagiri is famous for its mangoes (April-June), so grab some if you’re traveling in season.
Hosur (km 300): Last stop before Bangalore traffic. Top up fuel here; prices are Rs 2-3 cheaper per liter than in Karnataka.
What to carry
Pack water bottles, phone chargers, and FASTag. If you’re traveling between November and February, early morning fog between Vellore and Krishnagiri can reduce visibility to under 50 meters. Keep fog lights on and speed below 60 km/h in those sections.
For return trips, the same route works in reverse. Leave Bangalore by 5 AM to skip Electronic City traffic entirely.