Driving from Florida to Gatlinburg: Do You Pass Nashville?

Yes. The most direct route from Florida (e.g., Orlando) to Gatlinburg, TN is:

1. I-75 North to I-24 West (Chattanooga) → I-40 East to Nashville.
2. Through Nashville on I-40 East.
3. Continue I-40 East to I-26 East (near Asheville, NC).
4. I-26 East to US-23/US-74 to US-321/US-441 into Gatlinburg.

Nashville is roughly the halfway point (Orlando → Nashville ~615 mi; Nashville → Gatlinburg ~220 mi). Alternate routes (e.g., I-75 to I-40 at Knoxville) bypass Nashville but are longer. Most GPS routes go through Nashville.