If you live in the City...Id say leave around 4am Thursday. you do have a long way to go...ive done that drive many many times unfortunately... From Bridgeport CT its a 24 hour drive...but we usually stopped in Santee SC ( i think there is a whole thread about Santee around here somewhere lol)
anyways.. i would suggest for you to leave real early thursday morning if you're planning on stopping midway