Origin
Alliance, NE
Late night in Alliance on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
MDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alliance, NE to Scottsbluff, NE
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
53.9 mi
87 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alliance, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Scottsbluff, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting Alliance to Scottsbluff, this 53.8-mile drive takes approximately 57 minutes to complete. Because the trip is short, you can easily handle it as a quick day trip without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate through the Great Plains, sticking to local roads like West 8th Street, Emerson Avenue, and West 3rd Street rather than major interstates. With a fuel cost of around $8, this is an incredibly budget-friendly excursion. It serves as a straightforward, practical link between these two Nebraska communities, perfect for travelers who prefer local roads over high-speed highways.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US Highway 385 | 16.9 mi | 18m |
| Highway 26 | 15.6 mi | 18m |
| L62A | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| South Highway 385 | 7.3 mi | 8m |
| US Highway 26 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| East 20th Street | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| West 3rd Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Emerson Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US Highway 385
— 16.9 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alliance, NE and Scottsbluff, NE.
1
Start on Laramie Avenue
184 ft
·
13 sec
·
Laramie Avenue
2
Turn left onto West 8th Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
West 8th Street
3
Turn left onto Emerson Avenue
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
·
Emerson Avenue
4
At end of road, turn right onto N-2
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
West 3rd Street
5
Turn left onto US 385
7.3 mi
·
8 min
·
South Highway 385
6
Continue on US 385
17 mi
·
18 min
·
US Highway 385
7
Turn right onto L-62A
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
L62A
8
Continue on US 26
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on US 26
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
US Highway 26
10
Continue on US 26
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Highway 26
11
Turn left onto East 20th Street
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
East 20th Street
12
Continue on West 20th Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
West 20th Street
13
Turn right onto Avenue C
54 ft
·
2 sec
·
Avenue C
14
Arrive at destination
Avenue C
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
First break window
Fuel and coffeeA short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.9 miles from Alliance, NE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 53.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 8th Street
Turn left onto West 8th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Emerson Avenue
Turn left onto Emerson Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
N-2 / West 3rd Street
At end of road, turn right onto N-2 / West 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
4
25.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
L-62A / L62A
Turn right onto L-62A / L62A
Navigation decision point
5
53.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
Avenue C
Turn right onto Avenue C
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.43 one way
$16.85 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.25 | $18.50 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.37 | $20.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.90 | $23.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.72 | $2.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.55 | $3.45 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Scottsbluff, NE
Late night in Scottsbluff on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
MDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Bridgeport, NE
27 mi in
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 5m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy, local driving experience that keeps you engaged throughout the 53.8-mile journey. Since the route features 0% highway driving, you will spend the entire time navigating through the plains on smaller, slower-paced surface roads. The character of this drive is defined by its local nature, requiring more focus on turns than a typical interstate cruise. You won't find any long, monotonous stretches here, as the route is designed for local connectivity. It is a steady, consistent drive that offers a different perspective on the region compared to major thoroughfares.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.9 mi on US Highway 385.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 385 and Highway 26. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 8th Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Alliance, NE to Scottsbluff, NE is easy. At 1h 5m with 77% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Emerson Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (N-2 / West 3rd Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
4,263 ft
3,825 ft
Total Climb
373 ft
Total Descent
450 ft
Highest Point
4,263 ft
~23.1 mi in
Elevation Range
438 ft
Notable High Points
4,263 ft at ~23.1 miles
+16 ft prominence
About the Cities
Starting in Alliance, NE
Full guide →Alliance is a city in the Nebraska Panhandle with a population of 8,100 in 2019.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 53.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.9 miles on US Highway 385. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NE can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Emerson Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (N-2 / West 3rd Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Scotts Bluff National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Scottsbluff, NE before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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