Origin
American Falls, ID
Evening in American Falls on Saturday
Local time
7:29 PM
MDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from American Falls, ID to Pocatello, ID
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
American Falls, ID
Deep Nature Relaxation
Pocatello, ID
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between American Falls and Pocatello, this 24.9-mile jaunt is perfectly suited for a single-day trip. Clocking in at roughly 29 minutes, it is an efficient connection within Idaho’s Mountain West region. You will primarily utilize I-86 and US-30 to navigate the distance. With fuel costs estimated at $4, the journey is budget-friendly and requires no complex logistics or overnight stops. This route is ideal if you need to move between these two towns quickly without the hassle of a long-haul itinerary.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 86 | 17.3 mi | 16m |
| US 30 | 4.8 mi | 7m |
| Pocatello Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North 7th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East Gould Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| I 86 Business | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Harrison Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Gould Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 86
— 17.3 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between American Falls, ID and Pocatello, ID.
1
Start on this road
175 ft
·
14 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Fort Hall Avenue
175 ft
·
13 sec
·
Fort Hall Avenue
3
Turn left onto Harrison Street
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Harrison Street
4
Continue on Pocatello Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Pocatello Avenue
5
At end of road, turn right onto I 86 Business; ID 39
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Pocatello Avenue
6
Take the ramp onto I 86 Business
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
I 86 Business
7
Merge onto I 86; US 30
17 mi
·
16 min
·
I 86; US 30
8
Take the exit onto US 30
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
US 30
Exit 58
Toward US 30: West Pocatello
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 30
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
US 30
Exit 58
Toward US 30: West Pocatello
10
Turn left onto US 30
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
East Gould Street
11
Continue on Gould Street
347 ft
·
11 sec
·
Gould Street
12
Turn right onto I 15 BUS; US 91
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Pocatello Avenue
13
Turn left onto North 7th Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North 7th Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
North 7th Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Fort Hall Avenue
Turn right onto Fort Hall Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Harrison Street
Turn left onto Harrison Street
Navigation decision point
5
19.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 30
Take the exit onto US 30 toward US 30: West Pocatello
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 58
Toward US 30: West Pocatello
6
19.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 30
Keep slight right at fork onto US 30 toward US 30: West Pocatello
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 58
Toward US 30: West Pocatello
5
24.4 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 15 BUS; US 91 / Pocatello Avenue
Turn right onto I 15 BUS; US 91 / Pocatello Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.95 one way
$7.89 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $4.14 | $8.27 |
| premium | $4.53 | $4.44 | $8.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Pocatello, ID
Evening in Pocatello on Saturday
Local time
7:29 PM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Mostly Cloudy
SE 6 mph
5% chance
Live forecast
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
21 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
29m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is heavily focused on highway travel, with 90% of your time spent on high-speed roads. You will settle into a steady rhythm on I-86, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 17.3 miles. The transition from the interstate to local roads like Pocatello Avenue is straightforward as you approach your destination. Because the profile is strictly highway-focused, you can expect a functional, predictable drive rather than a winding backroad experience. The road conditions remain consistent throughout, making for a straightforward experience behind the wheel.
90% 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: 17.3 mi on I 86.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 86 and US 30. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Fort Hall Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 24.9 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Fort Hall Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Harrison Street): Navigation decision point; at 19.3 miles (US 30): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 24.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.3 miles on I 86. 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 ID 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 (Fort Hall Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Harrison Street): Navigation decision point; at 19.3 miles (US 30): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pocatello, ID 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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