Origin
Arlington, SD
Morning in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
9:29 AM
CDT
Current temp
30°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington, SD to Lake Preston, SD
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
16m
Distance
12.6 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington, SD
Lacza
Lake Preston, SD
Lisa from Pexels
Trip Overview
This quick 12.6-mile trip between Arlington and Lake Preston, South Dakota, will take you about 16 minutes to complete. Designed as a single-day excursion, it's primarily a highway-focused drive, with 90% of the journey on major roads. You can expect to spend around $2 on fuel for this short hop across the Great Plains. With no planned stops in the data, this is a straightforward transit, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently within the same state.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US Highway 14 | 11.3 mi | 13m |
| 1st Street Northeast | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Elm Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Main Avenue North | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US Highway 14
— 11.3 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, SD and Lake Preston, SD.
1
Start on North Main Street
112 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn right onto US 14
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Elm Street
3
Continue on US 14
11 mi
·
13 min
·
US Highway 14
4
Continue on US 14
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
1st Street Northeast;1st Street Southeast
5
Turn right onto Main Avenue North
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Main Avenue North
6
Arrive at destination
Main Avenue North
Heads-up: tricky spots
2 of 22 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 12.4 — 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
|
US 14 / West Elm Street
Turn right onto US 14 / West Elm Street
Navigation decision point
3
12.4 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Main Avenue North
Turn right onto Main Avenue North
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.97 one way
$3.94 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.16 | $4.33 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.42 | $4.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.78 | $5.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.32 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.10 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Lake Preston, SD
Morning in Lake Preston on Tuesday
Local time
9:29 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
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
43 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
16m 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?
The majority of this route, a substantial 11.3 miles, unfolds along US Highway 14, defining its highway-focused character. You'll experience mostly high-speed travel, with local roads like 1st Street Northeast and West Elm Street making up the remaining 10%. This drive offers a consistent pace for the most part, allowing you to cover ground quickly. Expect a straightforward driving experience with minimal distractions on this predominantly highway stretch.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
6 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.3 mi on US Highway 14.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 14 and 1st Street Northeast. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 14 / West Elm Street.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Arlington, SD to Lake Preston, SD is easy. At 16m with 90% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 14 / West Elm Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.4 miles (Main Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 16m. Total distance: 12.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.3 miles on US Highway 14. 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 SD 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 (US 14 / West Elm Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.4 miles (Main Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake Preston, SD 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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