Origin
Billings, MT
Morning in Billings on Tuesday
Local time
6:13 AM
MDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Billings, MT to Absarokee, MT
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 8m
Distance
56.1 mi
90 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Billings, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Absarokee, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Billings to Absarokee is 56.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 8 minutes via I 90 and State Highway 78, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, making it a straightforward hop between Montana locations. Given the relatively short distance and mostly highway profile, this route is ideal for a quick transit or a relaxed day trip. You'll spend most of your time on major roadways, so expect a smooth and efficient drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 36.5 mi | 38m |
| State Highway 78 | 13.5 mi | 16m |
| Montana Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Laurel Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| 1st Avenue North | 0.9 mi | 3m |
| MT 78 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| I 90 Business | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Pike Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 36.5 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Billings, MT and Absarokee, MT.
1
Start on I 90 Business
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Montana Avenue
2
Turn left onto North 23rd Street
372 ft
·
21 sec
·
North 23rd Street
3
Turn left onto I 90 Business
0.9 mi
·
3 min
·
1st Avenue North
4
Turn left onto I 90 Business
447 ft
·
9 sec
·
Division Street
5
Continue on I 90 Business
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Montana Avenue
6
Continue on I 90 Business
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Laurel Road
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90 Business
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
I 90 Business
Toward Butte, I 90 West
8
Merge onto I 90; US 212
36 mi
·
38 min
·
I 90; US 212
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Toward MT 78: Columbus
10
Turn left onto MT 78
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
MT 78
11
At end of road, turn right onto MT 78
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
East Pike Avenue
12
Turn left onto MT 78
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Pratten Street
13
Continue on MT 78
14 mi
·
16 min
·
State Highway 78
14
Continue on MT 78
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
North Woodard Avenue
15
Turn right onto MT 420
114 ft
·
3 sec
·
West Grove Street
16
Arrive at destination
MT 420
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.1 miles from Billings, MT, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 56.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North 23rd Street
Turn left onto North 23rd Street
Navigation decision point
6
4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 90 Business
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90 Business toward Butte, I 90 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Butte, I 90 West
5
42 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
MT 78 / East Pike Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto MT 78 / East Pike Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
42.2 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
MT 78 / Pratten Street
Turn left onto MT 78 / Pratten Street
Navigation decision point
5
56.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
MT 420 / West Grove Street
Turn right onto MT 420 / West Grove Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.89 one way
$17.78 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $9.32 | $18.64 |
| premium | $4.53 | $10.01 | $20.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.39 | $24.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.89 | $2.69 |
| Efficient EV | 14 | 0 | $4.91 | $2.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.4 | 0 | $7.85 | $3.59 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Absarokee, MT
Morning in Absarokee on Tuesday
Local time
6:13 AM
MDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Columbus, MT
28 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
3 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
1h 8m 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?
This drive is 91% highway, meaning you'll be on high-speed roads for the vast majority of the 56.1 miles. The longest continuous stretch on the interstate is 36.5 miles on I 90. After leaving I 90, you'll transition to surface roads, specifically Montana Avenue and State Highway 78, for the final portion of the trip. Expect to encounter more frequent intersections and potentially slower speeds as you near Absarokee.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 36.5 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and State Highway 78. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North 23rd Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 8m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North 23rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (I 90 Business): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42 miles (MT 78 / East Pike Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Billings, MT to Absarokee, MT, road signs begin pointing toward Butte along the way.
Butte
4 mi in
|
~8m
|
via I 90 Business
About the Cities
Starting in Billings, MT
Full guide →Billings is the largest city in Montana in Yellowstone County, with an estimated 110,000 people (2019). As a destination, Billings does a significant amount of convention business and is also the host to various regional events such as music festivals, athletic contests, rodeos, and outdoor activities. Billings hosts the largest hospitals in a 500-mile radius, as such the medical profession is a major source of employment in the area. Billings is also a frequent overnight or meal stop for westbound visitors to Yellowstone National Park, as it is the last major city for visitors going to the park via the Beartooth Highway.
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 8m. Total distance: 56.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 36.5 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 MT 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: at 0.1 miles (North 23rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (I 90 Business): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42 miles (MT 78 / East Pike Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Absarokee, MT 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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