Billings, MT to Browning, MT is 343.4 miles and takes about 6h 30m via US 87 and US 89, with a fuel budget near $57 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Mountain West region, primarily traversing Montana. You'll be on mostly highway for the majority of this drive. Given the 6.5-hour travel time, it's a manageable one-day trip, but consider starting early to allow for any unexpected delays or a brief stop.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
171.7 miles from Billings, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 13m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 87
83.6 mi
1h 30m
United States Highway 89
49.2 mi
53m
US 12
45.1 mi
50m
MT 3
41.1 mi
47m
US 89
40.5 mi
45m
US 191
39.2 mi
42m
13th Lane Northwest
12.9 mi
15m
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
9.4 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
US 87
— 83.6 mi, about 1h 30m
Traffic on I-15
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~393 veh/hr typical
· worst 526
Quietest
1 AM
~14 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
28.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Billings, MT and Browning, 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
0.3 mi·1 min·1st Avenue North
4
Turn right onto MT 3
2.1 mi·3 min·North 27th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Enter roundabout onto MT 3
236 ft·3 sec·MT 3
6
Continue on MT 3
3.1 mi·3 min·MT 3
7
Enter roundabout onto MT 3
144 ft·2 sec·MT 3
8
Continue on MT 3
25 mi·28 min·MT 3
9
Continue on MT-3
2.5 mi·2 min·Iowa Avenue
10
Continue on MT 3
12 mi·14 min·MT 3
11
At end of road, turn left onto US 12; MT 3
45 mi·50 min·US 12; MT 3
12
Turn right onto US 191; MT 3
39 mi·42 min·US 191; MT 3
13
At end of road, turn left onto US 87; MT 3; MT 200
64 mi·1 hr 9 min·US 87; MT 3; MT 200
14
Turn slight right
0.3 mi·20 sec
15
Enter roundabout
172 ft·2 sec
16
Continue
0.1 mi·7 sec
17
Continue on US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
19 mi·20 min·US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
18
Turn right onto US 87 Bypass
0.9 mi·1 min·57th Street South
19
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue North
4.3 mi·7 min·2nd Avenue North
20
At end of road, turn left onto I 15 Business
240 ft·4 sec·Park Drive North
21
Turn right onto I 15 Business
0.2 mi·23 sec·1st Avenue North
22
Continue on I 15 Business
0.2 mi·17 sec·First Avenue North Bridge
23
Continue on I 15 Business
1.4 mi·1 min·Central Avenue West
24
Take the exit onto I 15 Business
0.2 mi·32 sec·I 15 Business
25
Merge onto I 15; US 89; MT 200
9.4 mi·9 min·First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
26
Take the exit onto US 89; MT 200
8.3 mi·9 min·US 89; MT 200
Exit 290
27
Turn right onto US 89
32 mi·35 min·US 89
28
Enter roundabout onto US 89
514 ft·17 sec·West Division Street
29
Continue on US 89
143 ft·4 sec·West Division Street
30
Turn slight right onto US 89
6.0 mi·8 min·Main Avenue North
31
Continue on US 89
13 mi·15 min·13th Lane Northwest
32
Continue on US 89
49 mi·53 min·United States Highway 89
33
At end of road, turn left onto US 2; US 89
3.4 mi·5 min·US 2; US 89
34
Turn right onto North Piegan Street
353 ft·15 sec·North Piegan Street
35
Arrive at destination
North Piegan Street
Trip Plan
For this 6.5-hour drive, consider an early morning departure from Billings to maximize your daylight. The route is mostly highway, so you won't need to worry about frequent stops for complex navigation. With a total fuel cost estimated around $57, plan your fill-ups accordingly, especially since the longest stretch without a major town could be considerable. Given it's a single-day trip, you have flexibility; however, it's wise to have snacks and water on hand in case services are spaced out.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 171.7 miles from Billings, MT, or about 3h 13m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 83.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 76 miles or 1h 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 171.7 miles or 3h 13m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Browning, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Billings, MT so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Billings, MT
This is one driving day of about 343.4 miles and 6h 30m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 76 miles from Billings, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 87 for about 83.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 19
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 219.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|I 90 Business / 1st Avenue North
Turn left onto I 90 Business / 1st Avenue North
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|MT 3 / North 27th Street
Turn right onto MT 3 / North 27th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
46.2 mi into trip|~55m in|US 12; MT 3
At end of road, turn left onto US 12; MT 3
Navigation decision point
5
195.1 mi into trip|~3h 38m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
219.7 mi into trip|~4h 9m in|I 15 Business / Park Drive North
At end of road, turn left onto I 15 Business / Park Drive North
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$59.55 one way
$119.11 round trip
$4.41/gal25.4 MPG avg120 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$62.29
$124.57
premium
$4.95
$66.92
$133.84
diesel
$5.60
$75.70
$151.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$60
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$85–$110
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 120.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $36 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
103
1
$36.06
$16.48
Efficient EV
85.9
0
$30.05
$13.74
EV Truck/SUV
137.4
1
$48.08
$21.98
Gas CO2
120 kg
EV CO2
40 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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.
Forecast as of Sep 1, 2026
Origin
Billings, MT
Late night
in Billings on Friday
Local time
4:22 AM
MDT
Current temp
54°F
Partly Cloudy
ENE 3 to 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
High Wind Watch
High Wind Watch issued August 31 at 12:28PM MDT until September 3 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Fire Weather Watch
Fire Weather Watch issued August 31 at 10:31AM MDT until September 3 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Destination
Browning, MT
Late night
in Browning on Friday
Local time
4:22 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Mostly Clear
SW 5 to 8 mph0% chanceLive forecast
High Wind Watch
High Wind Watch issued August 31 at 12:28PM MDT until September 3 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Fire Weather Watch
Fire Weather Watch issued August 31 at 10:31AM MDT until September 3 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
8 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
6h 30m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll be on highways for 88% of this trip. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 83.6 miles, primarily on US 87. This means you'll experience extended periods of relatively unimpeded cruising. Expect some sections of rural highway driving before transitioning to potentially busier segments as you approach Browning.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
35 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 83.6 mi on US 87.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 87 and United States Highway 89. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near I 90 Business / 1st Avenue North.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 30m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 19 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (I 90 Business / 1st Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MT 3 / North 27th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 46.2 miles (US 12; MT 3): Navigation decision point.
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.
Top landmarks
•Masonic Temple — building in Billings, Montana
•United States Post Office and Courthouse–Billings — post office in Billings, United States of America
•Northern Hotel — historic hotel in Billings, Montana, United States
The longest stretch is about 83.6 miles on US 87. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 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.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Browning, MT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 3 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 0.2 miles (I 90 Business / 1st Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MT 3 / North 27th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 46.2 miles (US 12; MT 3): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.5 hours each way, a round trip means 13.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Browning, MT before the return drive.
