If you are planning a trip from Bismarck to Devils Lake, expect a straightforward journey across the North Dakota Great Plains. Covering 179.4 miles, this drive typically takes about 3 hours and 9 minutes to complete. It works perfectly as a manageable day trip, meaning you do not need to worry about booking overnight stays unless you prefer a slower pace. Budget approximately $27 for fuel to cover the distance comfortably. Navigating this route involves a steady transition through the local landscape, making it a functional connection between these two prairie hubs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
92.3 miles from Bismarck, ND
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 40m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
State Highway 3
80 mi
1h 34m
State Highway 19
53.5 mi
1h 2m
US 83
41.1 mi
39m
US 281
3.3 mi
3m
United States Highway 52
2.1 mi
2m
State Highway 200
2 mi
2m
State Street
1 mi
1m
North 9th Street
0.6 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
State Highway 3
— 80 mi, about 1h 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bismarck, ND and Devils Lake, ND.
1
Start on East Rosser Avenue
0.2 mi·47 sec·East Rosser Avenue
2
Turn left onto ND 1804
0.6 mi·53 sec·North 9th Street
3
Turn right onto ND 1804
227 ft·3 sec·East Boulevard Avenue
4
Continue on ND 1804
1.0 mi·1 min·State Street
5
Take the ramp onto US 83
41 mi·39 min·US 83
Toward FargoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·37 sec
Toward ND 3 North: Steele, Tuttle
7
Turn left onto ND 3
41 mi·47 min·State Highway 3
8
At end of road, turn right onto ND 200; ND 3
2.0 mi·2 min·State Highway 200
9
Turn left onto ND 3
21 mi·25 min·State Highway 3
10
Turn left onto US 52; ND 3
2.1 mi·2 min·United States Highway 52
11
Turn right onto ND 3
18 mi·21 min·State Highway 3
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right onto ND 19
8.5 mi·10 min·State Highway 19
13
Continue on ND 19
25 mi·29 min·State Highway 19
14
Turn left onto US 281; ND 19
3.3 mi·3 min·US 281; ND 19
15
Turn right onto ND 19
20 mi·23 min·State Highway 19
Use the right lane.
16
Continue on ND 19
0.3 mi·56 sec·4th Street Northwest
17
At end of road, turn left onto ND 20
365 ft·10 sec·College Drive North
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
ND 20
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short trip, you have the flexibility to depart whenever fits your schedule best. With 179.4 miles to cover and only one planned stop needed, you can easily complete the journey in a single morning or afternoon session. Keep in mind that the turn-heavy nature of the route means your travel time may fluctuate slightly depending on local traffic, so build in a little buffer. My best tip is to fuel up before you leave Bismarck to ensure you stay within your $27 estimated budget without needing to hunt for stations along the more local stretches of the road.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 92.3 miles from Bismarck, ND, or about 1h 40m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 80 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 41 miles or 41m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 92.3 miles or 1h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 52m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Devils Lake, ND than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Bismarck, ND 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 Bismarck, ND
This is one driving day of about 184.6 miles and 3h 31m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 41 miles from Bismarck, ND.
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 State Highway 3 for about 80 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.9 and 184.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.9 mi into trip|~3m in|US 83
Take the ramp onto US 83 toward Fargo
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Fargo
5
43 mi into trip|~43m in
Take the exit toward ND 3 North: Steele, Tuttle
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward ND 3 North: Steele, Tuttle
6
109.8 mi into trip|~2h 2m in|ND 3 / State Highway 3
Turn right onto ND 3 / State Highway 3
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
164.3 mi into trip|~3h 7m in|ND 19 / State Highway 19
Turn right onto ND 19 / State Highway 19
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
184.5 mi into trip|~3h 31m in|ND 20 / College Drive North
At end of road, turn left onto ND 20 / College Drive North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.86 one way
$57.72 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg65 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$31.69
$63.37
premium
$4.89
$35.52
$71.05
diesel
$5.61
$40.76
$81.51
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 64.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
55.4
0
$19.38
$8.86
Efficient EV
46.2
0
$16.15
$7.38
EV Truck/SUV
73.8
0
$25.84
$11.81
Gas CO2
65 kg
EV CO2
22 kg (66% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Bismarck, ND
Evening
in Bismarck on Saturday
Local time
8:26 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Devils Lake, ND
Evening
in Devils Lake on Saturday
Local time
8:26 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
67°F
Harvey, ND
92 mi in
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
9 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
3h 31m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features zero highway driving. You will start your journey on North 9th Street, East Boulevard Avenue, and State Street, which set the tone for a more grounded, hands-on experience behind the wheel. Because there are no long highway stretches, you should stay alert as the road requires your full attention through its winding local segments. This lack of high-speed transit means you will experience the regional geography at a consistent, measured pace from start to finish.
99% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 80 mi on State Highway 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 3 and State Highway 19. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.9 miles in near US 83.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 31m drive. You will face about 13 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.9 miles (US 83): Lane positioning matters here; at 43 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 109.8 miles (ND 3 / State Highway 3): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Bismarck, ND to Devils Lake, ND, road signs begin pointing toward Tuttle along the way.
Bismarck (Hidasta: mirahacii arumaaguash; Arikara: ituhtaáwe) is the capital of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. Bismarck is North Dakota's second most populous city, after Fargo.
The longest stretch is about 80 miles on State Highway 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through ND 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 1.9 miles (US 83): Lane positioning matters here; at 43 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 109.8 miles (ND 3 / State Highway 3): Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 3.5 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Devils Lake, ND, but most travelers stay overnight.
