Boise to Ucon is 288.8 miles and takes about 4h 40m via Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway and I-86, with a fuel budget near $51 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Idaho, moving from the Mountain West region to another part of the Mountain West. It's a single-day trip, primarily on major highways, so you'll cover ground efficiently. Consider this a straightforward option if you need to get from Boise to the Ucon area without much fuss.
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
144.4 miles from Boise, ID
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
166.5 mi
2h 36m
I 86
62.7 mi
59m
I 15 BUS
46.3 mi
43m
Idaho Medal of Honor Highway
4.6 mi
5m
Rigby Highway
3.1 mi
3m
South Broadway Avenue
2.8 mi
5m
West Myrtle Street
0.6 mi
1m
North Yellowstone Highway
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
— 166.5 mi, about 2h 36m
Traffic on I-84
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 124 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,321 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,691
Quietest
2 AM
~119 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 104 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 Boise, ID and Ucon, ID.
1
Start on this road
118 ft·10 sec·this road
2
Turn right
263 ft·21 sec
3
Turn right onto South 6th Street
0.2 mi·38 sec·South 6th Street
4
Turn left onto US 20; US 26
0.6 mi·1 min·West Myrtle Street
5
Turn right onto US 20; US 26
2.8 mi·5 min·South Broadway Avenue
6
Take the ramp onto US 20; US 26
0.4 mi·46 sec·Idaho Medal of Honor Highway
Toward I 84 EastUse the left lane.
7
Continue on I 84; US 20; US 26; US 30
166 mi·2 hr 36 min·Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 86; US 30
63 mi·59 min·I 86; US 30
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi·40 sec
Toward Idaho Falls
10
Merge onto I 15 BUS
46 mi·43 min·I 15 BUS
11
Take the exit onto US 20
0.3 mi·35 sec·US 20
Exit 119Toward US 20 East, I 15: Rigby, West Yellowstone
12
Continue on US 20
3.1 mi·3 min·Rigby Highway
Use the right lane.
13
Continue on US 20
4.2 mi·4 min·Idaho Medal of Honor Highway
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
Toward ID 43: Ucon
15
Turn right onto ID 43
0.4 mi·36 sec·East 105th North
16
Turn left onto North Yellowstone Highway
0.4 mi·46 sec·North Yellowstone Highway
17
Turn left
57 ft·2 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Since this drive is estimated at under five hours, it's perfectly suited for a single day. Leaving Boise in the morning, perhaps around 9 or 10 AM, should give you ample time to reach Ucon before evening. You'll have one main stop built into the route data, but with this duration, you can be flexible. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially as you transition off I-86; the estimated $51 fuel cost is a good baseline, but local prices can vary.
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 144.4 miles from Boise, ID, or about 2h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 166.5 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 64 miles or 1h 5m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 144.4 miles or 2h 20m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ucon, ID than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Boise, ID 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 Boise, ID
This is one driving day of about 288.8 miles and 4h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 64 miles from Boise, ID.
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 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway for about 166.5 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 280.1 — 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
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|South 6th Street
Turn right onto South 6th Street
Navigation decision point
6
3.7 mi into trip|~8m in|US 20; US 26 / Idaho Medal of Honor Highway
Take the ramp onto US 20; US 26 / Idaho Medal of Honor Highway toward I 84 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 84 East
5
233.2 mi into trip|~3h 44m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Idaho Falls
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Idaho Falls
6
280.1 mi into trip|~4h 29m in|US 20
Take the exit onto US 20 toward US 20 East, I 15: Rigby, West Yellowstone
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 119
Toward US 20 East, I 15: Rigby, West Yellowston...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$52.02 one way
$104.04 round trip
$4.58/gal25.4 MPG avg101 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.78
$54.33
$108.65
premium
$5.11
$58.06
$116.11
diesel
$6.18
$70.26
$140.51
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$52
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$77–$102
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 101 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
86.6
1
$30.32
$13.86
Efficient EV
72.2
0
$25.27
$11.55
EV Truck/SUV
115.5
1
$40.43
$18.48
Gas CO2
101 kg
EV CO2
34 kg (66% 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 Oct 18, 2026
Origin
Boise, ID
Late night
in Boise on Monday
Local time
5:15 AM
MDT
Current temp
43°F
Partly Cloudy
SW 2 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Ucon, ID
Late night
in Ucon on Monday
Local time
5:15 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°F
Mostly Clear
ESE 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
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
4h 40m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
During the Pliocene, this place looked quite different. Lush wetlands, forests, and grasslands provided excellent habitat for a variety of animals. From fascinating, now-extinct creatures like the sab...
8 mi from route
~20 min detour
Free
near mile 99.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 38% of your time on the highway, with the longest continuous stretch on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway covering 166.5 miles. After this significant highway portion, expect a shift to more surface roads as you approach your destination. This mix means you'll experience both efficient highway cruising and potentially more local traffic as you get closer to Ucon.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 166.5 mi on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 40m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South 6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (US 20; US 26 / Idaho Medal of Honor Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
4,811 ft2,609 ft
Total Climb
2,872 ft
Total Descent
760 ft
Highest Point
4,811 ft
~288.8 mi in
Elevation Range
2,201 ft
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 Boise, ID to Ucon, ID, road signs begin pointing toward Idaho Falls along the way.
Boise is the capital and largest city of Idaho. Boise offers numerous recreational opportunities, including extensive hiking and biking in the foothills to the immediate north of downtown. Boise is a regional hub for jazz, theater, and indie music, and is home to several museums.
Top landmarks
•Idaho State Capitol — Idaho state capitol building in Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.
•Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist — church in Idaho, United States
•Morris Hill Cemetery Mausoleum — mausoleum in Morris Hill Cemetery, Boise, Idaho
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 166.5 miles on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 19 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, 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 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South 6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (US 20; US 26 / Idaho Medal of Honor Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.7 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.3 hours — manageable with a long break at Ucon, ID, but most travelers stay overnight.
