Origin
Box Elder, SD
Night in Box Elder on Tuesday
Local time
9:43 PM
MDT
Current temp
87°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Box Elder, SD to Deadwood, SD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
48.4 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Box Elder, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Deadwood, SD
Alfo Medeiros
Trip Overview
Box Elder, SD to Deadwood, SD is 48.4 miles and takes about 54 minutes via I 90 and US Highway 14A, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Great Plains region, making for a straightforward drive. Most of the route is on major highways, so expect a quick transit. With only one day recommended, this trip is perfect if you're looking for an easy connection between two points without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 33.2 mi | 34m |
| US Highway 14A | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| Highway 1416 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Lazelle Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Boulder Canyon Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Pioneer Way | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| SD 79 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Front Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 33.2 mi, about 34m
Traffic on I-90
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~1,360 veh/hr typical · worst 1,992
Quietest
2 AM
~39 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
34.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 75 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 Box Elder, SD and Deadwood, SD.
1
Start on Front Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Front Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto South Ellsworth Road
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
South Ellsworth Road
3
Turn left onto Highway 1416
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Highway 1416
4
Take the ramp
0.8 mi
·
1 min
5
Merge onto I 90; US 14
33 mi
·
34 min
·
I 90; US 14
6
Take the exit onto SD 79
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
SD 79
Toward US 14A West, SD 34 East, SD 79 North: Deadwood, Lead
7
Turn left onto I 90 Business; US 14A; SD 79
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Lazelle Street
8
Continue on US 14A
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Boulder Canyon Road
9
Continue on US 14A
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
US Highway 14A
10
Continue on US 14A; US 85
0.4 mi
·
28 sec
·
Pioneer Way
11
Turn right onto Lee Street
20 ft
·
0 sec
·
Lee Street
12
Arrive at destination
Lee Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Box Elder, SD, 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 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 48.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Ellsworth Road
At end of road, turn right onto South Ellsworth Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Highway 1416
Turn left onto Highway 1416
Navigation decision point
3
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 90; US 14
Merge onto I 90; US 14
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
36.2 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
SD 79
Take the exit onto SD 79 toward US 14A West, SD 34 East, SD 79 North: Deadwood, Lead
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 14A West, SD 34 East, SD 79 North: De...
3
48.4 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
Lee Street
Turn right onto Lee Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.50 one way
$15.01 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $8.23 | $16.46 |
| premium | $4.93 | $9.39 | $18.78 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $10.67 | $21.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.78 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Deadwood, SD
Night in Deadwood on Tuesday
Local time
9:43 PM
MDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
86°F
Sturgis, SD
24 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
5 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
54m 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 predominantly highway, with 92% of the 48.4 miles spent on major roadways like I 90. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 33.2 miles on I 90 before transitioning to US Highway 14A and Highway 1416. Expect typical highway merging and cruising for the majority of your travel time before hitting surface roads for the final portion.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33.2 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and US Highway 14A. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Ellsworth Road.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Box Elder, SD to Deadwood, SD is easy. At 54m with 92% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Ellsworth Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Highway 1416): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (I 90; US 14): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
4,575 ft
3,033 ft
Total Climb
1,848 ft
Total Descent
344 ft
Highest Point
4,575 ft
~44.9 mi in
Elevation Range
1,542 ft
Notable High Points
4,575 ft at ~44.9 miles
+38 ft prominence
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 Box Elder, SD to Deadwood, SD, road signs begin pointing toward Lead along the way.
Lead
36.2 mi in
|
~39m
|
via SD 79
About the Cities
Starting in Box Elder, SD
Full guide →Founded 1907
Arriving in Deadwood, SD
Full guide →Founded 1876
Deadwood is a town in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is rivaled only by Tombstone, Arizona as America's most storied town from the wild frontier days.
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 54m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 33.2 miles on I 90. 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: at 0.1 miles (South Ellsworth Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Highway 1416): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (I 90; US 14): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Yes — Mount Rushmore National Memorial. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Deadwood, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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