Box Elder, SD to North Spearfish, SD is 58.8 miles and takes about 1h 4m via I 90 and Highway 1416, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, primarily utilizing interstate highway for most of its length. Given the short duration and straightforward route, it's a convenient option for a quick transit or an easy addition to a larger itinerary. You'll find the driving is uncomplicated, making it a good choice for those who prefer straightforward travel.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 90
54.3 mi
55m
Highway 1416
2 mi
2m
McGuigan Road
0.8 mi
1m
Old Belle Road
0.4 mi
<1m
Front Street
0.1 mi
<1m
South Ellsworth Road
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 54.3 mi, about 55m
Traffic on I-90
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 40 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,152 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,705
Quietest
2 AM
~35 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
32.9×
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 Box Elder, SD and North Spearfish, 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
54 mi·55 min·I 90; US 14
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·45 sec
Toward I-90 West
7
Turn left onto CR 1050
0.4 mi·38 sec·Old Belle Road
8
Continue on CR 1341
0.8 mi·1 min·McGuigan Road
9
Turn right
427 ft·31 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 29.4 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 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 57.6 — 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
4
57.3 mi into trip|~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward I-90 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I-90 West
4
57.6 mi into trip|~1h 1m in|CR 1050 / Old Belle Road
Turn left onto CR 1050 / Old Belle Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.12 one way
$18.23 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg21 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$10.00
$19.99
premium
$4.93
$11.41
$22.82
diesel
$5.60
$12.96
$25.92
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
17.6
0
$6.17
$2.82
Efficient EV
14.7
0
$5.15
$2.35
EV Truck/SUV
23.5
0
$8.23
$3.76
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (67% 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 Sep 1, 2026
Origin
Box Elder, SD
Night
in Box Elder on Tuesday
Local time
9:44 PM
MDT
Current temp
76°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
E 12 mph17% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 6:08PM CDT until September 1 at 6:30PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 5:50PM CDT until September 1 at 6:30PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
Destination
North Spearfish, SD
Night
in North Spearfish on Tuesday
Local time
9:44 PM
MDT
Current temp
75°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
E 8 mph19% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 6:08PM CDT until September 1 at 6:30PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 5:50PM CDT until September 1 at 6:30PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
86°F
Sturgis, SD
29 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
1 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 4m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 96% of the 58.8 miles on high-speed roads like I 90. You'll experience a longest stretch of 54.3 miles on I 90 before transitioning to Highway 1416 and McGuigan Road. Expect to notice the typical dense exits and merging traffic associated with interstate travel for the majority of your time behind the wheel. The final portion of the drive will be on surface roads.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 54.3 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and Highway 1416. 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 Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Box Elder, SD to North Spearfish, SD is easy. At 1h 4m with 96% 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.
The longest stretch is about 54.3 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 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 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. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at North Spearfish, SD before heading back.
