Origin
Brandon, SD
Night in Brandon on Saturday
Local time
9:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brandon, SD to Freeman, SD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
67.6 mi
109 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brandon, SD
Patrick
Freeman, SD
Julio Lopez
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a straightforward trip through the South Dakota Great Plains, the 67.6-mile journey from Brandon to Freeman is an ideal choice. You can easily complete this drive in about 1 hour and 13 minutes, making it a perfect one-day excursion that doesn't require an overnight stay. Budgeting approximately $10 for fuel should cover the trip comfortably in a standard vehicle. Since both locations sit within the same region, you will experience a consistent landscape as you transition between the two towns. This route is designed for efficiency, prioritizing direct highway travel over complex detours. It is a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you to your destination with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 41.9 mi | 41m |
| US Highway 81 | 22.8 mi | 25m |
| North Splitrock Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
| East North County Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Sylvan Circle | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Pipestone Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 3rd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 41.9 mi, about 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brandon, SD and Freeman, SD.
1
Start on North Pipestone Street
44 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Pipestone Street
2
Turn right onto East Sylvan Circle
107 ft
·
6 sec
·
East Sylvan Circle
3
Turn right onto SD 11
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Splitrock Boulevard
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
5
Merge onto I 90
42 mi
·
41 min
·
I 90
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward US 81: Salem, Yankton
7
Turn left onto US 81
23 mi
·
25 min
·
US Highway 81
8
Turn right onto East North County Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
East North County Road
9
Turn left onto North Main Street
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
North Main Street
10
Turn left onto East 3rd Street
28 ft
·
1 sec
·
East 3rd Street
11
Arrive at destination
East 3rd Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.8 miles from Brandon, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 43.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Sylvan Circle
Turn right onto East Sylvan Circle
Navigation decision point
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
SD 11 / North Splitrock Boulevard
Turn right onto SD 11 / North Splitrock Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 90
Merge onto I 90
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
43.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward US 81: Salem, Yankton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 81: Salem, Yankton
4
43.5 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
US 81 / US Highway 81
Turn left onto US 81 / US Highway 81
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.57 one way
$21.14 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $11.60 | $23.21 |
| premium | $4.89 | $13.01 | $26.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.93 | $29.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.3 | 0 | $7.10 | $3.24 |
| Efficient EV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.91 | $2.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27 | 0 | $9.46 | $4.33 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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.
Destination
Freeman, SD
Night in Freeman on Saturday
Local time
9:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 13m 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?
Expect a highly efficient commute, as 96% of this route consists of highway travel. You will spend the bulk of your time on I-90 and US Highway 81, with a short initial segment on North Splitrock Boulevard. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 41.9 miles on I-90, allowing you to settle into a steady rhythm behind the wheel. Because this is a highway-focused drive, the pace remains brisk and consistent throughout the trip. You won't encounter technical mountain passes or winding rural lanes here, just the open, expansive feel of the Great Plains that characterizes this stretch of South Dakota road.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 41.9 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and US Highway 81. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Sylvan Circle.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 13m drive. You will face about 8 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 (East Sylvan Circle): Navigation decision point; near the start (SD 11 / North Splitrock Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 90): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
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 Brandon, SD to Freeman, SD, road signs begin pointing toward Yankton along the way.
Yankton
43.2 mi in
|
~43m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 67.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 41.9 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: near the start (East Sylvan Circle): Navigation decision point; near the start (SD 11 / North Splitrock Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 90): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Freeman, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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