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Trip from Brandon, SD to Lyons, SD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

41m

Distance

23.7 mi

38 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 38m ★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 40m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Brandon, SD, SD

Brandon, SD

Patrick

Trip Overview

Brandon, SD to Lyons, SD is 23.7 miles and takes about 41 minutes via I 90 and CR 143, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Great Plains region of South Dakota. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on the interstate, making it a simple option for a quick transfer or a short excursion. Given the minimal mileage and duration, this route is easily accomplished within a single day, offering convenience for travelers.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 90 9.4 mi 10m
CR 143 3.3 mi 8m
256th Street 2.9 mi 7m
258th Street 2.1 mi 4m
I 29 1.7 mi 1m
South West Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
North Splitrock Boulevard 1 mi 2m
470th Avenue 0.9 mi 2m
Longest stretch: I 90 — 9.4 mi, about 10m

Traffic on I-29

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~939 veh/hr typical · worst 1,287

Quietest

1 AM

~35 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

26.8×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 105 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 Brandon, SD and Lyons, 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

9.4 mi · 10 min · I 90
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Toward I 29: Fargo
7

Merge onto I 29

1.7 mi · 1 min · I 29
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward Renner, Crooks
9

Turn left onto 258th Street

2.1 mi · 4 min · 258th Street
10

Turn right onto CR 137

0.4 mi · 57 sec · 470th Avenue
11

Continue on CR 137

1.1 mi · 2 min · South West Avenue
12

Continue on CR 137

0.5 mi · 1 min · 470th Avenue
13

Turn left onto CR 126

2.9 mi · 7 min · 256th Street
14

Keep slight right at fork onto CR 126

322 ft · 8 sec · CR 126
15

Continue on CR 143

3.3 mi · 8 min · CR 143
16

Turn right onto 3rd Street

0.2 mi · 38 sec · 3rd Street
17

Arrive at destination

3rd Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 12.9 — 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.
4
10.7 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward I 29: Fargo

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward I 29: Fargo
5
12.9 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the exit toward Renner, Crooks

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Renner, Crooks

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.99 one way

$7.98 round trip

$4.28/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.51 $4.21 $8.42
premium $5.08 $4.74 $9.48
diesel $6.05 $5.64 $11.29

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.1 0 $2.49 $1.14
Efficient EV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.95
EV Truck/SUV 9.5 0 $3.32 $1.52

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 Oct 15, 2026

Origin

Brandon, SD

Morning in Brandon on Saturday

Local time

11:34 AM

CDT

Current temp

57°F

Rain Showers

NNW 5 to 20 mph 78% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 1:51AM MDT until October 15 at 11:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 1:51AM MDT until October 16 at 3:00AM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Destination

Lyons, SD

Morning in Lyons on Saturday

Local time

11:34 AM

CDT

Current temp

56°F

Rain Showers

NW 5 to 25 mph 77% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 1:51AM MDT until October 15 at 11:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 1:51AM MDT until October 16 at 3:00AM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

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

41m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is mostly highway, with 61% of the drive on interstates. You'll experience a stretch of 9.4 miles on I 90, which means you can expect a consistent cruising speed. After leaving the interstate, the drive transitions to county roads like CR 143 and 256th Street, offering a change of pace with fewer exits and potentially more rural scenery.

61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.4 mi on I 90.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and CR 143. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Sylvan Circle.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 23.7 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,627 ft 1,316 ft

Total Climb

414 ft

Total Descent

227 ft

Highest Point

1,627 ft

~20.3 mi in

Elevation Range

311 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Brandon, SD and Lyons, SD, road signs point toward Renner and Crooks.

Renner

12.9 mi in | ~15m

Crooks

12.9 mi in | ~15m

About the Cities

Starting in Brandon, SD

Full guide →

Arriving in Lyons, SD

Full guide →

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 41m. Total distance: 23.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.4 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 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.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Lyons, SD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 Lyons, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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