Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Buford, ND to Williston, ND

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

30m

Distance

22.9 mi

37 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Buford, ND, ND

Buford, ND

Ali Ahmad DANESH

Downtown Williston, ND, ND

Williston, ND

Dave Luzi, Litchfield CT REALTOR

Trip Overview

Buford, ND to Williston, ND is 22.9 miles and takes about 30 minutes via State Highway 1804, Dakota Parkway, and Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward journey. It's a practical option for connecting two points in North Dakota, ideal if you're looking for a quick transit rather than an extended scenic tour. Given its brevity, you'll likely find it’s a simple hop from one location to the next with minimal fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Highway 1804 15.3 mi 20m
Dakota Parkway 3.1 mi 3m
Theodore Roosevelt Expressway 2.5 mi 3m
2nd Street West 1.5 mi 2m
West Broadway 0.4 mi <1m
2nd Avenue West <0.1 mi <1m
East Broadway — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: State Highway 1804 — 15.3 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Buford, ND and Williston, ND.

1

Start on ND 1804

15 mi · 20 min · State Highway 1804
Use the straight / right lanes.
2

Turn right onto US 2; ND 1804

2.5 mi · 3 min · Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
Use the right lane.
3

Continue on US 2

3.1 mi · 3 min · Dakota Parkway
4

Turn right onto US 2 Business; ND 1804

1.5 mi · 2 min · 2nd Street West
5

Turn left onto 2nd Avenue West

378 ft · 10 sec · 2nd Avenue West
6

Turn right onto West Broadway

0.4 mi · 40 sec · West Broadway
7

Arrive at destination

East Broadway

Heads-up: tricky spots

4 of 4

4 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | ND 1804 / State Highway 1804

Depart onto ND 1804 / State Highway 1804

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
15.3 mi into trip | ~20m in | US 2; ND 1804 / Theodore Roosevelt Expressway

Turn right onto US 2; ND 1804 / Theodore Roosevelt Expressway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
3
22.4 mi into trip | ~29m in | 2nd Avenue West

Turn left onto 2nd Avenue West

Navigation decision point

3
22.5 mi into trip | ~29m in | West Broadway

Turn right onto West Broadway

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.38 one way

$6.76 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $3.73 $7.47
premium $4.72 $4.25 $8.50
diesel $4.80 $4.32 $8.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.9 0 $2.40 $1.10
Efficient EV 5.7 0 $2.00 $0.92
EV Truck/SUV 9.2 0 $3.21 $1.47

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 Jul 3, 2026

Origin

Buford, ND

Late night in Buford on Sunday

Local time

3:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

57°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

E 2 to 8 mph 39% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 2 at 9:24PM CDT until July 2 at 10:30PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 2 at 9:22PM CDT until July 2 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

Destination

Williston, ND

Late night in Williston on Sunday

Local time

3:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

E 3 to 8 mph 52% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 2 at 9:24PM CDT until July 2 at 10:30PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 2 at 9:22PM CDT until July 2 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

30m 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 predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 91% of the journey on established roadways. You'll spend most of your time on State Highway 1804, Dakota Parkway, and the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, which are designed for efficient travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 15.3 miles on State Highway 1804, allowing for a good period of steady driving. Expect a consistent, highway-like experience for the majority of this short trip.

91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.3 mi on State Highway 1804.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 1804 and Dakota Parkway. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near ND 1804 / State Highway 1804.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Buford, ND to Williston, ND is easy. At 30m with 91% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (ND 1804 / State Highway 1804): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.3 miles (US 2; ND 1804 / Theodore Roosevelt Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.4 miles (2nd Avenue West): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

2,135 ft 1,857 ft

Total Climb

323 ft

Total Descent

405 ft

Highest Point

2,135 ft

~16.3 mi in

Elevation Range

278 ft

About the Cities

Arriving in Williston, ND

Full guide →

Williston is a city on the Missouri River, near the northwestern corner of North Dakota, that is now experiencing explosive growth due to an oil boom. It is about 230 miles northwest of Bismarck - the state capital - by car. Williston is the county seat. Its population grew from 15,000 in 2010 to about 27,000 in 2018.

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 30m. Total distance: 22.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (91%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.3 miles on State Highway 1804. 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 ND 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 (ND 1804 / State Highway 1804): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.3 miles (US 2; ND 1804 / Theodore Roosevelt Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.4 miles (2nd Avenue West): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Williston, ND 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500