Cody to Lusk is 317.9 miles and takes about 5h 57m via WY 120 and US 20, with a fuel budget near $55 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Wyoming, moving from the Mountain West region to the Mountain West region. It's a straightforward, mostly highway drive, perfect for a single day’s travel. You’ll spend most of your time on major roads, making for efficient progress across the state. Plan for about six hours of wheels-turning time, not including any stops.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
159 miles from Cody, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 2m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
WY 120
81.5 mi
1h 29m
West US Highway 20-26
60.7 mi
1h 8m
US 20
33.7 mi
39m
East 2nd Street
33.1 mi
37m
US Highway 20
23.3 mi
25m
US Highway 18/20
18.4 mi
20m
Greybull Highway
1.4 mi
1m
Shoshoni Street
0.7 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
WY 120
— 81.5 mi, about 1h 29m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~371 veh/hr typical
· worst 502
Quietest
2 AM
~25 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 58 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 Cody, WY and Lusk, WY.
1
Start on US 14A; WY 120
504 ft·22 sec·16th Street
2
Turn left onto Beck Avenue
493 ft·17 sec·Beck Avenue
3
Turn right onto US 14; US 16; US 20; WY 120
0.7 mi·1 min·17th Street
4
Continue on US 14; US 16; US 20; WY 120
1.4 mi·1 min·Greybull Highway
5
Turn right onto WY 120
82 mi·1 hr 29 min·WY 120
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn right onto South 8th Street
0.5 mi·2 min·South 8th Street
7
Turn right onto US 20; WY 789
0.7 mi·1 min·Shoshoni Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on US 20; WY 789
31 mi·36 min·US 20; WY 789
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto US 20; US 26
33 mi·37 min·East 2nd Street
10
Continue on US 20; US 26
61 mi·1 hr 8 min·West US Highway 20-26
11
Turn left onto US 20; US 26
2.7 mi·3 min·US 20; US 26
12
Take the exit
63 mi·1 hr 6 min
13
Take the exit onto I 25
0.3 mi·41 sec·I 25
Toward US 18 East, US 20 East: Lusk
14
Turn left onto US 18; US 20
18 mi·20 min·US Highway 18/20
15
Continue on US 18; US 20
23 mi·25 min·US Highway 20
16
Continue on US 18; US 20
0.2 mi·32 sec·West 8th Street
17
Turn left onto US 18; US 20; US 85
0.5 mi·1 min·South Main Street
18
Arrive at destination
US 18; US 20; US 85
Trip Plan
Given the 5h 57m estimated driving time, leaving Cody in the morning is ideal to ensure you reach Lusk with daylight to spare. While the route is manageable in one day, keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 81.5-mile stretch on WY 120, as services might be less frequent there. The total fuel cost is estimated at $55, so factor that into your budget. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility to make it a quick break or a longer one, depending on your needs.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 159 miles from Cody, WY, or about 3h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 81.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 70 miles or 1h 18m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 159 miles or 3h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 54m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lusk, WY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Cody, WY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Cody, WY
This is one driving day of about 317.9 miles and 5h 57m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 70 miles from Cody, WY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on WY 120 for about 81.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 275.3 — 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|Beck Avenue
Turn left onto Beck Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|US 14; US 16; US 20; WY 120 / 17th Street
Turn right onto US 14; US 16; US 20; WY 120 / 17th Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.2 mi into trip|~4m in|WY 120
Turn right onto WY 120
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
84.3 mi into trip|~1h 35m in|US 20; WY 789 / Shoshoni Street
Turn right onto US 20; WY 789 / Shoshoni Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
275.3 mi into trip|~5h 9m in|I 25
Take the exit onto I 25 toward US 18 East, US 20 East: Lusk
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 18 East, US 20 East: Lusk
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$57.26 one way
$114.52 round trip
$4.58/gal25.4 MPG avg111 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.78
$59.80
$119.60
premium
$5.11
$63.91
$127.81
diesel
$6.18
$77.33
$154.67
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$57
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$82–$107
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 111.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
95.4
1
$33.38
$15.26
Efficient EV
79.5
0
$27.82
$12.72
EV Truck/SUV
127.2
1
$44.51
$20.35
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 17, 2026
Origin
Cody, WY
Morning
in Cody on Saturday
Local time
10:33 AM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Partly Cloudy
SSW 8 mph0% chanceLive forecast
High Wind Warning
High Wind Warning issued October 17 at 1:30AM MDT until October 17 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS Cheyenne WY
Destination
Lusk, WY
Morning
in Lusk on Saturday
Local time
10:33 AM
MDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
3 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
5h 57m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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 route is primarily highway driving, with 69% of it on major roads. You'll encounter the longest continuous stretch of highway on WY 120, covering 81.5 miles. After the highway portions, expect more rural cruising as you transition to surface roads. The overall feel is one of consistent forward momentum, with minimal urban merging or complex intersections to navigate.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 81.5 mi on WY 120.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WY 120 and West US Highway 20-26. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Beck Avenue.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 57m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Beck Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 14; US 16; US 20; WY 120 / 17th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (WY 120): Lane positioning matters here.
Cody is in Northwest Wyoming, close to the east side Yellowstone National Park. Unlike Jackson, with its pet spas and high-end shopping, Cody is more authentically cowboy. Cody is famous for its rodeo, which occurs nightly during the summer, and for its proximity to fantastic wilderness adventures in Yellowstone and in the national forests surrounding the park.
The longest stretch is about 81.5 miles on WY 120. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 6 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through WY 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 (Beck Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 14; US 16; US 20; WY 120 / 17th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (WY 120): Lane positioning matters here.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.0 hours each way, a round trip means 11.9 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Lusk, WY before the return drive.
