Spanning 279.6 miles across the heart of Wyoming, this trek from Cody to Rock Springs typically takes about 5 hours and 24 minutes behind the wheel. Because the duration is manageable for a single day, you can easily complete the trip in one go, though you should budget approximately $44 for fuel to cover the distance. Your journey primarily utilizes WY 120 and Highway 28, moving you through the diverse landscapes of the Mountain West. While the route is straightforward, it is best viewed as a functional connection between two distinct Wyoming hubs rather than a tourist-heavy excursion. Planning for a single dedicated day of travel is the most efficient way to manage this transit, ensuring you arrive in Rock Springs before nightfall.
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
139.8 miles from Cody, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 40m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
WY 120
81.5 mi
1h 29m
Highway 28
66.5 mi
1h 15m
Farson Mercantile
38.1 mi
43m
US 20
31 mi
36m
US 26
18.9 mi
21m
West 2nd Street
18.2 mi
20m
South Main Street
9.8 mi
11m
East Main Street
8.4 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
WY 120
— 81.5 mi, about 1h 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cody, WY and Rock Springs, 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 right onto US 26; WY 789
18 mi·20 min·West 2nd Street
10
Continue on US 26; WY 789
19 mi·21 min·US 26; WY 789
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on WY 789
9.8 mi·11 min·South Main Street
12
Turn left onto US 287; WY 789
8.4 mi·9 min·East Main Street
13
Continue on WY 28
66 mi·1 hr 15 min·Highway 28
14
Turn left onto US 191
38 mi·43 min·Farson Mercantile
15
Continue on US 191
2.3 mi·5 min·Elk Street
16
Turn left onto I 80 Business; US 30 Business
0.3 mi·27 sec·Bridger Avenue
17
Turn right onto M Street
0.2 mi·33 sec·M Street
18
Continue on Broadway Street
401 ft·16 sec·Broadway Street
19
Turn left onto F Street
230 ft·11 sec·F Street
20
Turn left onto 2nd Street
0.2 mi·33 sec·2nd Street
21
Turn right onto Edgar Street
0.6 mi·1 min·Edgar Street
22
At end of road, turn right onto Agate Street
422 ft·23 sec·Agate Street
23
Turn left onto Collins Street
84 ft·3 sec·Collins Street
24
Arrive at destination
Collins Street
Trip Plan
To make the most of your 279.6-mile drive, aim for an early morning departure to avoid mid-day fatigue. You should plan for at least one substantial stop to break up the drive, especially since you will be passing through areas like Farson Mercantile that serve as convenient waypoints. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge, as the $44 estimate can fluctuate based on local prices in remote sections of the state. Because this is a single-day trip, your primary goal should be maintaining a steady pace rather than rushing. Always verify that your vehicle is ready for a long stretch of highway driving before heading out onto the open road.
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 139.8 miles from Cody, WY, or about 2h 40m 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 62 miles or 1h 9m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 139.8 miles or 2h 40m 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 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rock Springs, 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 279.6 miles and 5h 24m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 62 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 278.7 — 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
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
278.4 mi into trip|~5h 21m in|M Street
Turn right onto M Street
Navigation decision point
5
278.7 mi into trip|~5h 22m in|2nd Street
Turn left onto 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.31 one way
$88.61 round trip
$4.03/gal25.4 MPG avg98 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$46.44
$92.88
premium
$4.53
$49.88
$99.75
diesel
$5.61
$61.73
$123.46
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$44
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
83.9
1
$29.36
$13.42
Efficient EV
69.9
0
$24.47
$11.18
EV Truck/SUV
111.8
1
$39.14
$17.89
Gas CO2
98 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (66% 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 Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Cody, WY
Evening
in Cody on Saturday
Local time
8:51 PM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Rock Springs, WY
Evening
in Rock Springs on Saturday
Local time
8:51 PM
MDT
Current temp
63°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
5 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 24m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience, as roughly 71% of this route consists of high-speed travel. You will face your longest uninterrupted stretch early on, navigating 81.5 miles of WY 120 before reaching the next transition point. The road maintains a consistent pace, shifting between fast-moving highway segments and more localized stretches as you progress toward your destination. While the drive is characterized by its efficiency, the changing road conditions require you to remain attentive throughout the 5-hour journey. It is a practical, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes steady progress over technical complexity.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 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 Highway 28. 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 24m drive. You will face about 15 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 2.2 miles (WY 120): Lane positioning matters here; at 84.3 miles (US 20; WY 789 / Shoshoni Street): 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.
Rock Springs is the biggest city in Sweetwater County in Southwest Wyoming. It had a population of 23,000 in 2019. Rock Springs' nickname is: "Home of 56 Nationalities". The town has a rich western and coal mining history.
The longest stretch is about 81.5 miles on WY 120. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
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 2.2 miles (WY 120): Lane positioning matters here; at 84.3 miles (US 20; WY 789 / Shoshoni Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.4 hours each way, a round trip means 10.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Rock Springs, WY before the return drive.
