Dickinson, ND to Horace, ND is 292.4 miles and takes about 4h 47m via I 94 and CR 17, with a fuel budget near $46 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive across North Dakota. With nearly all of it on the highway, you'll cover a significant distance efficiently. It's a solid choice if you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss, keeping your travel time to under five hours. You'll be in the same state for the entire trip, making for a simple logistical plan.
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
146.2 miles from Dickinson, ND
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 21m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 94
284.3 mi
4h 32m
CR 17
3.2 mi
5m
Sheyenne Street
3.1 mi
5m
3rd Avenue West
1.1 mi
1m
West Villard Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Center Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 284.3 mi, about 4h 32m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~522 veh/hr typical
· worst 746
Quietest
3 AM
~54 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 101 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 Dickinson, ND and Horace, ND.
1
Start on this road
77 ft·7 sec·this road
2
Turn right
51 ft·5 sec
3
Turn right onto I 94 Business
139 ft·6 sec·West Villard Street
4
Turn right onto ND 22
1.1 mi·1 min·3rd Avenue West
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·37 sec
6
Merge onto I 94
284 mi·4 hr 32 min·I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward Sheyenne Street
8
Keep slight right at fork
316 ft·8 sec
Toward Sheyenne Street
9
Turn right onto Sheyenne Street
3.1 mi·5 min·Sheyenne Street
10
Enter roundabout onto CR 17; CR 6
137 ft·3 sec·CR 17; CR 6
11
Continue on CR 17; CR 6
1.0 mi·1 min·CR 17; CR 6
12
Enter roundabout onto CR 17; CR 6
141 ft·3 sec·CR 17; CR 6
13
Continue on CR 17; CR 6
1.0 mi·1 min·CR 17; CR 6
14
Enter roundabout onto CR 17
144 ft·3 sec·CR 17
15
Continue on CR 17
1.1 mi·2 min·CR 17
16
Turn left onto Center Avenue
40 ft·1 sec·Center Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Center Avenue
Trip Plan
For this 4h 47m drive, leaving Dickinson, ND in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight. The route is efficient enough that you shouldn't need to split it, but if you prefer a more relaxed pace, consider a brief stop midway. Since most of the drive is on I 94, keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially if you're traveling during off-peak hours when services might be less frequent. The fuel cost is estimated at $46, so budget accordingly. Your single stop for this trip should be strategically placed to allow for a break before the final leg into Horace, ND.
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 146.2 miles from Dickinson, ND, or about 2h 21m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 284.3 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 64 miles or 1h 2m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 146.2 miles or 2h 21m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 50m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Horace, ND than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Dickinson, ND 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 Dickinson, ND
This is one driving day of about 292.4 miles and 4h 47m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 64 miles from Dickinson, ND.
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 I 94 for about 284.3 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 and 286 — 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
Turn right
Navigation decision point
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|I 94 Business / West Villard Street
Turn right onto I 94 Business / West Villard Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.4 mi into trip|~2m in|I 94
Merge onto I 94
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
285.7 mi into trip|~4h 34m in
Take the exit toward Sheyenne Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Sheyenne Street
6
286 mi into trip|~4h 35m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Sheyenne Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Sheyenne Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$48.78 one way
$97.55 round trip
$4.24/gal25.4 MPG avg102 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.62
$53.22
$106.44
premium
$5.25
$60.47
$120.94
diesel
$6.28
$72.25
$144.50
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$49
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$74–$99
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 102.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
87.7
1
$30.70
$14.04
Efficient EV
73.1
0
$25.59
$11.70
EV Truck/SUV
117
1
$40.94
$18.71
Gas CO2
102 kg
EV CO2
34 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 22, 2026
Origin
Dickinson, ND
Evening
in Dickinson on Friday
Local time
7:52 PM
MDT
Current temp
45°F
Mostly Clear
S 9 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Horace, ND
Evening
in Horace on Friday
Local time
8:52 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Sunny
SSE 5 to 15 mph1% chanceLive forecast
33°F
Medina, ND
146 mi in
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
1 hour later
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
32 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
4h 47m 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 drive is predominantly highway, with 98% of the 292.4 miles on major roads. You'll experience 284.3 miles on I 94 as the longest continuous stretch. Expect relatively few transitions to surface roads; CR 17 and Sheyenne Street will be your final segments. Given the highway concentration, you'll likely notice the consistent speed limits and the rhythm of rural cruising for most of the trip.
98% 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: 284.3 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and CR 17. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 47m 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (I 94 Business / West Villard Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 94): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The longest stretch is about 284.3 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 19 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.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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: Navigation decision point; near the start (I 94 Business / West Villard Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 94): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 4.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.6 hours — manageable with a long break at Horace, ND, but most travelers stay overnight.
