Dickinson, ND to Rugby, ND is 234.9 miles and takes about 4h 24m via I 94 and State Highway 41, with a fuel budget near $37 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward trip across North Dakota. You'll spend most of your time on the interstate before transitioning to state highways. With only one recommended stop and a duration under five hours, this route is ideal for a single-day trip, especially if you want to maximize your time at your destination.
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
117.5 miles from Dickinson, ND
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 6m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 94
65.7 mi
1h 2m
State Highway 41
51.7 mi
1h
State Highway 200 Alternate
25.3 mi
29m
US-2 E
22.8 mi
24m
57th Street North
17.8 mi
20m
State Highway 31
17.5 mi
20m
State Highway 200
8.7 mi
10m
State Highway 48
8.6 mi
10m
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 65.7 mi, about 1h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dickinson, ND and Rugby, 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
66 mi·1 hr 2 min·I 94
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward ND 31 North: New Salem, Hazen
8
Turn left onto ND 31
17 mi·20 min·State Highway 31
9
Turn right onto ND 25
6.1 mi·8 min·State Highway 25
10
Turn sharp left onto ND 48
0.7 mi·2 min·Center Avenue
11
Continue on ND 48
8.6 mi·10 min·State Highway 48
12
At end of road, turn right onto ND 200 ALT
25 mi·29 min·State Highway 200 Alternate
13
Continue on ND 200
8.7 mi·10 min·State Highway 200
14
Turn left onto ND 41
2.3 mi·3 min·State Highway 41
15
Continue on ND 41
0.4 mi·43 sec·7th Street Northwest
16
Continue on ND 41
37 mi·43 min·State Highway 41
17
Continue on ND 41
0.9 mi·2 min·South Main Street
18
Continue on ND 41
12 mi·14 min·State Highway 41
19
Turn right onto US 2
18 mi·20 min·57th Street North
20
Continue on US 2
6.1 mi·6 min·62nd Street Northeast
21
Continue on US 2; ND 14
23 mi·24 min·US-2 E
22
Turn left onto ND 3
0.4 mi·54 sec·3rd Avenue Southwest
23
Turn right onto 10th Street Southwest
0.1 mi·23 sec·10th Street Southwest
24
Turn left onto South Main Avenue
0.5 mi·1 min·South Main Avenue
25
Arrive at destination
ND 3 Business
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 24m drive time, leaving Dickinson in the morning will comfortably get you to Rugby before evening. The route is designed for a single day, so you won't need to break it up. Plan for your one stop around the halfway point to stretch your legs and refuel if necessary, as the longest stretch without a break is 65.7 miles. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as services can be spread out on the state highway sections. The $37 fuel estimate is a good baseline for budgeting.
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 117.5 miles from Dickinson, ND, or about 2h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 65.7 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 52 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 117.5 miles or 2h 6m 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 36m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rugby, 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 234.9 miles and 4h 24m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 52 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 65.7 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 90.9 — 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
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
67.1 mi into trip|~1h 4m in
Take the exit toward ND 31 North: New Salem, Hazen
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward ND 31 North: New Salem, Hazen
4
67.3 mi into trip|~1h 5m in|ND 31 / State Highway 31
Turn left onto ND 31 / State Highway 31
Navigation decision point
5
90.9 mi into trip|~1h 33m in|ND 48 / Center Avenue
Turn sharp left onto ND 48 / Center Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$36.72 one way
$73.45 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg82 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$40.32
$80.64
premium
$4.89
$45.20
$90.41
diesel
$5.61
$51.86
$103.73
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 82.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
70.5
0
$24.66
$11.28
Efficient EV
58.7
0
$20.55
$9.40
EV Truck/SUV
94
1
$32.89
$15.03
Gas CO2
82 kg
EV CO2
27 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 20, 2026
Origin
Dickinson, ND
Late night
in Dickinson on Tuesday
Local time
5:42 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Rugby, ND
Morning
in Rugby on Tuesday
Local time
6:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
46°F
Washburn, ND
117 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
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
4h 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?
This route is heavily dominated by highways, with 88% of the drive on paved, high-speed roads. You'll experience a stretch of 65.7 miles on I 94 before transitioning to State Highway 41 and then State Highway 200 Alternate. Expect mostly rural cruising with minimal urban merging or complex intersections. The final portion of your drive will be on surface roads, offering a change of pace from the interstate.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 65.7 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and State Highway 41. 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 24m drive. You will face about 14 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 67.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Dickinson, ND to Rugby, ND, road signs begin pointing toward Hazen along the way.
The longest stretch is about 65.7 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 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 67.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Possible but tiring. At 4.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.8 hours — manageable with a long break at Rugby, ND, but most travelers stay overnight.
