Ethete, WY to Gillette, WY is 271.8 miles and takes about 5h 11m via US 20 and WY 387, with a fuel budget near $44 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, traversing the state of Wyoming. Expect a straightforward drive that's mostly highway, making it a good option for a single-day trip. The route is manageable in under six hours, so you won't need to worry about finding overnight accommodations unless you plan to stop and explore along the way.
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
135.9 miles from Ethete, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 36m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 20
79.9 mi
1h 30m
WY 387
51.3 mi
58m
WY 789
40.7 mi
46m
State Highway 59 South
32.8 mi
35m
I 25
20.1 mi
18m
Horseshoe Road
17.9 mi
20m
17 Mile Road
17.9 mi
20m
South Douglas Highway
5 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
US 20
— 79.9 mi, about 1h 30m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~237 veh/hr typical
· worst 359
Quietest
2 AM
~20 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 52 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 Ethete, WY and Gillette, WY.
1
Start on Saint Michael Circle
441 ft·20 sec·Saint Michael Circle
2
Continue on Saint Michael Circle
234 ft·15 sec·Saint Michael Circle
3
Turn left onto WY 132
2.0 mi·3 min·Blue Sky Highway
4
Turn left onto 17 Mile Road
18 mi·20 min·17 Mile Road
5
Continue on Rendezvous Road
2.9 mi·3 min·Rendezvous Road
6
Turn left onto WY 789
41 mi·46 min·WY 789
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Continue on US 20; US 26
77 mi·1 hr 27 min·US 20; US 26
8
Turn left onto US 20; US 26
3.0 mi·3 min·US 20; US 26
9
Turn left
0.4 mi·50 sec
Toward I 25 North, US 87 North: Midwest
10
Merge onto I 25; US 87
20 mi·18 min·I 25; US 87
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi·50 sec
Toward Horse Ranch Creek Road
12
Turn right onto WY 259
18 mi·20 min·Horseshoe Road
13
Turn right onto WY 387
51 mi·58 min·WY 387
14
Turn left onto WY 59
33 mi·35 min·State Highway 59 South
15
Continue on WY 59
5.0 mi·9 min·South Douglas Highway
16
Turn left onto East 4th Street
0.4 mi·1 min·East 4th Street
17
Arrive at destination
East 4th Street
Trip Plan
Given the 5h 11m duration, starting your drive from Ethete in the morning is recommended to maximize daylight and allow for any unexpected delays. With only one planned stop and the longest stretch being nearly 80 miles, plan your fuel and rest breaks accordingly; consider filling up before you leave Ethete. Since this is a single-day route with a reasonable fuel cost of around $44, you have flexibility. Keep an eye on the weather, especially on the longer stretches of US 20, as conditions can change in Wyoming.
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 135.9 miles from Ethete, WY, or about 2h 36m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 79.9 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 60 miles or 1h 10m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 135.9 miles or 2h 36m 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 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Gillette, WY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Ethete, 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 Ethete, WY
This is one driving day of about 271.8 miles and 5h 11m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 60 miles from Ethete, 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 US 20 for about 79.9 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 164.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|WY 132 / Blue Sky Highway
Turn left onto WY 132 / Blue Sky Highway
Navigation decision point
5
22.9 mi into trip|~28m in|WY 789
Turn left onto WY 789
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
143.4 mi into trip|~2h 45m in
Turn left toward I 25 North, US 87 North: Midwest
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 25 North, US 87 North: Midwest
4
163.9 mi into trip|~3h 5m in
Take the exit toward Horse Ranch Creek Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Horse Ranch Creek Road
4
164.3 mi into trip|~3h 6m in|WY 259 / Horseshoe Road
Turn right onto WY 259 / Horseshoe Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.36 one way
$84.73 round trip
$3.96/gal25.4 MPG avg95 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.17
$44.65
$89.31
premium
$4.47
$47.88
$95.75
diesel
$4.80
$51.32
$102.64
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$42
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$67–$92
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 95.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
81.5
1
$28.54
$13.05
Efficient EV
68
0
$23.78
$10.87
EV Truck/SUV
108.7
1
$38.05
$17.40
Gas CO2
95 kg
EV CO2
32 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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Ethete, WY
Late night
in Ethete on Sunday
Local time
2:14 AM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Partly Cloudy
NW 6 to 12 mph6% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 3:07PM MDT until July 19 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 12:12PM MDT until July 20 at 6:00PM MDT by NWS Cheyenne WY
Destination
Gillette, WY
Late night
in Gillette on Sunday
Local time
2:14 AM
MDT
Current temp
66°F
Partly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SE 13 mph22% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 3:07PM MDT until July 19 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 12:12PM MDT until July 20 at 6:00PM MDT by NWS Cheyenne WY
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 11m 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 83% of the 271.8 miles on paved, higher-speed roads like US 20. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 79.9 miles on US 20, indicating significant periods of uninterrupted driving. The transition from highway to surface roads will occur gradually as you approach your destination, so anticipate a shift in driving pace.
83% 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: 79.9 mi on US 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 20 and WY 387. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near WY 132 / Blue Sky Highway.
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 11m 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 (WY 132 / Blue Sky Highway): Navigation decision point; at 22.9 miles (WY 789): Lane positioning matters here; at 143.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gillette is a city in Northeast Wyoming halfway between Sundance and Sheridan on I-90. Gillette is a coal mining town with a population of about 33,000 (2020). Because of the coal, oil, and natural gas production, the city calls itself the energy capital of the nation.
The longest stretch is about 79.9 miles on US 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 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 2 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 (WY 132 / Blue Sky Highway): Navigation decision point; at 22.9 miles (WY 789): Lane positioning matters here; at 143.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.2 hours each way, a round trip means 10.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Gillette, WY before the return drive.
