Evanston, WY to Ethete, WY is 230.7 miles and takes about 4h 17m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $35 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, traversing Wyoming for its entirety. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface roads, with most of your time spent on major routes. It's a straightforward drive for those looking to cover ground efficiently between these two points in the state.
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
115.4 miles from Evanston, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 58m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
99.3 mi
1h 37m
Highway 28
66.5 mi
1h 15m
US 191
38.4 mi
43m
US 287
17.7 mi
23m
Blue Sky Highway
6.6 mi
11m
Elk Street
1.1 mi
2m
Front Street
0.7 mi
1m
Saint Michael Circle
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 99.3 mi, about 1h 37m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~608 veh/hr typical
· worst 843
Quietest
2 AM
~88 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 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 Evanston, WY and Ethete, WY.
1
Start on Bear River Drive
351 ft·17 sec·Bear River Drive
2
Turn left onto I 80 BUS; US 189 BUS
0.7 mi·1 min·Front Street
3
Take the exit
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward I 80 East, US 189 North
4
Merge onto I 80; US 189
99 mi·1 hr 37 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
5
Take the exit onto US 191
0.3 mi·43 sec·US 191
Toward US 191 North
6
Continue on US 191
1.1 mi·2 min·Elk Street
7
Continue on US 191
38 mi·43 min·US 191
8
Turn right onto WY 28
66 mi·1 hr 15 min·Highway 28
9
Continue on US 287; WY 789
18 mi·23 min·US 287; WY 789
10
Turn right onto WY 132
6.6 mi·11 min·Blue Sky Highway
11
Turn right onto Saint Michael Circle
234 ft·11 sec·Saint Michael Circle
12
Continue on Saint Michael Circle
440 ft·19 sec·Saint Michael Circle
13
Arrive at destination
Saint Michael Circle
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 17m estimated drive time, you can comfortably complete this trip in a single day. Aim to depart Evanston, WY in the morning to maximize daylight and allow for any unexpected delays. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility in pacing, but it's wise to fuel up before leaving Evanston, as the longest stretch without significant services is considerable. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially after the 99.3-mile segment on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, before transitioning to Highway 28 and US 191.
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 115.4 miles from Evanston, WY, or about 1h 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 99.3 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 51 miles or 51m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 115.4 miles or 1h 58m 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 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ethete, WY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Evanston, 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 Evanston, WY
This is one driving day of about 230.7 miles and 4h 17m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 51 miles from Evanston, 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 Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 99.3 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 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 230.6 — 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|I 80 BUS; US 189 BUS / Front Street
Turn left onto I 80 BUS; US 189 BUS / Front Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the exit toward I 80 East, US 189 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 80 East, US 189 North
4
100.3 mi into trip|~1h 40m in|US 191
Take the exit onto US 191 toward US 191 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 191 North
4
139.9 mi into trip|~2h 26m in|WY 28 / Highway 28
Turn right onto WY 28 / Highway 28
Navigation decision point
4
230.6 mi into trip|~4h 17m in|Saint Michael Circle
Turn right onto Saint Michael Circle
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$41.55 one way
$83.11 round trip
$4.58/gal25.4 MPG avg81 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.78
$43.40
$86.79
premium
$5.11
$46.38
$92.75
diesel
$6.18
$56.12
$112.24
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: 80.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
69.2
0
$24.22
$11.07
Efficient EV
57.7
0
$20.19
$9.23
EV Truck/SUV
92.3
1
$32.30
$14.76
Gas CO2
81 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 Oct 17, 2026
Origin
Evanston, WY
Morning
in Evanston on Monday
Local time
6:12 AM
MDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Ethete, WY
Morning
in Ethete on Monday
Local time
6:12 AM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Sunny
E 5 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
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
15 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 17m 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?
You'll spend about 53% of your time on highways, with the longest continuous stretch on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway covering 99.3 miles. After this, the route shifts to Highway 28 and US 191, introducing more surface road driving. This transition means you'll notice a change from high-speed highway travel to more rural cruising as you approach your destination.
53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 99.3 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near I 80 BUS; US 189 BUS / Front Street.
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 17m drive. You will face about 7 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 (I 80 BUS; US 189 BUS / Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 100.3 miles (US 191): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mountain driving with significant elevation changes
Evanston is a city in Southwest Wyoming. The town was founded during the construction of the first transcontinental railroad and maintains a strong railroad history. The population was 11,700 people in 2020.
The longest stretch is about 99.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 10 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 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 (I 80 BUS; US 189 BUS / Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 100.3 miles (US 191): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 4.3 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.6 hours — manageable with a long break at Ethete, WY, but most travelers stay overnight.
