Evanston, WY to Mills, WY is 323.6 miles and takes about 5h 40m via Front Street and I 80 East, with a fuel budget near $54 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Wyoming, moving from the Mountain West region to another part of the Mountain West. Expect a drive primarily on surface roads, with a significant portion on Interstate 80. It's a straightforward, single-day trip that doesn't require overnight stops if you depart with plenty of daylight.
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
161.8 miles from Evanston, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 39m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
205.8 mi
3h 20m
WY 220
69.2 mi
1h 20m
3rd Street
44.1 mi
50m
West Spruce Street
1.7 mi
2m
Southwest Wyoming Boulevard
1.3 mi
2m
Front Street
0.7 mi
1m
WY 789
0.4 mi
<1m
1st Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 205.8 mi, about 3h 20m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~576 veh/hr typical
· worst 814
Quietest
2 AM
~88 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6.5×
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 Mills, 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
206 mi·3 hr 20 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
5
Take the exit onto WY 789
0.4 mi·52 sec·WY 789
Toward I 80 Business East, WY 789 North: Rawlins
6
Turn left onto I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; WY 789
1.7 mi·2 min·West Spruce Street
7
Turn left onto US 287; WY 789
44 mi·50 min·3rd Street
8
Continue on WY 220
69 mi·1 hr 20 min·WY 220
9
Turn left onto WY 258
1.3 mi·2 min·Southwest Wyoming Boulevard
10
Turn right onto 1st Street
0.2 mi·26 sec·1st Street
11
Arrive at destination
1st Street
Trip Plan
Given the 5h 40m estimated drive time, leaving Evanston, WY in the morning is advisable to maximize daylight. While the total distance is manageable for a single day, consider the 323.6 miles and the fact that it's mostly surface roads, which can sometimes take longer than expected. Budget around $54 for fuel. Since there's just one recommended stop and no single long stretch, you have flexibility in pacing yourself. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially on the surface road portions where stations might be less frequent than on the interstate.
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 161.8 miles from Evanston, WY, or about 2h 39m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 205.8 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 71 miles or 1h 10m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 161.8 miles or 2h 39m 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 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mills, 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 323.6 miles and 5h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 71 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 205.8 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 207.1 — 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
3
1 mi into trip|~2m in|I 80; US 189 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge onto I 80; US 189 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
206.8 mi into trip|~3h 23m in|WY 789
Take the exit onto WY 789 toward I 80 Business East, WY 789 North: Rawlins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 80 Business East, WY 789 North: Rawlin...
3
207.1 mi into trip|~3h 23m in|I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; WY 789 / West Spruce Street
Turn left onto I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; WY 789 / West Spruce Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$56.12 one way
$112.24 round trip
$4.41/gal25.4 MPG avg113 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$58.69
$117.39
premium
$4.95
$63.06
$126.13
diesel
$5.60
$71.33
$142.66
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$56
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$81–$106
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 113.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $34 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
97.1
1
$33.98
$15.53
Efficient EV
80.9
0
$28.32
$12.94
EV Truck/SUV
129.4
1
$45.30
$20.71
Gas CO2
113 kg
EV CO2
38 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 Sep 1, 2026
Origin
Evanston, WY
Night
in Evanston on Tuesday
Local time
11:32 PM
MDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Mills, WY
Night
in Mills on Tuesday
Local time
11:32 PM
MDT
Current temp
84°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
10 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 40m 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 covers 323.6 miles, predominantly on surface roads. You'll begin on Front Street and Dwight D, transitioning to I 80 East for a segment before returning to surface roads. With a highway share of 0%, you won't encounter extended stretches of high-speed interstate driving. The drive is characterized by rural cruising and navigating through towns rather than long freeway segments.
Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 205.8 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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 5h 40m drive. You will face about 8 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 1 miles (I 80; US 189 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
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 205.8 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 (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 1 miles (I 80; US 189 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.7 hours each way, a round trip means 11.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Mills, WY before the return drive.
