Evanston, WY to Rawlins, WY is 208.9 miles and takes about 3 hours 30 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $33 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Wyoming, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. Given that it's mostly surface roads, expect a more relaxed pace than a pure interstate cruise. The drive is straightforward and can easily be completed in a single day, making it a good option for a quick transit or a segment of a larger Wyoming adventure.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
104.4 miles from Evanston, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 43m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
205.8 mi
3h 20m
West Spruce Street
1.7 mi
2m
Front Street
0.7 mi
1m
WY 789
0.4 mi
<1m
Bear River Drive
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 205.8 mi, about 3h 20m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~573 veh/hr typical
· worst 791
Quietest
2 AM
~87 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
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 Evanston, WY and Rawlins, 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
Arrive at destination
West Spruce Street
Trip Plan
For this 208.9-mile drive, you can comfortably start anytime in the morning and arrive in Rawlins by the afternoon. Since the total duration is only around 3.5 hours, you won't need to split the drive or plan for an overnight stay. The fuel cost is estimated at $33, so ensure your tank is full before departing Evanston. With only one stop suggested, you have plenty of flexibility to adjust your schedule based on how the drive feels or if you decide to linger at your starting point.
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 104.4 miles from Evanston, WY, or about 1h 43m 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 46 miles or 46m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 104.4 miles or 1h 43m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rawlins, 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 208.9 miles and 3h 26m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 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 5
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
$32.56 one way
$65.12 round trip
$3.96/gal25.4 MPG avg73 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.17
$34.32
$68.64
premium
$4.47
$36.80
$73.59
diesel
$4.80
$39.44
$78.89
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 73.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
62.7
0
$21.93
$10.03
Efficient EV
52.2
0
$18.28
$8.36
EV Truck/SUV
83.6
1
$29.25
$13.37
Gas CO2
73 kg
EV CO2
24 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
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 19, 2026
Origin
Evanston, WY
Late night
in Evanston on Sunday
Local time
2:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
51°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
SE 2 to 7 mph16% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 18 at 5:46PM MDT until July 18 at 7:30PM MDT by NWS Billings MT
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:04PM MDT until July 19 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
Destination
Rawlins, WY
Late night
in Rawlins on Sunday
Local time
2:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
WNW 5 to 10 mph15% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 18 at 5:46PM MDT until July 18 at 7:30PM MDT by NWS Billings MT
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:04PM MDT until July 19 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
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
3h 26m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 almost all of your time on surface roads, with a longest stretch of 205.8 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. After the highway portion concludes, you'll transition to West Spruce Street and Front Street. Expect a consistent cruising experience without significant highway mileage, meaning fewer on-ramps and off-ramps to manage during the main part of your drive.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 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 3h 26m drive. You will face about 5 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.
Yes — we found about 13 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 1 miles (I 80; US 189 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Possible but tiring. At 3.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.9 hours — manageable with a long break at Rawlins, WY, but most travelers stay overnight.
