Origin
Fort Benton, MT
Late night in Fort Benton on Sunday
Local time
2:01 AM
MDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
40.8 mi
66 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Benton, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Great Falls, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting the historic town of Fort Benton to the hub of Great Falls, this 40.8-mile journey is a straightforward trip across Montana’s Mountain West. You can expect to spend about 49 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. With a modest fuel budget of around $6, the route is both efficient and budget-friendly. You will primarily utilize US 87, MT 386, and 9th Street North to reach your destination. Since the entire drive stays within the same region, you won't experience drastic climate or geographic shifts, allowing for a predictable and smooth transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 87 | 35.7 mi | 38m |
| MT 386 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| 9th Street North | 1 mi | 2m |
| Old Havre Highway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| 5th Street North | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Avenue North | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 12th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 87
— 35.7 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Benton, MT and Great Falls, MT.
1
Start on this road
79 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
193 ft
·
19 sec
3
Turn left onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn right onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
12th Street
5
Turn left onto MT 386
383 ft
·
10 sec
·
Saint Charles Street
6
Continue on MT 386
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
MT 386
7
Turn left onto US 87
36 mi
·
38 min
·
US 87
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on US 87
297 ft
·
5 sec
·
15th Street Northeast
9
Turn right onto Old Havre Highway
0.8 mi
·
59 sec
·
Old Havre Highway
10
Continue on 10th Street Northeast
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
10th Street Northeast
11
Continue on 9th Street North
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
9th Street North
12
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue North
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
2nd Avenue North
13
Turn left onto 5th Street North
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
5th Street North
14
Turn right onto 4th Avenue South
429 ft
·
24 sec
·
4th Avenue South
15
Turn left onto 4th Street South
229 ft
·
10 sec
·
4th Street South
16
Arrive at destination
4th Street South
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 40.7 — 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
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
MT 386 / Saint Charles Street
Turn left onto MT 386 / Saint Charles Street
Navigation decision point
5
2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 87
Turn left onto US 87
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
40.7 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
4th Street South
Turn left onto 4th Street South
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.47 one way
$12.93 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $6.78 | $13.55 |
| premium | $4.53 | $7.28 | $14.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.01 | $18.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.28 | $1.96 |
| Efficient EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.71 | $2.61 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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.
Destination
Great Falls, MT
Late night in Great Falls on Sunday
Local time
2:01 AM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
6 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
49m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This is a highway-focused drive, with approximately 91% of your time spent on main thoroughfares. You will settle into a steady rhythm quickly, as the longest uninterrupted stretch covers 35.7 miles on US 87. The road maintains a consistent feel, trading local streets for open stretches of highway that allow for steady pacing. Because the drive is short, you won't encounter the fatigue associated with long-haul interstate grinds. Expect a functional, direct experience that prioritizes speed and convenience over technical navigation.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.7 mi on US 87.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 87 and MT 386. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 49m drive. You will face about 10 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; at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MT 386 / Saint Charles Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
3,561 ft
2,635 ft
Total Climb
1,055 ft
Total Descent
361 ft
Highest Point
3,561 ft
~37.8 mi in
Elevation Range
926 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Great Falls, MT
Full guide →Great Falls is a city in Central Montana. It is the third most populous city in Montana with approximately 60,000 people. It is the hub for commercial and financial dealings in the center of the state.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 40.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 35.7 miles on US 87. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through MT 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; at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MT 386 / Saint Charles Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Great Falls, MT before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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