Fort Benton to Miles City is 356.9 miles and takes about 7h 7m via US Highway 87, with a fuel budget near $58 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Montana, traversing the Mountain West region. You'll spend most of your time on main highways, making for a straightforward trip. If you're looking for a direct route across the state with minimal complexity, this option covers a good amount of ground efficiently. It's a solid choice for a single-day transit.
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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
178.4 miles from Fort Benton, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US Highway 87
126.8 mi
2h 16m
US 87
114.7 mi
2h 3m
MT 59
82.6 mi
2h 2m
10th Avenue South
22.6 mi
25m
Truck Bypass
2.6 mi
3m
14th Street North
1.7 mi
2m
MT 386
1.4 mi
2m
15th Street Northeast
1.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US Highway 87
— 126.8 mi, about 2h 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Benton, MT and Miles City, 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
1.3 mi·1 min·15th Street Northeast
9
Continue on US 87
1.7 mi·2 min·14th Street North
10
Turn left onto US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
23 mi·25 min·10th Avenue South
11
Enter roundabout
224 ft·2 sec
12
Continue
0.3 mi·20 sec
13
Turn straight onto US 87; MT 3; MT 200
64 mi·1 hr 9 min·US 87; MT 3; MT 200
14
Continue on US 87; US 191; MT 200
15 mi·15 min·US 87; US 191; MT 200
15
Turn straight onto US 191
2.6 mi·3 min·Truck Bypass
16
Continue on 1st Avenue North
0.3 mi·37 sec·1st Avenue North
17
Turn left onto US 87; MT 200
0.4 mi·1 min·East Main Street
18
Continue on US 87; MT 200
1.1 mi·2 min·Northeast Main Street
19
Continue on US 87; MT 200
127 mi·2 hr 16 min·US Highway 87
20
Turn right onto MT 59
83 mi·2 hr 2 min·MT 59
21
Turn left onto I 94 Business; MT 59
0.4 mi·51 sec·Main Street
22
Arrive at destination
MT 59
Trip Plan
Plan to depart early in the day to maximize daylight for this 7-hour drive. With two recommended stops, you can break up the 356.9 miles into manageable segments. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially during the longest stretch of 126.8 miles on US Highway 87, as services can be spread out in this region. The estimated fuel cost is around $58, so budget accordingly. Since this is a feasible one-day trip, you have flexibility in timing your stops for meals or a quick stretch.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 178.4 miles from Fort Benton, MT, or about 3h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 126.8 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 79 miles or 1h 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 178.4 miles or 3h 20m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 37m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Miles City, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Fort Benton, MT 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Fort Benton, MT
This is one driving day of about 356.9 miles and 7h 7m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 79 miles from Fort Benton, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US Highway 87 for about 126.8 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 2 — 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
4
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|12th Street
Turn right onto 12th 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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$55.63 one way
$111.26 round trip
$3.96/gal25.4 MPG avg125 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.17
$58.64
$117.27
premium
$4.47
$62.86
$125.73
diesel
$4.80
$67.39
$134.78
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: 124.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $37 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
107.1
1
$37.47
$17.13
Efficient EV
89.2
1
$31.23
$14.28
EV Truck/SUV
142.8
1
$49.97
$22.84
Gas CO2
125 kg
EV CO2
42 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 17, 2026
Origin
Fort Benton, MT
Late night
in Fort Benton on Sunday
Local time
12:38 AM
MDT
Current temp
63°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
ESE 5 to 10 mph40% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Watch
Flash Flood Watch issued July 17 at 12:23AM MDT until July 18 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Destination
Miles City, MT
Late night
in Miles City on Sunday
Local time
12:38 AM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Chance Rain Showers
NE 6 mph53% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Watch
Flash Flood Watch issued July 17 at 12:23AM MDT until July 18 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
58°F
Lewistown, MT
178 mi in
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
7h 7m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
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 is primarily highway driving, with 91% of the total distance on main roads like US Highway 87 and MT 59. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 126.8 miles on US Highway 87 before transitioning to surface roads. Expect long stretches of rural cruising as you navigate the Montana landscape. The majority of the drive will be on high-speed roadways, minimizing time spent on slower, more winding routes.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 126.8 mi on US Highway 87.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 87 and US 87. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 7m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 9 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
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 0.3 miles (12th Street): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 126.8 miles on US Highway 87. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 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.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Miles City, MT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. There are 4 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 0.3 miles (12th Street): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 7.1 hours each way, a round trip means 14.2 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Miles City, MT before the return drive.
