Great Falls, MT to Malta, MT is 202 miles and takes about 3h 48m via US 2, with a fuel budget near $36 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, traversing Montana's expansive landscapes. Expect a straightforward drive that predominantly uses US 2, making it a practical choice for a single-day excursion. The relatively short distance and manageable duration mean you can easily fit this into your travel plans without needing an overnight stay.
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
101 miles from Great Falls, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 53m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
15th Street Northeast
107.3 mi
1h 58m
US 2
91.6 mi
1h 44m
9th Street North
1.1 mi
2m
Old Havre Highway
0.8 mi
<1m
6th Street South
0.4 mi
<1m
1st Avenue North
0.2 mi
<1m
10th Street Northeast
0.2 mi
<1m
4th Avenue South
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
15th Street Northeast
— 107.3 mi, about 1h 58m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Great Falls, MT and Malta, MT.
1
Start on 4th Street South
229 ft·12 sec·4th Street South
2
Turn right onto 4th Avenue South
0.2 mi·43 sec·4th Avenue South
3
Turn left onto I 15 Business
0.4 mi·36 sec·6th Street South
4
Turn right onto 1st Avenue North
0.2 mi·33 sec·1st Avenue North
5
Turn left onto 9th Street North
1.1 mi·2 min·9th Street North
6
Continue on 10th Street Northeast
0.2 mi·19 sec·10th Street Northeast
7
Continue on Old Havre Highway
0.8 mi·58 sec·Old Havre Highway
8
Turn left onto US 87
107 mi·1 hr 58 min·15th Street Northeast
9
Turn right onto US 2
3.9 mi·4 min·US 2
10
Continue on US 2
88 mi·1 hr 39 min·US 2
11
Turn right onto US 191
0.1 mi·9 sec·Central Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
US 191
Trip Plan
Given this is a one-day trip covering 202 miles, departing in the morning offers ample time to reach Malta. With only one recommended stop, you have the flexibility to make it a quick drive or linger longer at your chosen break point. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the longest stretch between services on 15th Street Northeast is over 100 miles. The $36 fuel cost estimate suggests planning your refueling stops accordingly, especially before heading out on longer segments.
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 101 miles from Great Falls, MT, or about 1h 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 107.3 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 44 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 101 miles or 1h 53m 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 6m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Malta, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Great Falls, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Great Falls, MT
This is one driving day of about 202 miles and 3h 48m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 miles from Great Falls, MT.
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 15th Street Northeast for about 107.3 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 5
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 201.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|4th Avenue South
Turn right onto 4th Avenue South
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|I 15 Business / 6th Street South
Turn left onto I 15 Business / 6th Street South
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|1st Avenue North
Turn right onto 1st Avenue North
Navigation decision point
4
0.8 mi into trip|~2m in|9th Street North
Turn left onto 9th Street North
Navigation decision point
3
201.9 mi into trip|~3h 48m in|US 191 / Central Avenue
Turn right onto US 191 / Central Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$36.38 one way
$72.77 round trip
$4.58/gal25.4 MPG avg71 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.78
$38.00
$76.00
premium
$5.11
$40.61
$81.21
diesel
$6.18
$49.14
$98.28
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$36
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$61–$86
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 70.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
60.6
0
$21.21
$9.70
Efficient EV
50.5
0
$17.68
$8.08
EV Truck/SUV
80.8
1
$28.28
$12.93
Gas CO2
71 kg
EV CO2
24 kg (66% 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 Oct 17, 2026
Origin
Great Falls, MT
Morning
in Great Falls on Sunday
Local time
7:54 AM
MDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 24 to 32 mph0% chanceLive forecast
High Wind Warning
High Wind Warning issued October 16 at 11:59PM MDT until October 18 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
High Wind Warning
High Wind Warning issued October 16 at 11:59PM MDT until October 18 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Destination
Malta, MT
Morning
in Malta on Sunday
Local time
7:54 AM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Sunny
SW 3 to 21 mph0% chanceLive forecast
High Wind Warning
High Wind Warning issued October 16 at 11:59PM MDT until October 18 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
High Wind Warning
High Wind Warning issued October 16 at 11:59PM MDT until October 18 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
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
4 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 48m 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?
This route is a mixed highway and surface road experience, with 45% of the drive on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 107.3 miles on 15th Street Northeast before transitioning to US 2. Be prepared for a significant portion of rural cruising after leaving the initial city streets of Great Falls.
45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 107.3 mi on 15th Street Northeast.
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 early in the drive near 4th Avenue South.
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 48m 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: near the start (4th Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (I 15 Business / 6th Street South): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (1st Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
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.
Top landmarks
•Masonic Temple — masonic temple in Great Falls, United States of America
•Cascade County Courthouse — county courthouse in Great Falls, United States of America
•Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Passenger Depot — railway station in Great Falls, the United States of America
Malta is a town in Montana. It is part of what is called the HiLine - a term used for the northern part of the state, mainly along Highway 2. The population was 1,900 in 2020.
The longest stretch is about 107.3 miles on 15th Street Northeast. 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.
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 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 (4th Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (I 15 Business / 6th Street South): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (1st Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
Possible but tiring. At 3.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.6 hours — manageable with a long break at Malta, MT, but most travelers stay overnight.
