Spanning 123.9 miles, this trek from Great Falls to South Browning is a straightforward journey through Montana’s Mountain West. You can expect to spend about 2 hours and 22 minutes on the road, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With no mandatory stops required, you have the flexibility to complete the drive in one push without needing an overnight stay. Budgeting around $20 for fuel should cover your needs for the duration of the trip. Since both ends of the route are located within the same region, you will experience a consistent geographic feel as you navigate between these two Montana locations.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
61.9 miles from Great Falls, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 12m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
United States Highway 89
49.2 mi
53m
US 89
40.5 mi
45m
13th Lane Northwest
12.9 mi
15m
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
9.4 mi
9m
Main Avenue North
6 mi
8m
US 2
2.7 mi
3m
Central Avenue West
1.4 mi
1m
River Drive South
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
United States Highway 89
— 49.2 mi, about 53m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Great Falls, MT and South Browning, MT.
1
Start on 4th Street South
162 ft·9 sec·4th Street South
2
Turn right onto 5th Avenue South
0.2 mi·39 sec·5th Avenue South
3
At end of road, turn right onto 2nd Street South
0.1 mi·24 sec·2nd Street South
4
Turn left onto 3rd Avenue South
0.1 mi·19 sec·3rd Avenue South
5
At end of road, turn right onto River Drive South
0.4 mi·49 sec·River Drive South
6
Turn left onto I 15 Business
0.2 mi·26 sec·First Avenue North Bridge
7
Continue on I 15 Business
1.4 mi·1 min·Central Avenue West
8
Take the exit onto I 15 Business
0.2 mi·32 sec·I 15 Business
9
Merge onto I 15; US 89; MT 200
9.4 mi·9 min·First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
10
Take the exit onto US 89; MT 200
8.3 mi·9 min·US 89; MT 200
Exit 290
11
Turn right onto US 89
32 mi·35 min·US 89
12
Enter roundabout onto US 89
514 ft·17 sec·West Division Street
13
Continue on US 89
143 ft·4 sec·West Division Street
14
Turn slight right onto US 89
6.0 mi·8 min·Main Avenue North
15
Continue on US 89
13 mi·15 min·13th Lane Northwest
16
Continue on US 89
49 mi·53 min·United States Highway 89
17
At end of road, turn left onto US 2; US 89
2.7 mi·3 min·US 2; US 89
18
Turn left onto 8th Avenue Southeast
0.2 mi·45 sec·8th Avenue Southeast
19
At end of road, turn left onto South Piegan Street
383 ft·18 sec·South Piegan Street
20
Turn right onto Mountain Chief Road
305 ft·13 sec·Mountain Chief Road
21
Arrive at destination
Mountain Chief Road
Trip Plan
Given the 2 hour and 22 minute duration, you have the advantage of being able to depart at your leisure without strict time constraints. Since you are navigating local roads, keep a close eye on your navigation as you transition between 5th Avenue South, 2nd Street South, and 3rd Avenue South. Fueling up in Great Falls before you head out is a smart way to manage your $20 gas budget early on. Because this is a shorter trip, you can easily adapt your pace to fit your personal schedule. Prioritize checking local road conditions before you depart to ensure your journey remains smooth and stress-free.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 61.9 miles from Great Falls, MT, or about 1h 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 49.2 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 27 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 61.9 miles or 1h 12m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near South Browning, 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 123.9 miles and 2h 22m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Great Falls, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on United States Highway 89 for about 49.2 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 123.7 — 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|5th Avenue South
Turn right onto 5th Avenue South
Navigation decision point
6
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|2nd Street South
At end of road, turn right onto 2nd Street South
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|3rd Avenue South
Turn left onto 3rd Avenue South
Navigation decision point
5
52.6 mi into trip|~1h in|US 89 / West Division Street
Enter roundabout onto US 89 / West Division Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
123.7 mi into trip|~2h 21m in|South Piegan Street
At end of road, turn left onto South Piegan Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.63 one way
$39.27 round trip
$4.03/gal25.4 MPG avg43 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$20.58
$41.16
premium
$4.53
$22.10
$44.20
diesel
$5.61
$27.36
$54.71
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
37.2
0
$13.01
$5.95
Efficient EV
31
0
$10.84
$4.96
EV Truck/SUV
49.6
0
$17.35
$7.93
Gas CO2
43 kg
EV CO2
14 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 Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Great Falls, MT
Late night
in Great Falls on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
South Browning, MT
Late night
in South Browning on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
MDT
Current temp
61°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
7 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
2h 22m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise on this route. You will navigate primarily via 5th Avenue South, 2nd Street South, and 3rd Avenue South, which keeps the experience focused on local roadways. With a highway share of 0%, this journey lacks the high-speed, wide-open stretches often found on interstates. The route demands your full attention as you transition through the local road network. Because there are no long, uninterrupted highway segments, the drive offers a more involved experience behind the wheel.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 49.2 mi on United States Highway 89.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on United States Highway 89 and US 89. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 5th 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 2h 22m drive. You will face about 13 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 (5th Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (2nd Street South): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (3rd Avenue South): 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.
The longest stretch is about 49.2 miles on United States Highway 89. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (5th Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (2nd Street South): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (3rd Avenue South): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South Browning, MT before heading back.
