Origin
Harrisburg, SD
Late night in Harrisburg on Sunday
Local time
2:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Harrisburg, SD to Freeman, SD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
50.2 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Harrisburg, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Freeman, SD
Julio Lopez
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick transit across the South Dakota Great Plains, the 50.2-mile journey from Harrisburg to Freeman is a straightforward option. You can expect to spend about 1 hour and 8 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of approximately $8, it is an economical route that requires no overnight stops. Navigating through the heart of the region, you will utilize a combination of I-29, SD Highway 44, and 276th Street. Because of the manageable distance, this drive offers a flexible itinerary for those looking to reach their destination without a heavy time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| SD Highway 44 | 27.9 mi | 37m |
| 276th Street | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| I 29 | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| SD Highway 115 | 3 mi | 3m |
| US Highway 81 | 3 mi | 3m |
| SD Highway 19 | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| East Willow Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East 4th Street | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
SD Highway 44
— 27.9 mi, about 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Harrisburg, SD and Freeman, SD.
1
Start on CR 110
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
East Willow Street
2
Turn left onto SD 115
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
SD Highway 115
3
Turn right onto CR 116
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
276th Street
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
5
Merge onto I 29
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
I 29
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
7
Turn right onto SD 44
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
SD Highway 44
8
Turn right onto SD 44
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
SD Highway 17
9
Turn left onto SD 44
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East 11th Avenue
10
Continue on SD 44
9.5 mi
·
14 min
·
SD Highway 44
11
Turn right onto SD 19; SD 44
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
SD Highway 19
12
Turn left onto SD 44
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
13
Continue on SD 44
14 mi
·
16 min
·
SD Highway 44
14
Turn left onto US 81
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
US Highway 81
15
Turn right onto East North County Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
East North County Road
16
Turn left onto North Main Street
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
North Main Street
17
Turn left onto East 3rd Street
28 ft
·
1 sec
·
East 3rd Street
18
Arrive at destination
East 3rd Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.1 miles from Harrisburg, SD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 28.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
4.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
CR 116 / 276th Street
Turn right onto CR 116 / 276th Street
Navigation decision point
4
8.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
4
16.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
SD 44 / SD Highway 17
Turn right onto SD 44 / SD Highway 17
Navigation decision point
4
17.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
SD 44 / East 11th Avenue
Turn left onto SD 44 / East 11th Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
28.1 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
SD 19; SD 44 / SD Highway 19
Turn right onto SD 19; SD 44 / SD Highway 19
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.85 one way
$15.70 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.62 | $17.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.66 | $19.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.08 | $22.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.27 | $2.41 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.39 | $2.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.1 | 0 | $7.03 | $3.21 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Freeman, SD
Late night in Freeman on Sunday
Local time
2:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
48°F
Lennox, SD
25 mi in
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
1 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
1h 8m 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 route is heavily highway-focused, with 82% of your travel occurring on higher-speed roadways. You will spend a significant portion of the trip on SD Highway 44, which features the longest uninterrupted stretch of 27.9 miles. The transition between I-29 and local segments like 276th Street keeps the drive feeling varied, though you should be prepared for the consistent, open-road character of the Great Plains. Behind the wheel, you will experience a steady pace that favors efficiency over technical maneuvering. Expect a direct, no-nonsense drive that lets you focus on the road ahead as you transition between these two South Dakota communities.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.9 mi on SD Highway 44.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on SD Highway 44 and 276th Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 4.5 miles in near CR 116 / 276th Street.
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 1h 8m 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: at 4.5 miles (CR 116 / 276th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 16.6 miles (SD 44 / SD Highway 17): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 8m. Total distance: 50.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.9 miles on SD Highway 44. 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 SD 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 4.5 miles (CR 116 / 276th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 16.6 miles (SD 44 / SD Highway 17): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Freeman, SD 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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