Origin
Harrisburg, SD
Night in Harrisburg on Saturday
Local time
11:16 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Harrisburg, SD to Mitchell, 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 29m
Distance
84.1 mi
135 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 22m
★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Harrisburg, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Mitchell, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 84.1-mile journey from Harrisburg to Mitchell, South Dakota, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes to complete. Primarily utilizing I-90 and I-29, this route offers a direct and efficient path across the Great Plains region. With an estimated fuel cost of around $13, it's an economical option for a quick excursion. The drive is focused on highway travel, making it a no-fuss option if you're looking for a simple transit between these two South Dakota cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 64.1 mi | 1h |
| I 29 | 12.5 mi | 14m |
| 273rd Street | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| East Willow Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| South Burr Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Havens Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Sanborn Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| I 90 Business | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 64.1 mi, about 1h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Harrisburg, SD and Mitchell, SD.
1
Start on CR 110
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
East Willow Street
2
Continue on CR 110
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
273rd Street
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
4
Merge onto I 29
12 mi
·
14 min
·
I 29
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 90 West: Rapid City
6
Merge onto I 90
64 mi
·
1 hr
·
I 90
7
Take the exit onto I 90 Business
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
I 90 Business
Toward Mitchell
8
Keep slight right at fork
184 ft
·
4 sec
9
Turn straight onto I 90 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Burr Street
10
Turn left onto I 90 Business
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Havens Avenue
11
Turn slight right
260 ft
·
9 sec
12
Turn straight onto South Sanborn Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Sanborn Boulevard
13
Turn left onto West 1st Avenue
34 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
West 1st Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
42 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 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 42.1 miles from Harrisburg, SD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 90 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 64.1 miles.
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 85 decision points cluster between mile 4.9 and 84.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
4.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
4
17.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward I 90 West: Rapid City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 90 West: Rapid City
4
82.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
|
I 90 Business
Take the exit onto I 90 Business toward Mitchell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Mitchell
5
82.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
84.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 29m in
|
West 1st Avenue
Turn left onto West 1st Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.15 one way
$26.30 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
29 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $14.44 | $28.87 |
| premium | $4.89 | $16.18 | $32.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $18.57 | $37.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.83 | $4.04 |
| Efficient EV | 21 | 0 | $7.36 | $3.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 33.6 | 0 | $11.77 | $5.38 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Destination
Mitchell, SD
Night in Mitchell on Saturday
Local time
11:16 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°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
29 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 29m 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?
Expect a highway-focused drive for this trip, with 91% of the route on interstates. You'll experience a significant stretch of 64.1 miles on I-90, offering a consistent pace. The route is characterized by its straightforward interstate nature, minimizing the need for complex navigation. While the primary roads are I-90 and I-29, 273rd Street also plays a role, though the overwhelming majority is high-speed highway driving.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 64.1 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and I 29. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 84.1 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 82.1 miles (I 90 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,673 ft
1,315 ft
Total Climb
297 ft
Total Descent
412 ft
Highest Point
1,673 ft
~30 mi in
Elevation Range
358 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 29m. Total distance: 84.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 64.1 miles on I 90. 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 4.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 82.1 miles (I 90 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mitchell, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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