Harwood to Gardner is 13.9 miles and takes about 15 minutes via I 29, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward connection between two North Dakota communities. The journey is predominantly highway, making it a quick and efficient transit. You'll find this route is ideal for a brief hop, requiring minimal planning and fitting easily into a larger travel day. Consider this a simple point-to-point connection with little in the way of detours or complications.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 29
12.6 mi
11m
Front Street
0.3 mi
1m
Main Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Dakota Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
18th Street Southeast
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 29
— 12.6 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Harwood, ND and Gardner, ND.
1
Start on Main Street
0.2 mi·45 sec·Main Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto CR 22; CR 17
0.2 mi·18 sec·Dakota Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·34 sec
Toward I 29, US 81: Grand Forks
4
Merge onto I 29; US 81
13 mi·11 min·I 29; US 81
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi·29 sec
Exit 86Toward Gardner
6
Turn right onto CR 26
0.1 mi·20 sec·18th Street Southeast
7
Turn right onto Front Street
0.3 mi·1 min·Front Street
8
Arrive at destination
Front Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 13.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|CR 22; CR 17 / Dakota Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto CR 22; CR 17 / Dakota Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 29, US 81: Grand Forks
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 29, US 81: Grand Forks
3
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|I 29; US 81
Merge onto I 29; US 81
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
13.2 mi into trip|~13m in
Take the exit toward Gardner
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 86
Toward Gardner
4
13.4 mi into trip|~13m in|CR 26 / 18th Street Southeast
Turn right onto CR 26 / 18th Street Southeast
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.05 one way
$4.11 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg5 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$2.27
$4.53
premium
$4.72
$2.58
$5.16
diesel
$4.80
$2.62
$5.25
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging
· 0 stops
· 60% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
4.2
0
$1.46
$0.67
Efficient EV
3.5
0
$1.22
$0.56
EV Truck/SUV
5.6
0
$1.95
$0.89
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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 Jul 15, 2026
Origin
Harwood, ND
Afternoon
in Harwood on Sunday
Local time
12:41 PM
CDT
Current temp
94°F
Sunny then Patchy Smoke
ESE 12 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 15 at 6:37AM CDT until July 16 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 15 at 5:36AM CDT until July 16 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
Destination
Gardner, ND
Afternoon
in Gardner on Sunday
Local time
12:41 PM
CDT
Current temp
94°F
Mostly Sunny
ESE 14 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 15 at 6:37AM CDT until July 16 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 15 at 5:36AM CDT until July 16 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
15m 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 overwhelmingly a highway-focused drive, with 91% of the journey taking place on main roads like I 29. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 12.6 miles on I 29, providing a consistent driving pace. The transition from I 29 to local streets like Front Street and Main Street in Gardner marks the end of the highway segment. Expect a smooth, fast-paced experience for the majority of your travel time, with a brief shift to town roads as you arrive at your destination.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.6 mi on I 29.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and Front Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CR 22; CR 17 / Dakota Avenue.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 15m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CR 22; CR 17 / Dakota Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles (I 29; US 81): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Fargo is a charming western city of just over 100,000 in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. As the biggest city for more than 200 miles (350 km) in any direction, it's a cultural hub for the region, and its lively, walkable downtown is full of old-fashioned architecture and friendly cafes.
Many people relate Fargo to the eponymous 1996 Coen Brothers movie starring Oscar-winner Frances McDormand and William H. Macy, though none of the movie was filmed in Fargo. Neighboring Moorhead, Minnesota is across the river from Fargo and the area is generally referred to as Fargo-Moorhead.
The longest stretch is about 12.6 miles on I 29. 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 ND 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 0.2 miles (CR 22; CR 17 / Dakota Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles (I 29; US 81): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Gardner, ND before heading back.
