Havre to Colstrip is 363.9 miles and takes about 7h 54m via I 94 and US 2, with a fuel budget near $59 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Montana, traversing the Mountain West region from north-central to the southeastern part of the state. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, making it a straightforward drive. With just 2 planned stops and a recommended single day, this route is best suited for travelers looking to cover ground efficiently. It’s a practical choice if you need to get from one side of Montana to the other without much fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
182 miles from Havre, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 4h 13m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 94
80.5 mi
1h 26m
MT 66
50 mi
1h 14m
US 2
45.5 mi
51m
US 87
45.1 mi
1h 4m
1st Avenue West
44.4 mi
48m
US 191
35.8 mi
53m
MT 39
28.4 mi
42m
MT 19
21.5 mi
31m
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 80.5 mi, about 1h 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Havre, MT and Colstrip, MT.
1
Start on Montana Avenue
161 ft·11 sec·Montana Avenue
2
Turn left onto 5th Street
0.1 mi·39 sec·5th Street
3
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue
0.3 mi·1 min·2nd Avenue
4
Turn right onto US 2
0.8 mi·1 min·1st Street
5
Continue on US 2
45 mi·51 min·US 2
6
Turn right onto MT 66
50 mi·1 hr 14 min·MT 66
7
Turn right onto US 191
36 mi·53 min·US 191
8
Continue on MT 19
21 mi·31 min·MT 19
9
Continue on US 87
45 mi·1 hr 4 min·US 87
10
Turn right onto US 12; US 87
44 mi·48 min·1st Avenue West
Use the right lane.
11
Turn sharp left onto Highway 312
2.6 mi·4 min·Highway 312
12
Enter roundabout onto Highway 312
117 ft·1 sec·Highway 312
13
Continue on Highway 312
6.3 mi·9 min·Highway 312
14
Turn right onto Nahmis Avenue
0.7 mi·1 min·Nahmis Avenue
15
Turn right onto S-522
0.9 mi·1 min·Northern Avenue
16
Continue on MT 522
393 ft·12 sec·MT 522
17
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·26 sec
18
Merge onto I 94
80 mi·1 hr 26 min·I 94
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi·35 sec
20
Turn right onto MT 39
28 mi·42 min·MT 39
21
Turn left onto Box Elder Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·Box Elder Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Park Street
Trip Plan
Given the 7-hour drive time, starting your day by 9 AM should allow you to arrive in Colstrip well before sunset. Plan your 2 stops strategically, perhaps for lunch and a stretch break, to break up the drive. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially on the longer highway stretches where services might be spaced out. Since this is a single-day trip, you have flexibility, but aim to fill up your tank before leaving Havre to ensure you have plenty of fuel for the initial leg. The longest stretch without a road change is 80.5 miles on I 94, so plan your break before or after that segment.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 182 miles from Havre, MT, or about 4h 13m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 80.5 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 80 miles or 1h 44m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 182 miles or 4h 13m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 36m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colstrip, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Havre, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Havre, MT
This is one driving day of about 363.9 miles and 7h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Havre, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 94 for about 80.5 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 254.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|5th Street
Turn left onto 5th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.5 mi into trip|~2m in|US 2 / 1st Street
Turn right onto US 2 / 1st Street
Navigation decision point
5
199.1 mi into trip|~4h 38m in|US 12; US 87 / 1st Avenue West
Turn right onto US 12; US 87 / 1st Avenue West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
246.2 mi into trip|~5h 31m in|Highway 312
Enter roundabout onto Highway 312
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
254.2 mi into trip|~5h 43m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$49.43 one way
$98.85 round trip
$3.45/gal25.4 MPG avg127 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$3.85
$55.16
$110.32
premium
$4.15
$59.46
$118.91
diesel
$3.75
$53.73
$107.45
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$49
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$74–$99
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 127.3 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $38 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
109.2
1
$38.21
$17.47
Efficient EV
91
1
$31.84
$14.56
EV Truck/SUV
145.6
1
$50.95
$23.29
Gas CO2
127 kg
EV CO2
43 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 18, 2026
Origin
Havre, MT
Evening
in Havre on Sunday
Local time
5:13 PM
MDT
Current temp
39°F
Mostly Clear
WSW 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Colstrip, MT
Evening
in Colstrip on Sunday
Local time
5:13 PM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Partly Cloudy
NW 10 mph0% chanceLive 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
5 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
7h 54m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
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 drive is predominantly on highways, with 87% of the route utilizing them. You'll experience 80.5 miles of uninterrupted cruising on I 94, which is the longest stretch without needing to change roads. The remaining portion will be on surface roads like MT 66 and US 2. Expect mostly rural cruising for the majority of this trip, with fewer exits and more open stretches as you head east.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 80.5 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and MT 66. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 5th Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 54m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 15 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 2 / 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 199.1 miles (US 12; US 87 / 1st Avenue West): Lane positioning matters here.
Colstrip is a city of 2,300 people (2018) in Southeastern Montana. Established in 1924 and incorporated as a city in 1998, Colstrip is the largest city in Rosebud County with 24% of the total population. Colstrip's primary industries are coal mining and electricity production. The entire community celebrates Colstrip Days annually on the weekend prior to the 4th of July.
The longest stretch is about 80.5 miles on I 94. 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.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Colstrip, MT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
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 Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 2 / 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 199.1 miles (US 12; US 87 / 1st Avenue West): Lane positioning matters here.
Not recommended in a single day. At 7.9 hours each way, a round trip means 15.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Colstrip, MT before the return drive.
