Havre to Lakeside is 278 miles and takes about 5h 27m via US 2, with a fuel budget near $47 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, primarily traveling through Montana. The route offers a mix of highway cruising and surface roads, making it a manageable one-day drive. With a recommended single day for completion, you can expect a straightforward transit between these two points. The estimated fuel cost of $47 provides a good baseline for budgeting your trip.
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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
139 miles from Havre, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 40m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
1st Street
102 mi
1h 54m
US 2
74 mi
1h 22m
West Roosevelt Highway
58 mi
1h 8m
MT 35
11.1 mi
12m
MT 206
9.7 mi
12m
US Route 2
7.5 mi
10m
MT 82
6.9 mi
8m
US 93
6.3 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
1st Street
— 102 mi, about 1h 54m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Havre, MT and Lakeside, 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 left onto US 2
102 mi·1 hr 54 min·1st Street
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 2
0.8 mi·2 min·Main Street
6
Turn right onto I 15 Bus; US 2
453 ft·16 sec·5th Avenue North
7
Continue on I 15 Bus; US 2
58 mi·1 hr 8 min·West Roosevelt Highway
8
Continue on US 2; US 89
0.6 mi·1 min·East Central Avenue
9
Enter roundabout onto US 2
246 ft·3 sec·US 2
10
Continue on US 2
72 mi·1 hr 19 min·US 2
11
Turn right
0.2 mi·1 min
12
At end of road, turn left onto Old US 2
0.4 mi·1 min·Old US 2
13
Turn right onto US 2
7.5 mi·10 min·US Route 2
14
Continue on US 2
1.7 mi·2 min·US 2
15
Turn left onto MT 206
9.7 mi·12 min·MT 206
Use the left lane.
16
At end of road, turn left onto MT 35
11 mi·12 min·MT 35
17
Turn right onto MT 82
6.9 mi·8 min·MT 82
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left onto US 93
6.3 mi·9 min·US 93
19
Arrive at destination
US 93
Trip Plan
Given the 5h 27m duration, departing in the morning will allow you to complete this drive within daylight hours. While the total mileage is manageable for a single day, consider a brief stop midway to break up the drive, especially since the longest stretch on 1st Street is 102 miles. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as services might be more spread out on the surface road sections. Planning your fuel stops around the transition from 1st Street to US 2 could be a practical strategy to ensure you're adequately fueled for the remainder of your trip.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 139 miles from Havre, MT, or about 2h 40m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 102 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 61 miles or 1h 10m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 139 miles or 2h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lakeside, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Havre, MT
This is one driving day of about 278 miles and 5h 27m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 61 miles from Havre, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on 1st Street for about 102 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 264.9 — 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
6
0.5 mi into trip|~2m in|US 2 / 1st Street
Turn left onto US 2 / 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
234.5 mi into trip|~4h 30m in|Old US 2
At end of road, turn left onto Old US 2
Navigation decision point
6
244 mi into trip|~4h 44m in|MT 206
Turn left onto MT 206
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
264.9 mi into trip|~5h 9m in|MT 82
Turn right onto MT 82
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$50.40 one way
$100.80 round trip
$4.61/gal25.4 MPG avg97 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$52.80
$105.60
premium
$5.13
$56.13
$112.25
diesel
$6.28
$68.69
$137.38
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$50
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$75–$100
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
83.4
1
$29.19
$13.34
Efficient EV
69.5
0
$24.33
$11.12
EV Truck/SUV
111.2
1
$38.92
$17.79
Gas CO2
97 kg
EV CO2
33 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 19, 2026
Origin
Havre, MT
Evening
in Havre on Friday
Local time
5:50 PM
MDT
Current temp
35°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued October 18 at 11:53AM MDT until October 19 at 12:00PM MDT by NWS Glasgow MT
Destination
Lakeside, MT
Evening
in Lakeside on Friday
Local time
5:50 PM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Mostly Cloudy
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued October 18 at 11:53AM MDT until October 19 at 12:00PM MDT by NWS Glasgow MT
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
3 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
5h 27m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Glacier National Park
National Park
A showcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a paradise for adventurous visitors seeking a landscape steeped in huma...
15 mi from route
~38 min detour
$35
near mile 220.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive features a 42% highway share. You'll spend the longest stretch, 102 miles, on 1st Street, indicating a significant portion on surface roads before transitioning to US 2 and West Roosevelt Highway. Expect about 2.5 hours of driving on highway sections, with the remainder on mixed surface roads. This suggests a blend of open-road cruising and more localized travel.
42% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 102 mi on 1st Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 5th Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 27m drive. You will face about 12 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 Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 2 / 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 234.5 miles (Old US 2): Navigation decision point.
Havre is a town in Montana. About 9,300 people lived there in 2020. Havre is home to Montana State University – Northern. Havre serves as the "big city" for a huge radius of small towns.
Kalispell is the largest city in the Flathead Valley of northwest Montana, near Glacier National Park. The name means "flat land above the lake" in Salish, referring to Flathead Lake just to the south, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. The city of about 25,000 people is full of shopping and restaurants.
A number of smaller towns surround Kalispell. This guide also includes additional restaurants and picturesque views in Evergreen, Lakeside, and Somers.
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 102 miles on 1st Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 1 rest area along the route for bathroom stops.
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): Lane positioning matters here; at 234.5 miles (Old US 2): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Glacier National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.5 hours each way, a round trip means 10.9 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Lakeside, MT before the return drive.
