Origin
Hill City, SD
Evening in Hill City on Saturday
Local time
8:48 PM
MDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hill City, SD to Spearfish, 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 22m
Distance
57.3 mi
92 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 16m
★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 27m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hill City, SD
David Yu
Spearfish, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 57.3-mile drive from Hill City, South Dakota, to Spearfish, South Dakota, will take you about 1 hour and 13 minutes to complete. With a fuel cost estimated at $9, this short trip is easily manageable as a day trip, offering flexibility for exploration. The route stays within the Great Plains region, so expect a consistent landscape. It's characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' suggesting a more engaging and less straightforward journey than a typical interstate cruise. This makes it a good option if you prefer a route with more frequent navigation changes and a less predictable flow.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 385 | 19.8 mi | 29m |
| US Highway 385 | 19.8 mi | 29m |
| US Highway 85 | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| US 85 | 5.5 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Cliff Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Charles Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Jackson Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 385
— 19.8 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hill City, SD and Spearfish, SD.
1
Start on Elm Street
62 ft
·
5 sec
·
Elm Street
2
Turn right onto US 16; US 385
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
3
Continue on US 16; US 385
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Highway 385
4
Turn left onto US 385
17 mi
·
24 min
·
Highway 385
5
Continue on US 385
20 mi
·
29 min
·
US Highway 385
6
At end of road, turn right onto US 85
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Cliff Street
7
Continue on US 85
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Charles Street
8
Merge onto US 14A; US 85
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Pioneer Way
9
Continue on US 14A; US 85
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
10
Turn left onto US 85
7.5 mi
·
8 min
·
US Highway 85
11
Turn left onto US 85
5.5 mi
·
5 min
·
US 85
Toward I 90 West, US 14 West, US 85 North
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward Jackson Boulevard, Black Hills State University
13
Turn left onto East Jackson Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Jackson Boulevard
14
Turn left onto I 90 Business
149 ft
·
14 sec
·
North Main Street
15
Arrive at destination
I 90 Business
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.6 miles from Hill City, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 56.3 — 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
|
US 16; US 385 / Main Street
Turn right onto US 16; US 385 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
40.3 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
US 85 / Cliff Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 85 / Cliff Street
Navigation decision point
4
43.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
US 85 / US Highway 85
Turn left onto US 85 / US Highway 85
Navigation decision point
5
50.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
US 85
Turn left onto US 85 toward I 90 West, US 14 West, US 85 North
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 West, US 14 West, US 85 North
5
56.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
Take the exit toward Jackson Boulevard, Black Hills State University
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Jackson Boulevard, Black Hills State Uni...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.96 one way
$17.92 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.84 | $19.67 |
| premium | $4.89 | $11.03 | $22.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.65 | $25.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.02 | $2.75 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.9 | 0 | $8.02 | $3.67 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Spearfish, SD
Evening in Spearfish on Saturday
Local time
8:48 PM
MDT
Current temp
73°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
30 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 22m 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?
Prepare for a driving experience that's anything but monotonous. This 'turn-heavy local drive' means you'll be navigating a series of turns rather than cruising on long, straight stretches of highway. With a 0% highway share, you're fully immersed in local roads for the entire 57.3 miles. Since there's no designated 'longest stretch' provided in the data, anticipate frequent changes in direction and potentially varied speed limits as you make your way. This route prioritizes active driving over passive cruising.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.8 mi on Highway 385.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Highway 385 and US Highway 385. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 16; US 385 / Main Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 22m drive. You will face about 8 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 (US 16; US 385 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 40.3 miles (US 85 / Cliff Street): Navigation decision point; at 43.3 miles (US 85 / US Highway 85): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 57.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.8 miles on Highway 385. 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: near the start (US 16; US 385 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 40.3 miles (US 85 / Cliff Street): Navigation decision point; at 43.3 miles (US 85 / US Highway 85): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Spearfish, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Spearfish, SD
More from Hill City, SD
More trips to Spearfish, SD
Explore more options from Hill City, SD or browse trips ending in Spearfish, SD.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse SD road trips.