Idaho Falls to American Falls is 70.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes via Veterans Memorial Highway and I-86, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Idaho, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. It's a short, straightforward drive that's easy to fit into any schedule. Expect a mix of highway speeds and surface road cruising as you make your way south. This route is ideal for a quick transit or a day trip without extensive planning.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Veterans Memorial Highway
43.1 mi
40m
I 86
21.8 mi
20m
West Sunnyside Road
2.7 mi
3m
Pocatello Avenue
0.8 mi
1m
I 86 Business
0.7 mi
1m
Harrison Street
0.3 mi
<1m
I 15 BUS
0.2 mi
<1m
Stonebrook Lane
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Highway
— 43.1 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Idaho Falls, ID and American Falls, ID.
1
Start on Charleston Lane
152 ft·8 sec·Charleston Lane
2
Turn right onto West Stone Run Lane
241 ft·15 sec·West Stone Run Lane
3
Turn left onto Stonebrook Lane
466 ft·20 sec·Stonebrook Lane
4
Turn left onto West Sunnyside Road
2.7 mi·3 min·West Sunnyside Road
5
Take the exit onto I 15 BUS; US 26
0.2 mi·31 sec·I 15 BUS; US 26
Toward Blackfook, Pocatello, Salt Lake City
6
Merge onto I 15; US 26
43 mi·40 min·Veterans Memorial Highway
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi·43 sec
Exit 72Toward I 86 West: Chubbuck, Twin Falls
8
Continue on I 86
22 mi·20 min·I 86
9
Take the exit onto I 86 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·I 86 Business
Toward Aberdeen, American Falls
10
Continue on Pocatello Avenue
0.8 mi·1 min·Pocatello Avenue
11
Continue on Harrison Street
0.3 mi·29 sec·Harrison Street
12
Turn right onto Fort Hall Avenue
175 ft·13 sec·Fort Hall Avenue
13
Turn left
175 ft·12 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 35.2 miles from Idaho Falls, ID, 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 68.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|West Stone Run Lane
Turn right onto West Stone Run Lane
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Stonebrook Lane
Turn left onto Stonebrook Lane
Navigation decision point
6
2.9 mi into trip|~4m in|I 15 BUS; US 26
Take the exit onto I 15 BUS; US 26 toward Blackfook, Pocatello, Salt Lake City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Blackfook, Pocatello, Salt Lake City
6
46.2 mi into trip|~45m in
Take the exit toward I 86 West: Chubbuck, Twin Falls
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 72
Toward I 86 West: Chubbuck, Twin Falls
5
68.6 mi into trip|~1h 7m in|I 86 Business
Take the exit onto I 86 Business toward Aberdeen, American Falls
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Aberdeen, American Falls
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.17 one way
$22.34 round trip
$4.03/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$11.71
$23.42
premium
$4.53
$12.58
$25.15
diesel
$5.61
$15.57
$31.13
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.2
0
$7.40
$3.38
Efficient EV
17.6
0
$6.17
$2.82
EV Truck/SUV
28.2
0
$9.87
$4.51
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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 Apr 19, 2026
Origin
Idaho Falls, ID
Late night
in Idaho Falls on Sunday
Local time
3:55 AM
MDT
Current temp
29°F
Partly Cloudy
E 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 10:04AM MDT until April 19 at 10:00AM MDT by NWS Pocatello ID
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 10:04AM MDT until April 19 at 10:00AM MDT by NWS Pocatello ID
Destination
American Falls, ID
Late night
in American Falls on Sunday
Local time
3:55 AM
MDT
Current temp
63°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
34 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 10m 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?
You'll spend about 32% of this 70.5-mile drive on highways, with the longest continuous stretch on Veterans Memorial Highway covering 43.1 miles. The route transitions from highway speeds to surface roads, so be prepared for a change in pace. Expect to encounter more frequent exits and local traffic as you approach your destination. This mixed profile means you'll experience both open cruising and more active driving segments.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 43.1 mi on Veterans Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 West Stone Run Lane.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 10m drive. You will face about 9 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 (West Stone Run Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Stonebrook Lane): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 15 BUS; US 26): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Idaho Falls, ID to American Falls, ID, road signs begin pointing toward Twin Falls along the way.
Idaho Falls is a city in Eastern Idaho. Idaho Falls serves as the commercial, cultural, and healthcare hub for Eastern Idaho. The city attracts many tourists visiting nearby Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Jackson Hole, and fishing on the Snake River. Due to its proximity to high-profile outdoor destinations, in 2009, Idaho Falls was named to National Geographic's list of the "100 Best Adventure Towns".
The longest stretch is about 43.1 miles on Veterans Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas 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.
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 ID 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 (West Stone Run Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Stonebrook Lane): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 15 BUS; US 26): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at American Falls, ID before heading back.
