Origin
Jefferson, SD
Night in Jefferson on Saturday
Local time
11:18 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jefferson, SD to Sioux Falls, 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 15m
Distance
74.3 mi
120 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jefferson, SD
Tom Fisk
Sioux Falls, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Jefferson to Sioux Falls, you are looking at a 74.4-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 4 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a quick day trip, as it does not require an overnight stay to manage the distance. You will primarily navigate via Main Street, West Dakota Street, and 10th Street, keeping you off the major highways entirely. Budgeting around $11 for fuel should cover your needs for the trip. Both locations are situated within the Great Plains region, offering a consistent feel as you move through South Dakota. It is a straightforward, practical drive that provides a simple way to connect the two towns without the complexity of a long-haul commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 29 | 65.2 mi | 1h 1m |
| I 229 | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| West Dakota Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 8th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Lowell Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Chicago Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 10th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 29
— 65.2 mi, about 1h 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jefferson, SD and Sioux Falls, SD.
1
Start on South 3rd Street
56 ft
·
7 sec
·
South 3rd Street
2
Turn left onto CR 1B
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn left onto West Dakota Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Dakota Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
5
Merge onto I 29
65 mi
·
1 hr 1 min
·
I 29
6
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
7
Continue on I 229
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
I 229
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 6
Toward 10th Street, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
300 ft
·
9 sec
Toward SD 42: Downtown, Washington Pavilion
Use the slight left lane.
10
Turn straight onto I 229 Business; SD 42
527 ft
·
19 sec
·
East 10th Street
11
Turn right onto South Lowell Avenue
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Lowell Avenue
12
Turn left onto East 8th Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 8th Street
13
Turn right onto North Chicago Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Chicago Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
North Chicago Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 37.1 miles from Jefferson, SD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 29 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 65.2 miles.
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 74.2 — 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
|
CR 1B / Main Street
Turn left onto CR 1B / Main Street
Navigation decision point
8
73.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Take the exit toward 10th Street, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6
Toward 10th Street, Downtown
9
73.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Keep slight left at fork toward SD 42: Downtown, Washington Pavilion
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward SD 42: Downtown, Washington Pavilion
5
73.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
|
South Lowell Avenue
Turn right onto South Lowell Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
74.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
North Chicago Avenue
Turn right onto North Chicago Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.62 one way
$23.23 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.75 | $25.51 |
| premium | $4.89 | $14.30 | $28.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.40 | $32.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 26 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.3 | 0 | $7.80 | $3.57 |
| Efficient EV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.50 | $2.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.7 | 0 | $10.40 | $4.76 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 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
Sioux Falls, SD
Night in Sioux Falls on Saturday
Local time
11:18 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 15m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience. Since this route utilizes local streets, the highway share is 0%, meaning you will spend the entire trip navigating surface roads. The character of the road is defined by frequent turns, requiring your full attention as you transition between the specified local thoroughfares. Because there is no long-distance highway cruising, the pace remains steady and grounded in local geography. You will find that the journey feels very different from a standard cross-country trek, as the lack of highway stretches keeps the drive intimate and focused on the immediate surroundings.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 65.2 mi on I 29.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and I 229. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 1B / Main Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 74.3 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 1B / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 73.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 73.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Sioux Falls, SD
Full guide →Sioux Falls is a city of about 184,000 (2019) in Southeast South Dakota. Founded in 1883 in what was then known as the Dakota Territory, Sioux Falls has grown from a sleepy Midwestern town into a resort for shopping and tourism in the northern Great Plains. It is widely recognized as the largest urban center between Minneapolis and Denver.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 74.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 65.2 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 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 (CR 1B / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 73.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 73.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sioux Falls, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. 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 Sioux Falls, SD
More from Jefferson, SD
More trips to Sioux Falls, SD
Explore more options from Jefferson, SD or browse trips ending in Sioux Falls, SD.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse SD road trips.