Origin
Kalispell, MT
Night in Kalispell on Saturday
Local time
10:42 PM
MDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kalispell, MT to Columbia Falls, MT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
16.3 mi
26 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kalispell, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Columbia Falls, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit between Kalispell and Columbia Falls, this 16.3-mile trip is an efficient way to navigate the Mountain West. Clocking in at just 25 minutes, the route is perfect for a spontaneous day trip or a simple point-to-point commute. You will primarily navigate via US 2, La Salle Road, and 9th Street to complete the journey. Budgeting roughly $3 for fuel makes this an incredibly economical drive for your travel itinerary. Because the distance is so short, you certainly do not need to worry about an overnight stay, allowing you total flexibility in your schedule. It is a straightforward, practical connection that gets you between these two Montana towns without any unnecessary hassle.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 2 | 10 mi | 12m |
| La Salle Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| 9th Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| US Route 2 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Woodland Park Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Conrad Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 7th Street West | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Street East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 2
— 10 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kalispell, MT and Columbia Falls, MT.
1
Start on 3rd Street West
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
3rd Street West
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn left onto 3rd Avenue East
366 ft
·
12 sec
·
3rd Avenue East
3
Turn right onto 2nd Street East
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
2nd Street East
4
Continue on Conrad Drive
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Conrad Drive
5
Turn left onto Woodland Park Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodland Park Drive
6
Turn right onto US 2
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
US Route 2
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on US 2
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
La Salle Road
8
Continue on US 2
9.0 mi
·
10 min
·
US 2
9
Continue on US 2
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
US 2
10
Continue on US 2
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
9th Street
11
Turn left onto 4th Avenue West
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
4th Avenue West
12
Turn right onto 7th Street West
0.2 mi
·
55 sec
·
7th Street West
13
Arrive at destination
7th Street West
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 16.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
3rd Avenue East
Turn left onto 3rd Avenue East
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
2nd Street East
Turn right onto 2nd Street East
Navigation decision point
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Woodland Park Drive
Turn left onto Woodland Park Drive
Navigation decision point
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 2 / US Route 2
Turn right onto US 2 / US Route 2
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
16.1 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
7th Street West
Turn right onto 7th Street West
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.58 one way
$5.17 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $2.71 | $5.41 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.91 | $5.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.60 | $7.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Columbia Falls, MT
Night in Columbia Falls on Saturday
Local time
10:42 PM
MDT
Current temp
41°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
19 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
25m 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 highway-focused experience, as 69% of this trip takes place on major roads. The drive offers a steady pace, highlighted by a notable 10-mile stretch along US 2 that serves as the backbone of your journey. As you transition from the highway onto local roads like La Salle and 9th Street, the rhythm of the drive shifts from open transit to a more localized feel. You won't face the monotony of a long-haul interstate, but rather a focused drive that prioritizes direct movement. Behind the wheel, you will notice the transition from the broader highway environment into the community-oriented streets of Columbia Falls.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on US 2.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 2 and La Salle Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near 3rd Avenue East.
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 25m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (3rd Avenue East): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (2nd Street East): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Woodland Park Drive): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
3,080 ft
2,912 ft
Total Climb
187 ft
Total Descent
62 ft
Highest Point
3,080 ft
~16.4 mi in
Elevation Range
169 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Kalispell, MT
Full guide →Kalispell is a town in Montana, near Glacier National Park. The name of the town means "flat land above the lake" in Salish, a Native American language. The population is about 23,000 (2016).
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 25m. Total distance: 16.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on US 2. 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 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: at 0.2 miles (3rd Avenue East): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (2nd Street East): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Woodland Park Drive): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Columbia Falls, MT 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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