Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Kulm, ND to Marion, ND

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 7m

Distance

54.8 mi

88 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Kulm, ND, ND

Kulm, ND

Engin Akyurt

Downtown Marion, ND, ND

Marion, ND

Joanna Bogacz

Trip Overview

Kulm to Marion is 54.8 miles and takes about 1h 7m via US 281, State Highway 46, and State Highway 13, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, highway-focused drive stays within North Dakota's Great Plains region, making it a straightforward trip. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, so expect a practical journey rather than a winding scenic tour. It's a convenient connection for those traveling through the area, easily completed within a few hours, leaving plenty of time for other activities.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 281 19 mi 21m
State Highway 46 18 mi 20m
State Highway 13 14.1 mi 16m
County Road 61 1.7 mi 4m
1st Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
State Highway 56 0.7 mi <1m
1st Street Southeast 0.3 mi 1m
4th Main Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 281 — 19 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kulm, ND and Marion, ND.

1

Start on this road

153 ft · 13 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto 1st Street Southeast

0.3 mi · 1 min · 1st Street Southeast
3

Turn right onto ND 56

0.7 mi · 58 sec · State Highway 56
4

Continue on ND 13

14 mi · 16 min · State Highway 13
5

Continue on ND 13

0.8 mi · 1 min · 1st Avenue
6

Continue on ND 13

361 ft · 14 sec · State Highway 13
7

Turn left onto US 281

19 mi · 21 min · US 281
8

Turn right onto ND 46

18 mi · 20 min · State Highway 46
Use the right lane.
9

Turn right onto CR 61

1.7 mi · 4 min · County Road 61
10

Turn right onto 4th Main Avenue

0.3 mi · 36 sec · 4th Main Avenue
11

Arrive at destination

4th Main Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Jud, ND, ND

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Jud, ND

27 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.

Popular next leg

Jud, ND to Marion, ND

36.2 mi · 53m

Pacing Suggestions

Edgeley, ND

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Edgeley, ND

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27.4 miles from Kulm, ND, 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 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 52.9 — 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 | 1st Street Southeast

Turn right onto 1st Street Southeast

Navigation decision point

3
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | ND 56 / State Highway 56

Turn right onto ND 56 / State Highway 56

Navigation decision point

3
15.8 mi into trip | ~19m in | US 281

Turn left onto US 281

Navigation decision point

6
34.9 mi into trip | ~41m in | ND 46 / State Highway 46

Turn right onto ND 46 / State Highway 46

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
3
52.9 mi into trip | ~1h 2m in | CR 61 / County Road 61

Turn right onto CR 61 / County Road 61

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.09 one way

$16.19 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $8.93 $17.87
premium $4.72 $10.17 $20.35
diesel $4.80 $10.35 $20.69

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.4 0 $5.75 $2.63
Efficient EV 13.7 0 $4.80 $2.19
EV Truck/SUV 21.9 0 $7.67 $3.51

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 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 Jul 3, 2026

Origin

Kulm, ND

Evening in Kulm on Saturday

Local time

8:29 PM

CDT

Current temp

85°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 6 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 3 at 4:51PM CDT until July 3 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 3 at 4:50PM CDT until July 3 at 5:15PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

Destination

Marion, ND

Evening in Marion on Saturday

Local time

8:29 PM

CDT

Current temp

85°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

W 7 mph 22% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 3 at 4:51PM CDT until July 3 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 3 at 4:50PM CDT until July 3 at 5:15PM CDT by NWS Bismarck ND

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

1h 7m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 95% of the journey on main roads like US 281, State Highway 46, and State Highway 13. You'll experience a consistent pace for much of the 54.8 miles, including a longest stretch of 19 miles on US 281 without significant deviations. The character of the drive is practical and efficient, designed for covering ground smoothly. Expect straightforward travel without many complex intersections or sharp turns, keeping your focus on the road ahead.

95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19 mi on US 281.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 281 and State Highway 46. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 1st Street Southeast.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Kulm, ND to Marion, ND is easy. At 1h 7m with 95% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (1st Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (ND 56 / State Highway 56): Navigation decision point; at 15.8 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,975 ft 1,461 ft

Total Climb

35 ft

Total Descent

544 ft

Highest Point

1,975 ft

~3.9 mi in

Elevation Range

514 ft

Detours Along the Way

Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.

Heinrich-Martin Dam

Camp_site

Later in the drive, short detour

52min in 2.5 mi from route ~6 min detour

Heinrich-Martin Dam

Camp_site

Later in the drive, short detour

52min in 2.5 mi from route ~6 min detour

Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.

About the Cities

Starting in Kulm, ND

Full guide →

Founded 1892

Arriving in Marion, ND

Full guide →

Founded 1900

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 7m. Total distance: 54.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19 miles on US 281. 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.

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 ND 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 (1st Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (ND 56 / State Highway 56): Navigation decision point; at 15.8 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Marion, ND 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

More trips to Marion, ND

Edgeley, ND 39.8 mi Jud, ND 36.2 mi
Escape planner: Kulm, ND Scenic drives in ND

Explore more options from Kulm, ND or browse trips ending in Marion, ND.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse ND road trips.