Laramie to Ethete is 238.6 miles and takes about 4h 55m via US 287 and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $42 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Wyoming, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface roads as you travel. With a recommended one-day drive time, this route is manageable for most travelers looking for a straightforward connection between these two Wyoming locations.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
119.3 miles from Laramie, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 6m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 287
133 mi
3h
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
94.1 mi
1h 34m
Blue Sky Highway
6.6 mi
11m
Higley Boulevard
1.5 mi
1m
East Curtis Street
1.3 mi
2m
South 4th Street
1.1 mi
2m
East Cedar Street
0.5 mi
<1m
Saint Michael Circle
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 287
— 133 mi, about 3h
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~430 veh/hr typical
· worst 675
Quietest
2 AM
~87 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
4.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Laramie, WY and Ethete, WY.
1
Start on this road
45 ft·5 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto South 5th Street
149 ft·8 sec·South 5th Street
3
Turn right onto I 80 Business; US 30
363 ft·14 sec·East Grand Avenue
4
Turn right onto South 4th Street
1.1 mi·2 min·South 4th Street
5
Turn left onto CR 322
1.3 mi·2 min·East Curtis Street
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·42 sec
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto I 80
94 mi·1 hr 34 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit onto US 287
0.7 mi·1 min·US 287
Toward I 80 Business East, US 287 North, WY 76: RawlinsUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; US 287
0.5 mi·39 sec·East Cedar Street
10
Turn right onto US 287 BYP
1.5 mi·1 min·Higley Boulevard
11
At end of road, turn right onto US 287; WY 789
42 mi·48 min·US 287; WY 789
12
Turn left onto US 287; WY 789
72 mi·1 hr 47 min·US 287; WY 789
13
Turn right onto US 287; WY 789
18 mi·23 min·US 287; WY 789
14
Turn right onto WY 132
6.6 mi·11 min·Blue Sky Highway
15
Turn right onto Saint Michael Circle
234 ft·11 sec·Saint Michael Circle
16
Continue on Saint Michael Circle
440 ft·19 sec·Saint Michael Circle
17
Arrive at destination
Saint Michael Circle
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 55m estimated drive time, leaving Laramie in the morning should allow you to reach Ethete with plenty of daylight. Plan for one stop to break up the drive, potentially around the halfway point or where you transition off the main highway. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, as the longest stretch without services could be up to 133 miles on US 287. The fuel cost is estimated at $42, so factor that into your budget. Because this is a single-day route, you have flexibility in your departure time.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 119.3 miles from Laramie, WY, or about 2h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 133 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 52 miles or 55m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 119.3 miles or 2h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 52m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ethete, WY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Laramie, WY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Laramie, WY
This is one driving day of about 238.6 miles and 4h 55m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 52 miles from Laramie, WY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 287 for about 133 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 96.8 — 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|South 5th Street
Turn right onto South 5th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|I 80 Business; US 30 / East Grand Avenue
Turn right onto I 80 Business; US 30 / East Grand Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
2.4 mi into trip|~5m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
2.8 mi into trip|~6m in|I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge onto I 80 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
96.8 mi into trip|~1h 40m in|US 287
Take the exit onto US 287 toward I 80 Business East, US 287 North, WY 76: Rawlins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 80 Business East, US 287 North, WY 76:...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.98 one way
$85.95 round trip
$4.58/gal25.4 MPG avg84 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.78
$44.88
$89.77
premium
$5.11
$47.96
$95.93
diesel
$6.18
$58.04
$116.09
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 83.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
71.6
0
$25.05
$11.45
Efficient EV
59.7
0
$20.88
$9.54
EV Truck/SUV
95.4
1
$33.40
$15.27
Gas CO2
83 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Laramie, WY
Late night
in Laramie on Tuesday
Local time
4:41 AM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Mostly Cloudy
SSE 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Ethete, WY
Late night
in Ethete on Tuesday
Local time
4:41 AM
MDT
Current temp
39°F
Clear
NW 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1 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
4h 55m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
About 56% of this drive is on highways. You'll experience a long stretch of 133 miles on US 287, which will likely feel like rural cruising. The remaining portion of your trip will be on surface roads. Expect to transition from faster highway speeds to more moderate speeds as you approach your destination.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 133 mi on US 287.
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 South 5th Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 55m drive. You will face about 14 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 (South 5th Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (I 80 Business; US 30 / East Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
The longest stretch is about 133 miles on US 287. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 8 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, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through WY 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 (South 5th Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (I 80 Business; US 30 / East Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 4.9 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.9 hours — manageable with a long break at Ethete, WY, but most travelers stay overnight.
