Livingston, MT to West Yellowstone, MT is 116.7 miles and takes about 2h 26m via Gallatin Road and I 90, with a fuel budget near $18 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Mountain West region, offering a straightforward drive. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface roads as you make your way toward Yellowstone National Park. It's a relatively short trip, so you have plenty of flexibility for when you depart and how you pace yourself.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
58.3 miles from Livingston, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 13m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Gallatin Road
81.5 mi
1h 41m
I 90
23.3 mi
23m
Huffine Lane
5.3 mi
7m
I 90 Business
2.5 mi
4m
West Main Street
1.7 mi
3m
North 7th Avenue
1.3 mi
2m
East Park Street
0.4 mi
1m
Firehole Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Gallatin Road
— 81.5 mi, about 1h 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Livingston, MT and West Yellowstone, MT.
1
Start on I 90 Business
0.4 mi·1 min·East Park Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn right onto I 90 Business
2.3 mi·3 min·I 90 Business
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp onto I 90 Business
0.2 mi·28 sec·I 90 Business
4
Merge onto I 90; US 191
23 mi·23 min·I 90; US 191
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi·38 sec
Toward MT 205
6
Turn left onto North 7th Avenue
1.3 mi·2 min·North 7th Avenue
7
At end of road, turn right onto US 191; MT 84
1.7 mi·3 min·West Main Street
8
Continue on US 191; MT 84
5.3 mi·7 min·Huffine Lane
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto US 191
82 mi·1 hr 41 min·Gallatin Road
10
Continue on US 191; US 287
0.2 mi·32 sec·North Canyon Street
11
Turn right onto US 20
0.2 mi·45 sec·Firehole Avenue
12
Turn left onto Electric Street
39 ft·1 sec·Electric Street
13
Arrive at destination
Electric Street
Trip Plan
Given the 2h 26m drive time, leaving Livingston, MT in the morning allows ample time to reach West Yellowstone, MT without feeling rushed. With only 116.7 miles to cover, you can easily make this a single-day trip. Plan your fuel stop before you leave Livingston, as the $18 fuel cost suggests a straightforward fill-up. The longest continuous stretch is 81.5 miles on Gallatin Road, so consider a brief stop before or during that section if you prefer to break up the drive.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 58.3 miles from Livingston, MT, or about 1h 13m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 81.5 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 26 miles or 29m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 58.3 miles or 1h 13m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 59m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near West Yellowstone, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Livingston, MT 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 Livingston, MT
This is one driving day of about 116.7 miles and 2h 26m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from Livingston, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Gallatin Road for about 81.5 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 116.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|I 90 Business / East Park Street
Depart onto I 90 Business / East Park Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|I 90 Business
Turn right onto I 90 Business
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
26.2 mi into trip|~29m in
Take the exit toward MT 205
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward MT 205
5
116.5 mi into trip|~2h 26m in|US 20 / Firehole Avenue
Turn right onto US 20 / Firehole Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
116.7 mi into trip|~2h 26m in|Electric Street
Turn left onto Electric Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.49 one way
$36.99 round trip
$4.03/gal25.4 MPG avg41 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$19.38
$38.77
premium
$4.53
$20.82
$41.64
diesel
$5.61
$25.77
$51.53
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
35
0
$12.25
$5.60
Efficient EV
29.2
0
$10.21
$4.67
EV Truck/SUV
46.7
0
$16.34
$7.47
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (66% 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 15, 2026
Origin
Livingston, MT
Late night
in Livingston on Sunday
Local time
3:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
West Yellowstone, MT
Late night
in West Yellowstone on Sunday
Local time
3:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
31°F
Unavailable
Live 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
40 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
2h 26m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Yellowstone National Park
National Park
On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal wonders. Today, millions of people come here each year to camp, hike, and enjoy the majesty of the...
28 mi from route
~69 min detour
$35
near mile 116.7
Park Closure: Select Roads Open to Regular Vehicles
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly surface roads, with only 22% of the total 116.7 miles on the highway. You'll experience an 81.5-mile stretch on Gallatin Road before transitioning. Be prepared for more frequent intersections and lower speed limits once you leave the interstate portion of I 90.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 81.5 mi on Gallatin Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near I 90 Business / East Park Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 26m 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 (I 90 Business / East Park Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (I 90 Business): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
West Yellowstone, Montana, is a rustic mountain town nestled between National Forest lands and is the gateway to Yellowstone National Park. It is only a mile from the park entrance, and the town's airport is the closest to the park, and to attractions like Old Faithful.
The longest stretch is about 81.5 miles on Gallatin Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 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: near the start (I 90 Business / East Park Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (I 90 Business): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at West Yellowstone, MT before heading back.
