Lockwood, MT to Chinook, MT is 229 miles and takes about 5 hours 13 minutes via MT 66 and US 87, with a fuel budget near $37 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Mountain West region, offering a straightforward trip through Montana. With 80% of the route on highways, expect a steady pace for most of the 229 miles. This is a solid one-day option if you're looking for efficient travel between these two points.
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
114.6 miles from Lockwood, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 30m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
MT 66
50 mi
1h 14m
US 87
47.9 mi
1h 8m
Roundup Road
44.4 mi
48m
US 191
35.8 mi
53m
US 2
24.7 mi
28m
MT 19
21.5 mi
31m
I 90
1.8 mi
2m
US Highway 87 East
1.2 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
MT 66
— 50 mi, about 1h 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lockwood, MT and Chinook, MT.
1
Start on Johnson Lane
0.2 mi·32 sec·Johnson Lane
2
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·54 sec
3
Merge onto I 90; US 87; US 212
1.8 mi·2 min·I 90; US 87; US 212
4
Take the exit onto I 90 Business; US 87
0.3 mi·36 sec·I 90 Business; US 87
Toward I 90 Business, US 87 North: Lockwood, Roundup
5
Merge onto I 90 Business; US 87
1.2 mi·1 min·US Highway 87 East
6
Take the exit onto US 87
3.5 mi·5 min·US 87
7
Turn slight left onto US 87
44 mi·48 min·Roundup Road
8
Turn left onto US 12; US 87
0.7 mi·1 min·Main Street
9
Turn slight left onto US 87
44 mi·1 hr 2 min·US 87
10
Continue on MT 19
21 mi·31 min·MT 19
11
Continue on US 191
36 mi·53 min·US 191
12
Turn left onto MT 66
50 mi·1 hr 14 min·MT 66
13
Turn left onto US 2
25 mi·28 min·US 2
14
Turn left onto Indiana Street
0.3 mi·1 min·Indiana Street
15
Arrive at destination
Indiana Street
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 5-hour drive, aim for an early morning departure from Lockwood to ensure you have plenty of daylight. Since this is a one-day trip, you can afford to be flexible with stops. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 50-mile stretch on MT 66, as services might be spaced out. Planning one main stop for lunch or a break will be sufficient for this distance.
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 114.6 miles from Lockwood, MT, or about 2h 30m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 50 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 50 miles or 58m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 114.6 miles or 2h 30m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Chinook, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Lockwood, 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 Lockwood, MT
This is one driving day of about 229.2 miles and 5h 13m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 50 miles from Lockwood, MT.
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 MT 66 for about 50 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 0.2 and 228.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
3
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|I 90; US 87; US 212
Merge onto I 90; US 87; US 212
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
2.5 mi into trip|~3m in|I 90 Business; US 87
Take the exit onto I 90 Business; US 87 toward I 90 Business, US 87 North: Lockwood, Roundup
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 Business, US 87 North: Lockwood, Ro...
4
2.7 mi into trip|~4m in|I 90 Business; US 87 / US Highway 87 East
Merge onto I 90 Business; US 87 / US Highway 87 East
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
228.9 mi into trip|~5h 11m in|Indiana Street
Turn left onto Indiana Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$35.72 one way
$71.45 round trip
$3.96/gal25.4 MPG avg80 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.17
$37.66
$75.31
premium
$4.47
$40.37
$80.74
diesel
$4.80
$43.28
$86.55
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$36
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$61–$86
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 80.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
68.8
0
$24.07
$11.00
Efficient EV
57.3
0
$20.06
$9.17
EV Truck/SUV
91.7
1
$32.09
$14.67
Gas CO2
80 kg
EV CO2
27 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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Lockwood, MT
Late night
in Lockwood on Sunday
Local time
12:45 AM
MDT
Current temp
97°F
Sunny
NW 8 mph9% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 18 at 11:48AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Destination
Chinook, MT
Late night
in Chinook on Sunday
Local time
12:45 AM
MDT
Current temp
96°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 8 mph28% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 18 at 11:48AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 13m 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?
You'll spend about 80% of your 229-mile trip on highways, cruising along US 87 for a good portion of the drive. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 50 miles on MT 66. Expect mostly rural cruising with minimal urban merging. The transition from highway to surface roads will be gradual as you approach your destination.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 50 mi on MT 66.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MT 66 and US 87. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 13m 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: at 0.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (I 90; US 87; US 212): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 2.5 miles (I 90 Business; US 87): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The longest stretch is about 50 miles on MT 66. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 2 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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: Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (I 90; US 87; US 212): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 2.5 miles (I 90 Business; US 87): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.2 hours each way, a round trip means 10.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Chinook, MT before the return drive.
