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Trip from Madison, SD to Freeman, SD

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

Drive Time

1h 24m

Distance

61.4 mi

99 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Sparse

1 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 18m ★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States

Madison, SD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Freeman, SD, SD

Freeman, SD

Julio Lopez

Trip Overview

If you are planning a quick transition through the South Dakota Great Plains, the drive from Madison to Freeman is a straightforward 61.4-mile trip. You can expect to spend about 1 hour and 24 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal candidate for a single-day journey. Budget roughly $9 for fuel to cover the distance, which is entirely manageable in one go without needing an overnight stay. Since the route stays firmly within the Great Plains region, you will experience consistent terrain throughout the trip. It is a highly practical connection that favors efficiency over complex navigation, perfect if you want to reach your destination with minimal fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US Highway 81 45.3 mi 59m
SD Highway 34 12.5 mi 18m
Northwest 2nd Street 1.3 mi 1m
North Nebraska Street 1 mi 1m
East North County Road 0.9 mi 2m
North Main Street 0.3 mi <1m
North Egan Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
East 3rd Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US Highway 81 — 45.3 mi, about 59m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Madison, SD and Freeman, SD.

1

Start on North Egan Avenue

384 ft · 20 sec · North Egan Avenue
2

Turn left onto SD 34

1.3 mi · 1 min · Northwest 2nd Street
3

Continue on US 81; SD 34

13 mi · 18 min · SD Highway 34
4

Turn left onto US 81

19 mi · 28 min · US Highway 81
5

Continue on US 81

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Nebraska Street
6

Continue on US 81

26 mi · 31 min · US Highway 81
7

Turn right onto East North County Road

0.9 mi · 2 min · East North County Road
8

Turn left onto North Main Street

0.3 mi · 54 sec · North Main Street
9

Turn left onto East 3rd Street

28 ft · 1 sec · East 3rd Street
10

Arrive at destination

East 3rd Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 61.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | SD 34 / Northwest 2nd Street

Turn left onto SD 34 / Northwest 2nd Street

Navigation decision point

3
13.9 mi into trip | ~20m in | US 81 / US Highway 81

Turn left onto US 81 / US Highway 81

Navigation decision point

4
60.2 mi into trip | ~1h 21m in | East North County Road

Turn right onto East North County Road

Navigation decision point

4
61.1 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in | North Main Street

Turn left onto North Main Street

Navigation decision point

4
61.4 mi into trip | ~1h 24m in | East 3rd Street

Turn left onto East 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.60 one way

$19.20 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $10.54 $21.08
premium $4.89 $11.82 $23.63
diesel $5.61 $13.56 $27.11

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.4 0 $6.45 $2.95
Efficient EV 15.4 0 $5.37 $2.46
EV Truck/SUV 24.6 0 $8.60 $3.93

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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.

Forecast as of Apr 12, 2026

Origin

Madison, SD

Night in Madison on Saturday

Local time

9:44 PM

CDT

Current temp

82°F

Sunny

WSW 15 to 25 mph 10% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 12 at 3:22AM MDT until April 12 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 12 at 3:22AM MDT until April 12 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Destination

Freeman, SD

Night in Freeman on Saturday

Local time

9:44 PM

CDT

Current temp

83°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 15 to 25 mph 10% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 12 at 3:22AM MDT until April 12 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 12 at 3:22AM MDT until April 12 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

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

1h 24m 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 61.4-mile trek is a highway-focused drive, with 94% of your time spent on major thoroughfares like US Highway 81 and SD Highway 34. You will spend the bulk of your journey on US Highway 81, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 45.3 miles. Because the route relies so heavily on these fast-moving roads, you can maintain a steady pace for the duration of the trip. The transition into Northwest 2nd Street marks the final leg of your drive as you approach Freeman. Expect a consistent, predictable driving experience that avoids the stop-and-go nature of heavy urban traffic.

94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 45.3 mi on US Highway 81.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 81 and SD Highway 34. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near SD 34 / Northwest 2nd Street.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Madison, SD to Freeman, SD is easy. At 1h 24m with 94% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (SD 34 / Northwest 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.9 miles (US 81 / US Highway 81): Navigation decision point; at 60.2 miles (East North County Road): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,709 ft 1,441 ft

Total Climb

105 ft

Total Descent

268 ft

Highest Point

1,709 ft

~10.2 mi in

Elevation Range

268 ft

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 61.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (94%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 45.3 miles on US Highway 81. 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 SD 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 0.1 miles (SD 34 / Northwest 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.9 miles (US 81 / US Highway 81): Navigation decision point; at 60.2 miles (East North County Road): Navigation decision point.

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