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Trip from Madison, SD to Medary, SD

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

Drive Time

45m

Distance

33.4 mi

54 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Sparse

1 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m

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

city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States

Madison, SD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Medary, SD, SD

Medary, SD

Patrick

Trip Overview

Madison, SD to Medary, SD is 33.4 miles and takes about 45 minutes via 471st Avenue and SD Highway 34, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward connection between two points in South Dakota. Given its brief duration, it’s ideal for a quick trip or as a segment of a larger journey. You'll experience a mixed drive profile, so expect some variety in your travel conditions. This route is well-suited for a same-day trip, allowing for plenty of flexibility.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
471st Avenue 15.9 mi 20m
SD Highway 34 13.6 mi 19m
Southeast 10th Street 1.1 mi 1m
North Washington Avenue 1 mi 1m
Southwest 3rd Street 0.8 mi 1m
Southeast 3rd Street 0.8 mi 1m
Northeast 2nd Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Egan Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: 471st Avenue — 15.9 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on North Egan Avenue

384 ft · 16 sec · North Egan Avenue
2

Turn right onto SD 34

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Northeast 2nd Street
3

Turn right onto SD 34

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Washington Avenue
4

Turn left onto SD 34

1.1 mi · 1 min · Southeast 10th Street
5

Continue on SD 34

13 mi · 18 min · SD Highway 34
6

Continue on SD 34

0.8 mi · 1 min · Southwest 3rd Street
7

Continue on SD 34

0.8 mi · 1 min · Southeast 3rd Street
8

Continue on SD 34

0.5 mi · 50 sec · SD Highway 34
9

Turn left onto CR 77

16 mi · 20 min · 471st Avenue
10

Arrive at destination

CR 77

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Lone Tree, SD, SD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lone Tree, SD

17 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Lone Tree, SD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lone Tree, SD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.7 miles from Madison, SD, 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

4 of 4

4 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 17.4 — 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 / Northeast 2nd Street

Turn right onto SD 34 / Northeast 2nd Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | SD 34 / North Washington Avenue

Turn right onto SD 34 / North Washington Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in | SD 34 / Southeast 10th Street

Turn left onto SD 34 / Southeast 10th Street

Navigation decision point

4
17.4 mi into trip | ~25m in | CR 77 / 471st Avenue

Turn left onto CR 77 / 471st Avenue

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.22 one way

$10.44 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.73 $11.47
premium $4.89 $6.43 $12.86
diesel $5.61 $7.37 $14.75

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10 0 $3.51 $1.60
Efficient EV 8.4 0 $2.92 $1.34
EV Truck/SUV 13.4 0 $4.68 $2.14

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 15, 2026

Origin

Madison, SD

Late night in Madison on Sunday

Local time

12:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Medary, SD

Late night in Medary on Sunday

Local time

12:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

31°F

Lone Tree, SD

17 mi in

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

2 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

45m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This 33.4-mile journey presents a mixed driving profile, with 41% of the route utilizing highways. You'll encounter stretches on 471st Avenue, SD Highway 34, and Southeast 10th Street, indicating a blend of rural and potentially more developed road conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch measures 15.9 miles on 471st Avenue, likely offering a good opportunity to settle into a rhythm. As you progress, the road character will likely shift between open stretches and more built-up areas, especially as you approach Medary.

41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.9 mi on 471st Avenue.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 / Northeast 2nd Street.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Madison, SD to Medary, SD is easy. At 45m with 41% 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 / Northeast 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (SD 34 / North Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (SD 34 / Southeast 10th Street): Navigation decision point.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 33.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (41%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.9 miles on 471st Avenue. 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 / Northeast 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (SD 34 / North Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (SD 34 / Southeast 10th Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Medary, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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