Magna, UT to Alta, UT is 35.2 miles and takes about 51 minutes via Belt Route and Little Cottonwood Road, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Mountain West region, connecting two points in Utah. The drive is primarily on surface roads, making it a straightforward excursion. It's a good option if you're looking for a quick scenic drive without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Belt Route
12.3 mi
13m
Little Cottonwood Road
9.4 mi
17m
SR 201
7 mi
8m
Wasatch Boulevard
3.3 mi
5m
6200 South
0.7 mi
1m
Magna Main Street
0.5 mi
1m
8400 West
0.4 mi
<1m
Alta Entry Road
0.2 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Belt Route
— 12.3 mi, about 13m
Traffic on I-215
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,712 veh/hr typical
· worst 5,728
Quietest
2 AM
~181 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
26×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 78 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 Magna, UT and Alta, UT.
1
Start on Spencer Avenue
0.1 mi·26 sec·Spencer Avenue
2
Turn right onto Magna Main Street
0.5 mi·1 min·Magna Main Street
3
Turn left onto SR 111
0.4 mi·43 sec·8400 West
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·30 sec
Toward SR 201
5
Merge onto SR 201
7.0 mi·8 min·SR 201
Use the right lane.
6
Take the exit
0.7 mi·45 sec
Exit 15AToward I 215 SouthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 215
12 mi·13 min·Belt Route
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
Exit 6Toward SR 190 East: 6200 South, Ski Areas, 3000 East SouthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
172 ft·8 sec
Toward SR 190: Knudsen's Corner, 6200 South
10
Turn right onto SR 190
0.7 mi·1 min·6200 South
11
Continue on SR 190
3.3 mi·5 min·Wasatch Boulevard
12
Continue on SR 210
9.4 mi·17 min·Little Cottonwood Road
13
Turn slight right onto NF 80439
0.2 mi·1 min·Alta Entry Road
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 17.6 miles from Magna, UT, 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
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 21.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.2 mi into trip|~3m in|SR 201
Merge onto SR 201
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
8.3 mi into trip|~11m in
Take the exit toward I 215 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 15A
Toward I 215 South
5
9 mi into trip|~12m in|I 215 / Belt Route
Merge onto I 215 / Belt Route
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
21.3 mi into trip|~25m in
Take the exit toward SR 190 East: 6200 South, Ski Areas, 3000 East South
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.
Exit 6
Toward SR 190 East: 6200 South, Ski Areas, 3000...
6
21.7 mi into trip|~26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward SR 190: Knudsen's Corner, 6200 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward SR 190: Knudsen's Corner, 6200 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.38 one way
$12.76 round trip
$4.61/gal25.4 MPG avg12 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$6.69
$13.37
premium
$5.13
$7.11
$14.21
diesel
$6.28
$8.70
$17.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
10.6
0
$3.70
$1.69
Efficient EV
8.8
0
$3.08
$1.41
EV Truck/SUV
14.1
0
$4.93
$2.25
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 Oct 23, 2026
Origin
Magna, UT
Late night
in Magna on Sunday
Local time
12:47 AM
MDT
Current temp
48°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms
S 9 to 16 mph95% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued October 22 at 6:25PM MDT until October 22 at 8:45PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued October 22 at 5:59PM MDT by NWS Salt Lake City UT
Destination
Alta, UT
Late night
in Alta on Sunday
Local time
12:47 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Chance T-storms
S 13 to 18 mph100% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued October 22 at 6:25PM MDT until October 22 at 8:45PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued October 22 at 5:59PM MDT by NWS Salt Lake City UT
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
15 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
51m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive features a highway share of 20%, meaning most of your time will be spent on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 12.3 miles on Belt Route. You'll transition from Belt Route onto Little Cottonwood Road and SR 201, encountering urban merging as you navigate out of Magna before transitioning to more rural cruising. Expect a fairly direct path with limited opportunities for high-speed travel.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on Belt Route.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near SR 201.
Driving Effort7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 35.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (SR 201): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (I 215 / Belt Route): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mountain driving with significant elevation changes
8,537 ft4,238 ft
Total Climb
4,375 ft
Total Descent
117 ft
Highest Point
8,537 ft
~35.2 mi in
Elevation Range
4,299 ft
Notable High Points
4,262 ft at ~7.5 miles+10 ft prominence
4,354 ft at ~12.6 miles+66 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Magna, UT and Alta, UT, road signs point toward Ski Areas and 3000 East South.
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 35.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on Belt Route. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 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.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Alta, UT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (SR 201): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (I 215 / Belt Route): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Timpanogos Cave National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Alta, UT before heading back.
