Origin
Milbank, SD
Night in Milbank on Saturday
Local time
11:20 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Milbank, SD to Watertown, SD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
45.7 mi
74 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Milbank, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Watertown, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between Milbank and Watertown, SD, this 45.7-mile journey is a straightforward trek across the Great Plains. You can expect to spend about 56 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel budget of approximately $7, the route is highly economical for a quick transition between these two South Dakota hubs. Because the drive is short, you have the flexibility to depart whenever it suits your schedule. You will traverse the open landscape of the Great Plains, enjoying a consistent, practical connection between communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| SD Highway 20 | 19.1 mi | 22m |
| I 29 | 11.5 mi | 10m |
| SD Highway 15 | 6.8 mi | 10m |
| 26th Avenue Northeast | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| 4th Street Northeast | 2 mi | 3m |
| East Berry Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| South Dakota Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Broadway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
SD Highway 20
— 19.1 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Milbank, SD and Watertown, SD.
1
Start on US 12
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
East 4th Avenue
2
Turn left onto South Dakota Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Dakota Street
3
Continue on SD 15
6.8 mi
·
10 min
·
SD Highway 15
4
Turn right onto SD 20
13 mi
·
15 min
·
SD Highway 20
5
Continue on SD 20
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
East Berry Avenue
6
Continue on SD 20
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
SD Highway 20
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 29, US 81, SD 20: Watertown
8
Merge onto I 29; US 81
11 mi
·
10 min
·
I 29; US 81
9
Take the exit onto US 81
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
US 81
Toward US 81 South, SD 20 West: Watertown
10
Turn right onto US 81
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
26th Avenue Northeast
11
Turn left onto US 81
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
4th Street Northeast
12
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue Northeast
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
3rd Avenue Northeast
13
Turn left onto North Broadway
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
North Broadway
14
Arrive at destination
South Broadway
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 43 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Dakota Street
Turn left onto South Dakota Street
Navigation decision point
4
8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
SD 20 / SD Highway 20
Turn right onto SD 20 / SD Highway 20
Navigation decision point
6
28.6 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the ramp toward I 29, US 81, SD 20: Watertown
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 29, US 81, SD 20: Watertown
5
40.3 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
US 81
Take the exit onto US 81 toward US 81 South, SD 20 West: Watertown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 81 South, SD 20 West: Watertown
4
43 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
US 81 / 4th Street Northeast
Turn left onto US 81 / 4th Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.14 one way
$14.29 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.84 | $15.69 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.79 | $17.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.09 | $20.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.19 |
| Efficient EV | 11.4 | 0 | $4.00 | $1.83 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.3 | 0 | $6.40 | $2.92 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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.
Destination
Watertown, SD
Night in Watertown on Saturday
Local time
11:20 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
56m 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 trip is heavily highway-focused, with 82% of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will navigate a combination of SD Highway 20, I-29, and SD Highway 15 to complete the distance. Expect a steady pace, as the longest uninterrupted stretch spans 19.1 miles along SD Highway 20. The road feels efficient and functional rather than technical, allowing you to settle in for a smooth, consistent ride. You won’t encounter much variety in terrain, as the path remains anchored to these primary routes for the duration of the hour-long commute.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.1 mi on SD Highway 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on SD Highway 20 and I 29. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near South Dakota Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 56m 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 0.3 miles (South Dakota Street): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (SD 20 / SD Highway 20): Navigation decision point; at 28.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,977 ft
1,153 ft
Total Climb
823 ft
Total Descent
239 ft
Highest Point
1,977 ft
~26.1 mi in
Elevation Range
823 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 45.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.1 miles on SD Highway 20. 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 0.3 miles (South Dakota Street): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (SD 20 / SD Highway 20): Navigation decision point; at 28.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Watertown, 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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