Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
42.1 mi
68 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mills, WY
Dan Stone
Mills, WY to Midwest, WY is 42.1 miles and takes about 48m via I 25, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Wyoming's Mountain West region. You'll experience a mix of highway and surface roads, making it a straightforward drive. With minimal driving time, this route is ideal for a quick transfer or a segment of a larger Wyoming adventure.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 25 | 20.1 mi | 18m |
| Horseshoe Road | 17.9 mi | 20m |
| Salt Creek Highway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| US 20 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Lewis Street | 0.5 mi | 2m |
| 1st Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Van Horn Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Yellowstone Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~237 veh/hr typical · worst 371
Quietest
2 AM
~20 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 86 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Mills, WY and Midwest, WY.
Start on 1st Street
Continue on Van Horn Avenue
Turn left onto US 20 Business; US 26 Business
Turn right onto WY 254
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 20; US 26
Turn left
Merge onto I 25; US 87
Take the exit
Turn right onto WY 259
Turn left onto Lewis Street
Turn right onto Fitzhugh Avenue
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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.
First break window
Fuel and coffeeA short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Mills, WY, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 23.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto US 20 Business; US 26 Business / West Yellowstone Highway
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto WY 254 / Salt Creek Highway
Navigation decision point
Turn left toward I 25 North, US 87 North: Midwest
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Horse Ranch Creek Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Turn right onto WY 259 / Horseshoe Road
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$7.30 one way
$14.60 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.64 | $15.27 |
| premium | $4.95 | $8.20 | $16.41 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.28 | $18.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
| Efficient EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.89 | $2.69 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Mills on Friday
Local time
3:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
60°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Midwest on Friday
Local time
3:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
59°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Nearly half of this 42.1-mile drive, 20.1 miles to be exact, is on I 25. After leaving the interstate, you'll transition to Horseshoe Road and then Salt Creek Highway. This shift from highway to surface roads will be noticeable as you leave the faster interstate pace behind. Expect a more rural cruising feel for the latter portion of the trip.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near US 20 Business; US 26 Business / West Yellowstone Highway.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 42.1 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (US 20 Business; US 26 Business / West Yellowstone Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (WY 254 / Salt Creek Highway): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
528 ft
Total Descent
800 ft
Highest Point
5,580 ft
~21.1 mi in
Elevation Range
729 ft
Notable High Points
The Midwest is known as "America's Heartland": the massive Great Lakes, the vast northwoods, wide-open plains full of corn (maize), wheat, and soybeans, a patchwork of industrial cities and small towns, and one of America's greatest cities, Chicago.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 48m. Total distance: 42.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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