Origin
North Sioux City, SD
Late night in North Sioux City on Sunday
Local time
5:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Sioux City, SD to Sioux Falls, 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 22m
Distance
81.4 mi
131 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 16m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 35m
10 AM
1h 27m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Sioux City, SD
Tom Fisk
Sioux Falls, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from North Sioux City to Sioux Falls is a straightforward 81.4-mile journey across the South Dakota Great Plains. You can expect to complete this drive in approximately 1 hour and 22 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. With a fuel budget of roughly $12, it is a highly economical route for those moving between these two points. Because you stay within the same region, the landscape remains consistent throughout your travels. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a short excursion, the simplicity of this trip makes it a reliable choice for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 29 | 72.2 mi | 1h 8m |
| I 229 | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| River Drive | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East 8th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Military Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Lowell Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Chicago Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 10th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 29
— 72.2 mi, about 1h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Sioux City, SD and Sioux Falls, SD.
1
Start on Military Road
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Military Road
2
Turn right onto River Drive
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
River Drive
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 29 North
4
Merge onto I 29
72 mi
·
1 hr 8 min
·
I 29
5
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
6
Continue on I 229
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
I 229
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 6
Toward 10th Street, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
300 ft
·
9 sec
Toward SD 42: Downtown, Washington Pavilion
Use the slight left lane.
9
Turn straight onto I 229 Business; SD 42
527 ft
·
19 sec
·
East 10th Street
10
Turn right onto South Lowell Avenue
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Lowell Avenue
11
Turn left onto East 8th Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 8th Street
12
Turn right onto North Chicago Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Chicago Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
North Chicago Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
41 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 40.7 miles from North Sioux City, SD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 29 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 72.2 miles.
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 81.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
River Drive
Turn right onto River Drive
Navigation decision point
8
80.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
Take the exit toward 10th Street, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6
Toward 10th Street, Downtown
9
80.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward SD 42: Downtown, Washington Pavilion
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward SD 42: Downtown, Washington Pavilion
5
81 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
South Lowell Avenue
Turn right onto South Lowell Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
81.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
|
North Chicago Avenue
Turn right onto North Chicago Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.73 one way
$25.45 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
29 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $13.97 | $27.95 |
| premium | $4.89 | $15.66 | $31.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $17.97 | $35.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24.4 | 0 | $8.55 | $3.91 |
| Efficient EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.12 | $3.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 32.6 | 0 | $11.40 | $5.21 |
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (64% 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
Sioux Falls, SD
Late night in Sioux Falls on Sunday
Local time
5:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
48°F
Worthing, SD
41 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
31 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
1h 22m 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 97% of your travel taking place on major thoroughfares like I-29, I-229, and River Drive. You will spend the vast majority of your time on a 72.2-mile stretch of I-29, which serves as the backbone of your journey. Expect a steady, consistent pace as you transition from the interstate onto the local flow of River Drive when nearing your destination. The driving experience is efficient and functional, prioritizing speed and directness over technical maneuvers or winding backroads. It is a classic interstate drive that allows you to maintain a predictable rhythm from start to finish.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 72.2 mi on I 29.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and I 229. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near River Drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 81.4 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.2 miles (River Drive): Navigation decision point; at 80.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 80.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Sioux Falls, SD
Full guide →Sioux Falls is a city of about 184,000 (2019) in Southeast South Dakota. Founded in 1883 in what was then known as the Dakota Territory, Sioux Falls has grown from a sleepy Midwestern town into a resort for shopping and tourism in the northern Great Plains. It is widely recognized as the largest urban center between Minneapolis and Denver.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 81.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 72.2 miles on I 29. 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 0.2 miles (River Drive): Navigation decision point; at 80.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 80.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sioux Falls, 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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