Origin
Preston, SD
Night in Preston on Saturday
Local time
10:14 PM
MDT
Current temp
19°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Preston, SD to Kirk, SD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
9 mi
14 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Preston, SD
Luis Quintero
Kirk, SD
Luis Quintero
Trip Overview
This short 9-mile drive from Preston to Kirk, South Dakota, will take you about 32 minutes to complete. It's a perfect candidate for a quick day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The route primarily uses local roads, with a low highway share of only 4%, giving you a more intimate feel of the Great Plains landscape. With an estimated fuel cost of just $1, this is an incredibly budget-friendly excursion. Consider this route for a brief, straightforward journey within South Dakota.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting Mine Road | 3.5 mi | 13m |
| Wharf Mine Road | 2.4 mi | 9m |
| Richmond Hill Road | 0.8 mi | 3m |
| Mountain View Drive | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Glendale Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| US Highway 14A | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Lost Irishman Road | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| 3rd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Cutting Mine Road
— 3.5 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Preston, SD and Kirk, SD.
1
Start on Wharf Mine Road
2.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Wharf Mine Road
2
Turn right onto Richmond Hill Road
0.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Richmond Hill Road
3
Turn left onto Cutting Mine Road
3.5 mi
·
13 min
·
Cutting Mine Road
4
At end of road, turn right onto US 14A; US 85 Truck
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
US Highway 14A
5
Continue on US 14A; US 85 Truck
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
·
Glendale Drive
6
Turn right onto Chicago Street
147 ft
·
6 sec
·
Chicago Street
7
Keep slight left at fork onto Chicago Street
350 ft
·
15 sec
·
Chicago Street
8
Continue on 3rd Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
3rd Street
9
Turn left onto Mountain View Drive
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Mountain View Drive
10
Turn left onto Grier Avenue
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
Grier Avenue
11
Turn left onto Lost Irishman Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Lost Irishman Road
12
Turn left
249 ft
·
18 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 7.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
2.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
Richmond Hill Road
Turn right onto Richmond Hill Road
Navigation decision point
4
3.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Cutting Mine Road
Turn left onto Cutting Mine Road
Navigation decision point
4
6.7 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
US 14A; US 85 Truck / US Highway 14A
At end of road, turn right onto US 14A; US 85 Truck / US Highway 14A
Navigation decision point
4
7.5 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Chicago Street
Turn right onto Chicago Street
Navigation decision point
5
7.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Chicago Street
Keep slight left at fork onto Chicago Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.41 one way
$2.81 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.54 | $3.09 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.73 | $3.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.99 | $3.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.94 | $0.43 |
| Efficient EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.79 | $0.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Destination
Kirk, SD
Night in Kirk on Saturday
Local time
10:14 PM
MDT
Current temp
37°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
18 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
32m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by its winding nature rather than long, straight stretches. You'll navigate Cutting Mine Road, Wharf Mine Road, and Richmond Hill Road, with the longest uninterrupted segment being 3.5 miles on Cutting Mine Road. Given the low highway share (4%), this drive offers a more connected experience to the local terrain. The constant turns suggest a need for attentive driving, making it feel more engaging than a typical interstate cruise.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.5 mi on Cutting Mine Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near Richmond Hill Road.
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 9 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 2.4 miles (Richmond Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (Cutting Mine Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles (US 14A; US 85 Truck / US Highway 14A): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (4%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.5 miles on Cutting Mine Road. 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 2.4 miles (Richmond Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (Cutting Mine Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles (US 14A; US 85 Truck / US Highway 14A): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kirk, 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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