Riverton to Pine Bluffs is 310 miles and takes about 5 hours 54 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, US 287, and Purple Heart Trail, with a fuel budget near $54 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Wyoming, moving from the Mountain West region to another part of the same region. Expect a trip dominated by surface roads, making it a more relaxed pace than a pure interstate cruise. It's a straightforward, single-day option for getting across the state.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
155.1 miles from Riverton, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
143 mi
2h 23m
US 287
84.8 mi
1h 51m
Purple Heart Trail
41.9 mi
40m
Sand Draw Road
34.6 mi
51m
US 287 BYP
1.5 mi
1m
North Federal Boulevard
1.4 mi
1m
Gas Hills Road
1 mi
1m
East Cedar Street
1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 143 mi, about 2h 23m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 40 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~429 veh/hr typical
· worst 716
Quietest
2 AM
~78 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 102 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 Riverton, WY and Pine Bluffs, WY.
1
Start on US 26; WY 789
1.4 mi·1 min·North Federal Boulevard
2
Turn left onto WY 135
1.0 mi·1 min·Gas Hills Road
3
Turn straight onto WY 135
35 mi·51 min·Sand Draw Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto US 287; WY 789
42 mi·1 hr 2 min·US 287; WY 789
5
Turn right onto US 287; WY 789
42 mi·48 min·US 287; WY 789
6
Turn left onto US 287 BYP
1.5 mi·1 min·US 287 BYP
7
At end of road, turn left onto I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; US 287
1.0 mi·1 min·East Cedar Street
8
Take the exit onto US 287
0.4 mi·51 sec·US 287
9
Merge onto I 80; US 30; US 287
143 mi·2 hr 23 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
10
Continue on I 80
42 mi·40 min·Purple Heart Trail
11
Take the exit onto US 30
0.3 mi·41 sec·US 30
Toward US 30 East: Pine Bluffs
12
Turn left onto US 30; I 80 Business
0.3 mi·32 sec·Parson Street
13
Continue on US 30; I 80 Business
0.2 mi·19 sec·US Highway 30
14
Turn slight right onto West 3rd Street
0.2 mi·38 sec·West 3rd Street
15
Arrive at destination
West 3rd Street
Trip Plan
With a total drive time under 6 hours, this trip is easily doable in a single day. Aim to depart Riverton in the morning to give yourself ample daylight. You'll have one designated stop, but there are no specific fuel or rest areas highlighted beyond that. Since the drive is relatively short and primarily on surface roads, you'll have flexibility to adjust your pace. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as you approach Pine Bluffs, as services can be spread out on the latter half of the route.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 155.1 miles from Riverton, WY, or about 3h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 143 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 68 miles or 1h 40m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 155.1 miles or 3h 20m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 59m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pine Bluffs, WY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Riverton, WY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Riverton, WY
This is one driving day of about 310.2 miles and 5h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 68 miles from Riverton, WY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 143 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 309.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
1.4 mi into trip|~1m in|WY 135 / Gas Hills Road
Turn left onto WY 135 / Gas Hills Road
Navigation decision point
4
37 mi into trip|~54m in|US 287; WY 789
At end of road, turn left onto US 287; WY 789
Navigation decision point
4
122.9 mi into trip|~2h 47m in|I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; US 287 / East Cedar Street
At end of road, turn left onto I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; US 287 / East Cedar Street
Navigation decision point
4
309.2 mi into trip|~5h 52m in|US 30
Take the exit onto US 30 toward US 30 East: Pine Bluffs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 30 East: Pine Bluffs
4
309.5 mi into trip|~5h 53m in|US 30; I 80 Business / Parson Street
Turn left onto US 30; I 80 Business / Parson Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$55.87 one way
$111.75 round trip
$4.58/gal25.4 MPG avg109 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.78
$58.35
$116.70
premium
$5.11
$62.36
$124.72
diesel
$6.18
$75.46
$150.92
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$56
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$81–$106
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 108.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
93.1
1
$32.57
$14.89
Efficient EV
77.6
0
$27.14
$12.41
EV Truck/SUV
124.1
1
$43.43
$19.85
Gas CO2
109 kg
EV CO2
36 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 17, 2026
Origin
Riverton, WY
Afternoon
in Riverton on Saturday
Local time
1:11 PM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Clear
SW 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
High Wind Warning
High Wind Warning issued October 16 at 12:31PM MDT until October 17 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS Cheyenne WY
Destination
Pine Bluffs, WY
Afternoon
in Pine Bluffs on Saturday
Local time
1:11 PM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Clear
SW 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
High Wind Warning
High Wind Warning issued October 16 at 12:31PM MDT until October 17 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS Cheyenne WY
33°F
Saratoga, WY
155 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
5h 54m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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 route covers 310 miles, with about 28% on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 143 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway before transitioning to surface roads. Expect more rural cruising as you move away from the highway segments, with fewer exits and a more open feel.
Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 143 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near WY 135 / Gas Hills Road.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 54m 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 1.4 miles (WY 135 / Gas Hills Road): Navigation decision point; at 37 miles (US 287; WY 789): Navigation decision point; at 122.9 miles (I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; US 287 / East Cedar Street): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 143 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 15 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 15 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through WY 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 1.4 miles (WY 135 / Gas Hills Road): Navigation decision point; at 37 miles (US 287; WY 789): Navigation decision point; at 122.9 miles (I 80 Bus; US 30 Bus; US 287 / East Cedar Street): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.9 hours each way, a round trip means 11.8 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Pine Bluffs, WY before the return drive.
