Origin
Shelby, MT
Morning in Shelby on Tuesday
Local time
6:41 AM
MDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shelby, MT to Great Falls, MT
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
85.7 mi
138 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shelby, MT
Daryl Johnson
Great Falls, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Shelby, MT to Great Falls, MT is 85.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via First Special Service Force Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Mountain West region, moving from one Montana locale to another. Expect a local feel with a good amount of turns, making it less of a straightforward highway cruise and more of an engaged journey. Given its short duration and manageable fuel cost, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| First Special Service Force Memorial Highway | 81.2 mi | 1h 16m |
| Central Avenue West | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| West Roosevelt Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| 1st Avenue North | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 5th Street North | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| I 15 BUS | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| I 15 Business | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
— 81.2 mi, about 1h 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shelby, MT and Great Falls, MT.
1
Start on Maple Avenue
81 ft
·
9 sec
·
Maple Avenue
2
Turn left onto US 2
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto I 15 Bus; US 2
453 ft
·
16 sec
·
5th Avenue North
4
Continue on I 15 Bus; US 2
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Roosevelt Highway
5
Turn left onto I 15 BUS
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 15 BUS
Toward I 15 South: Great Falls
6
Merge onto I 15
81 mi
·
1 hr 16 min
·
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
7
Take the exit onto I 15 Business
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
I 15 Business
Toward I 15 Business
8
Turn left onto I 15 Business
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue West
9
Continue on I 15 Business
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
First Avenue North Bridge
10
Continue on I 15 Business
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
1st Avenue North
11
Turn right onto I 15 Business
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
5th Street North
12
Turn right onto 4th Avenue South
429 ft
·
24 sec
·
4th Avenue South
13
Turn left onto 4th Street South
229 ft
·
10 sec
·
4th Street South
14
Arrive at destination
4th Street South
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
43 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 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 42.9 miles from Shelby, MT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before First Special Service Force Memorial Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 81.2 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 85.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 2 / Main Street
Turn left onto US 2 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
I 15 Bus; US 2 / 5th Avenue North
Turn right onto I 15 Bus; US 2 / 5th Avenue North
Navigation decision point
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 15 BUS
Turn left onto I 15 BUS toward I 15 South: Great Falls
Navigation decision point
Toward I 15 South: Great Falls
4
82.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
|
I 15 Business
Take the exit onto I 15 Business toward I 15 Business
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 15 Business
5
85.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
|
4th Street South
Turn left onto 4th Street South
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.58 one way
$27.16 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
30 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $14.23 | $28.47 |
| premium | $4.53 | $15.29 | $30.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $18.92 | $37.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 30 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 25.7 | 0 | $9.00 | $4.11 |
| Efficient EV | 21.4 | 0 | $7.50 | $3.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 34.3 | 0 | $12.00 | $5.48 |
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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
Great Falls, MT
Morning in Great Falls on Tuesday
Local time
6:41 AM
MDT
Current temp
51°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
2 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
1h 24m 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 is a turn-heavy local drive that will keep you engaged behind the wheel. While 100% of the route utilizes main roads, don't expect a monotonous interstate experience. You'll encounter several turns throughout the 85.7-mile journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch measures 81.2 miles, primarily on the First Special Service Force Memorial Highway, offering a more consistent segment before the local driving characteristics take over. This route offers a varied driving experience without being overly demanding.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 81.2 mi on First Special Service Force Memorial 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 early in the drive near US 2 / Main 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 1h 24m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 2 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (I 15 Bus; US 2 / 5th Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 15 BUS): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Shelby, MT
Full guide →Shelby is a town in north-central Montana. Around 3,100 people live there.
Arriving in Great Falls, MT
Full guide →Founded 1883
Great Falls is a city in Central Montana. It is the third most populous city in Montana with approximately 60,000 people. It is the hub for commercial and financial dealings in the center of the state.
Top landmarks
- • Masonic Temple — masonic temple in Great Falls, United States of America
- • Cascade County Courthouse — county courthouse in Great Falls, United States of America
- • Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Passenger Depot — railway station in Great Falls, the United States of America
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 24m. Total distance: 85.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 81.2 miles on First Special Service Force Memorial Highway. 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 MT 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: near the start (US 2 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (I 15 Bus; US 2 / 5th Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 15 BUS): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Great Falls, MT 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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