Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
10h 55m
Distance
566.1 mi
911 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$98
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sidney, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Bigfork, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Sidney, MT to Bigfork, MT is 566.1 miles and takes about 10 hours 55 minutes via US 2 and West Roosevelt Highway, with a fuel budget near $99 and best enjoyed over two days. This long-haul drive stays within the Mountain West region, connecting two points in Montana. Given the duration, it's best to plan for an overnight stop rather than attempting it all in one go. You'll want to be prepared for a full day of driving each day.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
283 miles from Sidney, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 22m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 2 | 406.5 mi | 7h 41m |
| West Roosevelt Highway | 58 mi | 1h 8m |
| State Highway 16 | 35.6 mi | 40m |
| 6th Street West | 31.4 mi | 36m |
| MT 35 | 13.7 mi | 17m |
| MT 206 | 9.7 mi | 12m |
| US Route 2 | 7.5 mi | 10m |
| West Holly Street | 1.4 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Sidney, MT and Bigfork, MT.
Start on MT 16; MT 200
Turn left onto MT 16
Continue on MT 16
Turn right onto MT 16
At end of road, turn left onto US 2
Enter roundabout onto US 2
Continue on US 2
Enter roundabout onto US 2
Continue on US 2
Turn right onto I 15 Bus; US 2
Continue on I 15 Bus; US 2
Continue on US 2; US 89
Enter roundabout onto US 2
Continue on US 2
Turn right
At end of road, turn left onto Old US 2
Turn right onto US 2
Continue on US 2
Turn left onto MT 206
At end of road, turn left onto MT 35
Turn left onto Holt Drive
Continue on Grand Drive
Turn left onto Cascade Avenue
Arrive at destination
Given the 10-hour 55-minute drive time, splitting this trip over two days is highly recommended. Aim to depart early in the morning on your first day to maximize daylight hours, especially if traveling during shorter daylight months. With 3 planned stops, you can break up the driving into manageable segments, perhaps stopping for the night around the halfway point or slightly beyond. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as services can be spread out, particularly on the longer stretches of US 2.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 125 miles or 2h 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 283 miles or 5h 22m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 283 miles or 5h 22m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 9h 38m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bigfork, MT than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Sidney, MT 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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Sidney, MT
Aim for roughly 283 miles and 5.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Bigfork, MT
Aim for roughly 283 miles and 5.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
187 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
374 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in North Browning, MTNight 1
283 mi · about 5.5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Fort Benton, MT after about 283 miles or 5.5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 125 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 283 miles from Sidney, MT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before US 2 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 406.5 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 283 miles or 5.5 hours on the road.
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 0.1 and 551.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto MT 16 / West Holly Street
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn left onto US 2 / 6th Street West
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn left onto Old US 2
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto MT 206
Lane positioning matters here
At end of road, turn left onto MT 35
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$98.18 one way
$196.35 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $102.68 | $205.36 |
| premium | $4.95 | $110.32 | $220.65 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $124.79 | $249.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$98
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$228–$338
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 198.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $59 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 169.8 | 2 | $59.44 | $27.17 |
| Efficient EV | 141.5 | 1 | $49.53 | $22.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 226.4 | 2 | $79.25 | $36.23 |
Gas CO2
198 kg
EV CO2
66 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Sidney on Thursday
Local time
12:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
56°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Bigfork on Thursday
Local time
12:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
55°F
Mostly Clear
46°F
Malta, MT
187 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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route is predominantly highway driving, with 84% of the 566.1 miles on major roads like US 2 and West Roosevelt Highway. You'll experience a significant stretch of 406.5 miles on US 2, offering a consistent cruising experience. The final portion will transition to surface roads, likely with fewer services as you approach your destination. Expect a good amount of open road, typical of a long-distance traverse through Montana.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 2 and West Roosevelt Highway. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near MT 16 / West Holly Street.
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 566.1 miles you will encounter 15 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 0.1 miles (MT 16 / West Holly Street): Navigation decision point; at 37.4 miles (US 2 / 6th Street West): Navigation decision point; at 532.5 miles (Old US 2): Navigation decision point.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
3,285 ft
Total Descent
2,242 ft
Highest Point
5,053 ft
~485.2 mi in
Elevation Range
3,112 ft
Notable High Points
Founded 1911
Sidney is a town in Montana. In 2020, 6,300 people lived there.
Bigfork is a small town on northeast shore of Flathead Lake in Northwestern Montana. About 5,100 people lived there in 2020.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 3 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
10h 55m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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