Sioux Falls, SD to Colonial Pine Hills, SD is 357.8 miles and takes about 5h 49m via I 90, with a fuel budget near $55 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a consistent landscape for much of the drive. Since it's a single-day trip, you'll spend most of your time on the road, so make sure you're prepared for a solid block of driving. The route is almost entirely highway, making it a straightforward path to your destination.
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
178.9 miles from Sioux Falls, SD
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 52m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 90
338.5 mi
5h 19m
North Elk Vale Road
5.4 mi
7m
I 229 Business
4.2 mi
5m
Catron Boulevard
3.7 mi
5m
Sheridan Lake Road
3.2 mi
5m
East Catron Boulevard
1.2 mi
1m
East 8th Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Clarkson Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 338.5 mi, about 5h 19m
Traffic on I-90
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 50 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~319 veh/hr typical
· worst 594
Quietest
2 AM
~22 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 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 Sioux Falls, SD and Colonial Pine Hills, SD.
1
Start on North Chicago Avenue
0.1 mi·29 sec·North Chicago Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto East 8th Street
0.2 mi·29 sec·East 8th Street
3
Turn right onto North Lowell Avenue
0.1 mi·19 sec·North Lowell Avenue
4
Turn left onto I 229 Business; SD 42
0.1 mi·24 sec·East 10th Street
5
Take the ramp onto I 229 Business
4.2 mi·5 min·I 229 Business
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·45 sec
Toward I 90
7
Merge onto I 90
339 mi·5 hr 19 min·I 90
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward US 16 Truck, ND 79 South: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi·23 sec
10
Continue on US 16 Truck; SD 79
5.4 mi·7 min·North Elk Vale Road
11
Continue on US 16 Truck
1.2 mi·1 min·East Catron Boulevard
12
Continue on US 16 Truck
3.7 mi·5 min·Catron Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto Sheridan Lake Road
3.2 mi·5 min·Sheridan Lake Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto Clarkson Road
0.2 mi·44 sec·Clarkson Road
15
Turn right onto Alfalfa Court
0.1 mi·30 sec·Alfalfa Court
16
Arrive at destination
Alfalfa Court
Trip Plan
Given the 5-hour 49-minute drive time, departing Sioux Falls in the morning is your best bet to arrive with daylight. The route is well-suited for a single day, so you won't need to plan for an overnight stop. While there's only one recommended stop, consider breaking up the 338.5-mile stretch on I 90 with a brief rest or fuel top-off. The fuel cost estimate of $55 is based on typical gas prices, so check current rates before you go. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as services can be spread out on the longer highway sections.
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 178.9 miles from Sioux Falls, SD, or about 2h 52m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 338.5 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 79 miles or 1h 17m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 178.9 miles or 2h 52m 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 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colonial Pine Hills, SD than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Sioux Falls, SD 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 Sioux Falls, SD
This is one driving day of about 357.8 miles and 5h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 79 miles from Sioux Falls, SD.
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 I 90 for about 338.5 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 354.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|East 8th Street
At end of road, turn left onto East 8th Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
4
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|North Lowell Avenue
Turn right onto North Lowell Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
343.5 mi into trip|~5h 27m in
Take the exit toward US 16 Truck, ND 79 South: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 16 Truck, ND 79 South: Mount Rushmore...
5
343.8 mi into trip|~5h 28m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
354.3 mi into trip|~5h 43m in|Sheridan Lake Road
Turn left onto Sheridan Lake Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$59.68 one way
$119.37 round trip
$4.24/gal25.4 MPG avg125 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$64.87
$129.74
premium
$5.26
$74.08
$148.16
diesel
$6.18
$87.04
$174.08
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$60
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$85–$110
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 125.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $38 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
107.3
1
$37.57
$17.17
Efficient EV
89.5
1
$31.31
$14.31
EV Truck/SUV
143.1
1
$50.09
$22.90
Gas CO2
125 kg
EV CO2
42 kg (66% 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 19, 2026
Origin
Sioux Falls, SD
Late night
in Sioux Falls on Tuesday
Local time
4:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
40°F
Mostly Cloudy
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Colonial Pine Hills, SD
Late night
in Colonial Pine Hills on Tuesday
Local time
3:47 AM
MDT
Current temp
37°F
Mostly Clear
SW 1 mph0% chanceLive forecast
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
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
3 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
5h 49m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
National Memorial
Majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota, tell the story of the birth, growth, devel...
11 mi from route
~28 min detour
Free
near mile 357.8
The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here. The...
24 mi from route
~61 min detour
$30
near mile 296.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a predominantly highway experience, with 96% of the 357.8-mile route on interstates. You'll have a long stretch of 338.5 miles on I 90, which means extended periods of rural cruising. The transition to surface roads will occur in the final miles, likely with more frequent exits as you approach Colonial Pine Hills. This route features a high highway share, minimizing time on slower local roads.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 338.5 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and North Elk Vale Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East 8th Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 49m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East 8th Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (North Lowell Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 343.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Top landmarks
•South Dakota State Penitentiary — prison in South Dakota, United States of America
•Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science — museum, theater, concert hall, and art gallery in downtown Sioux Falls, South Da...
•Sioux Falls National Bank Building — office building in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
The longest stretch is about 338.5 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 25 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 25 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 0.1 miles (East 8th Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (North Lowell Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 343.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Badlands National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.8 hours each way, a round trip means 11.7 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Colonial Pine Hills, SD before the return drive.
