Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Sioux Falls, SD to Madison, SD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 5m

Distance

53.7 mi

86 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 0m ★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in and seat of Minnehaha County, and largest city in South Dakota, United States

Sioux Falls, SD

Wikimedia Commons

city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States

Madison, SD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick excursion within the Great Plains, the 53.7-mile trek from Sioux Falls to Madison is an ideal choice. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 5 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You will primarily utilize I-29, SD Highway 34, and I-229 Business to navigate between these two South Dakota cities. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $8, this route remains highly economical for travelers. Because the transit time is so brief, you likely won't need an overnight split, allowing you maximum flexibility to explore your destination upon arrival.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 29 25.1 mi 23m
SD Highway 34 15.2 mi 21m
I 229 Business 4.2 mi 5m
I 90 3.8 mi 4m
Southeast 10th Street 1 mi 1m
South Washington Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Southwest 3rd Street 0.8 mi 1m
Southeast 3rd Street 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 29 — 25.1 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sioux Falls, SD and Madison, 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

3.8 mi · 4 min · I 90
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Toward I 29: Fargo
9

Merge onto I 29

25 mi · 23 min · I 29
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 45 sec
Toward SD 34: Madison, Colman
11

Turn left onto SD 34

2.1 mi · 3 min · SD Highway 34
12

Continue on SD 34

0.8 mi · 1 min · Southeast 3rd Street
13

Continue on SD 34

0.8 mi · 1 min · Southwest 3rd Street
14

Continue on SD 34

13 mi · 18 min · SD Highway 34
15

Continue on SD 34

1.0 mi · 1 min · Southeast 10th Street
16

Keep slight right at fork

366 ft · 10 sec
17

Turn straight onto SD 34

0.9 mi · 1 min · South Washington Avenue
18

Turn left onto SD 34

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Northeast 2nd Street
19

Turn left onto North Egan Avenue

384 ft · 12 sec · North Egan Avenue
20

Arrive at destination

North Egan Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in South Dakota, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Crooks, SD

27 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

Crooks, SD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Baltic, SD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26.8 miles from Sioux Falls, SD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 34.3 — 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

4
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 229 Business

Take the ramp onto I 229 Business

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
4.7 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the exit toward I 90

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward I 90
5
34.3 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward SD 34: Madison, Colman

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward SD 34: Madison, Colman

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.40 one way

$16.79 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $9.22 $18.44
premium $4.89 $10.33 $20.67
diesel $5.61 $11.86 $23.71

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.1 0 $5.64 $2.58
Efficient EV 13.4 0 $4.70 $2.15
EV Truck/SUV 21.5 0 $7.52 $3.44

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026

Origin

Sioux Falls, SD

Night in Sioux Falls on Saturday

Local time

9:45 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Partly Cloudy

SSE 0 to 5 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 12 at 6:54PM CDT until April 13 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Aberdeen SD

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 12 at 12:12PM MDT until April 13 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Destination

Madison, SD

Night in Madison on Saturday

Local time

9:45 PM

CDT

Current temp

74°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

23 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 5m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This journey is defined by a highway-focused profile, with 90% of the trip spent on high-speed roads. You will find yourself cruising along the interstate for the majority of the time, including a longest uninterrupted stretch of 25.1 miles on I-29. The experience is straightforward and efficient, prioritizing speed over technical turns or complex navigation. As you transition from the interstate to SD Highway 34, the pace remains steady and predictable. It is a no-nonsense drive that gets you from point A to point B with minimal fuss, perfect for those who prefer to keep their eyes on the road and arrive quickly.

90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.1 mi on I 29.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and SD Highway 34. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East 8th Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.7 miles you will encounter 13 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 (East 8th Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (North Lowell Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (I 229 Business): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,702 ft 1,442 ft

Total Climb

260 ft

Total Descent

108 ft

Highest Point

1,702 ft

~46 mi in

Elevation Range

260 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Sioux Falls, SD to Madison, SD, road signs begin pointing toward Colman along the way.

Colman

34.3 mi in | ~36m

About the Cities

Starting in Sioux Falls, SD

Full guide →

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.

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 5m. Total distance: 53.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 25.1 miles on I 29. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Madison, SD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 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 0.5 miles (I 229 Business): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Madison, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Madison, SD to Sioux Falls, SD

Plan the drive back the other way.

53.4 mi 1h 4m

Continue From Madison, SD

Rapid City, SD 346.5 mi · 5h 48m Gettysburg, SD 218 mi · 4h 19m Gregory, SD 179.3 mi · 3h 48m Dakota Dunes, SD 129.5 mi · 2h 19m

More from Sioux Falls, SD

Custer, SD 389.1 mi · 6h 30m Sturgis, SD 374.6 mi · 6h Rapid City, SD 350.4 mi · 5h 37m Gettysburg, SD 285.6 mi · 4h 55m Fort Thompson, SD 168.7 mi · 3h Watertown, SD 106 mi · 1h 47m

More trips to Madison, SD

Mission, SD 253.9 mi Springfield, SD 121.1 mi Tyndall, SD 110.5 mi Watertown, SD 63.2 mi Brandon, SD 55.6 mi
Escape planner: Sioux Falls, SD Scenic drives in SD

Explore more options from Sioux Falls, SD or browse trips ending in Madison, SD.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse SD road trips.