Spanning 123.9 miles, this drive from South Browning to Great Falls is a straightforward trek through the Mountain West. Expect to spend about 2 hours and 20 minutes behind the wheel for this journey, which is easily manageable as a one-day trip. You should budget approximately $20 for fuel to cover the distance. Because the route does not utilize any major highways, you will rely entirely on local roads like 9th Avenue Southeast, 1st Street Northeast, and 8th Avenue Southeast. It is a practical, direct connection between these two Montana locations that avoids the typical interstate experience.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
61.9 miles from South Browning, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 10m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 89
76.4 mi
1h 26m
United States Route 89
16.8 mi
18m
1st Road Southeast
14.7 mi
15m
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
9.5 mi
8m
US 2
2.5 mi
3m
Central Avenue West
1.5 mi
1m
Main Avenue South
0.7 mi
1m
1st Avenue North
0.5 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 89
— 76.4 mi, about 1h 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Browning, MT and Great Falls, MT.
1
Start on Mountain Chief Road
305 ft·13 sec·Mountain Chief Road
2
Continue on 9th Avenue Southeast
486 ft·26 sec·9th Avenue Southeast
3
Turn left onto 1st Street Northeast
381 ft·18 sec·1st Street Northeast
4
Turn right onto 8th Avenue Southeast
423 ft·20 sec·8th Avenue Southeast
5
Turn right onto US 2; US 89
2.5 mi·3 min·US 2; US 89
6
Turn straight onto US 89
68 mi·1 hr 16 min·US 89
7
Enter roundabout onto US 89
526 ft·19 sec·1st Street Southwest
8
Continue on US 89
107 ft·1 sec·1st Street Southwest
9
Turn straight onto US 89
0.7 mi·1 min·Main Avenue South
10
Continue on US 89
17 mi·18 min·United States Route 89
11
Continue on US 89
15 mi·15 min·1st Road Southeast
12
At end of road, turn left onto US 89; MT 200
7.9 mi·9 min·US 89; MT 200
13
Take the exit onto US 89; MT 200
0.3 mi·32 sec·US 89; MT 200
Toward I 15 South: Great Falls
14
Merge onto I 15; US 89; MT 200
9.5 mi·8 min·First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
15
Take the exit onto I 15 Business
0.2 mi·30 sec·I 15 Business
Toward I 15 Business
16
Turn left onto I 15 Business
1.5 mi·1 min·Central Avenue West
17
Continue on I 15 Business
0.2 mi·17 sec·First Avenue North Bridge
18
Continue on I 15 Business
0.5 mi·51 sec·1st Avenue North
19
Turn right onto I 15 Business
0.4 mi·36 sec·5th Street North
20
Turn right onto 4th Avenue South
429 ft·24 sec·4th Avenue South
21
Turn left onto 4th Street South
229 ft·10 sec·4th Street South
22
Arrive at destination
4th Street South
Trip Plan
Since this 123.9-mile trip takes under two and a half hours, you have plenty of flexibility in your departure schedule. You won't need to worry about planning for long-distance stops, as there are zero required stops listed for this duration. Keep your $20 fuel budget in mind before you head out, as local roads may offer fewer refueling options than major interstate corridors. Be mindful that because the entire route is comprised of local roads, you should factor in extra time for potential slower speed limits and urban navigation. Prioritize checking your route navigation before leaving South Browning to ensure you stay on the correct sequence of 9th Avenue Southeast, 1st Street Northeast, and 8th Avenue Southeast.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 61.9 miles from South Browning, MT, or about 1h 10m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 76.4 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 27 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 61.9 miles or 1h 10m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 55m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Great Falls, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving South Browning, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from South Browning, MT
This is one driving day of about 123.9 miles and 2h 20m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from South Browning, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 89 for about 76.4 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 123.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|1st Street Northeast
Turn left onto 1st Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|8th Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto 8th Avenue Southeast
Navigation decision point
4
71.1 mi into trip|~1h 21m in|US 89 / 1st Street Southwest
Enter roundabout onto US 89 / 1st Street Southwest
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
103.4 mi into trip|~1h 57m in|US 89; MT 200
At end of road, turn left onto US 89; MT 200
Navigation decision point
5
123.8 mi into trip|~2h 20m in|4th Street South
Turn left onto 4th Street South
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.63 one way
$39.27 round trip
$4.03/gal25.4 MPG avg43 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$20.58
$41.16
premium
$4.53
$22.10
$44.20
diesel
$5.61
$27.36
$54.71
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
37.2
0
$13.01
$5.95
Efficient EV
31
0
$10.84
$4.96
EV Truck/SUV
49.6
0
$17.35
$7.93
Gas CO2
43 kg
EV CO2
14 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
South Browning, MT
Late night
in South Browning on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Great Falls, MT
Late night
in Great Falls on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live 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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
7 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
2h 20m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention compared to a standard interstate cruise. Because the highway share for this route is 0%, you won't encounter long, monotonous stretches of high-speed pavement. Instead, the road requires consistent navigation through local turns as you transition between the specified avenues and streets. This lack of highway time means your pace will be dictated by local traffic patterns and the specific turns outlined in your route. You will find that the personality of this drive is defined by its technical nature rather than high-speed travel.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 76.4 mi on US 89.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 89 and United States Route 89. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 1st Street Northeast.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 20m drive. You will face about 12 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 (1st Street Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (8th Avenue Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 71.1 miles (US 89 / 1st Street Southwest): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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.
The longest stretch is about 76.4 miles on US 89. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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: at 0.1 miles (1st Street Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (8th Avenue Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 71.1 miles (US 89 / 1st Street Southwest): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Great Falls, MT before heading back.
