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Trip from Spearfish, SD to Kirk, SD

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

Drive Time

29m

Distance

20.2 mi

32 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 27m ★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m

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

Best Time
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Downtown Spearfish, SD, SD

Spearfish, SD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Kirk, SD, SD

Kirk, SD

Luis Quintero

Trip Overview

This quick 20.2-mile drive from Spearfish to Kirk, South Dakota, will only take about 29 minutes, making it perfect for a day trip. You'll primarily be on highways, with 76% of the route being on major roads like US Highway 85, I-90, and US Highway 14A. Budget around $3 for fuel for this short hop. The drive is focused on efficient travel, moving you through the Great Plains region without significant detours. Given its short duration, it's an easy addition to a larger itinerary or a simple point-to-point journey.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US Highway 85 7.3 mi 8m
I 90 5.2 mi 5m
US Highway 14A 2.6 mi 2m
Pioneer Way 1.1 mi 1m
Main Street 0.8 mi 1m
Mountain View Drive 0.7 mi 2m
East Jackson Boulevard 0.5 mi 1m
Glendale Drive 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US Highway 85 — 7.3 mi, about 8m

Traffic on I-90

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~735 veh/hr typical · worst 1,140

Quietest

2 AM

~24 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

30.6×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 52 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 Spearfish, SD and Kirk, SD.

1

Start on I 90 Business

85 ft · 30 sec · North Main Street
2

Continue on I 90 Business

166 ft · 9 sec · North Main Street
3

Turn right onto East Jackson Boulevard

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Jackson Boulevard
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward I 90 East, US 85 South
5

Merge onto I 90; US 14; US 85

5.2 mi · 5 min · I 90; US 14; US 85
6

Take the exit onto US 85

0.3 mi · 42 sec · US 85
Toward US 85 South: Deadwood, Lead
7

Turn right onto US 85

7.3 mi · 8 min · US Highway 85
8

At end of road, turn right onto US 14A; US 85

0.8 mi · 1 min · Main Street
9

Continue on US 14A; US 85

1.1 mi · 1 min · Pioneer Way
10

Continue on US 14A; US 85 Truck

2.6 mi · 2 min · US Highway 14A
11

Continue on US 14A; US 85 Truck

0.5 mi · 37 sec · Glendale Drive
12

Turn right onto Chicago Street

147 ft · 6 sec · Chicago Street
13

Keep slight left at fork onto Chicago Street

350 ft · 15 sec · Chicago Street
14

Continue on 3rd Street

0.2 mi · 49 sec · 3rd Street
15

Turn left onto Mountain View Drive

0.7 mi · 2 min · Mountain View Drive
16

Turn left onto Grier Avenue

0.2 mi · 42 sec · Grier Avenue
17

Turn left onto Lost Irishman Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Lost Irishman Road
18

Turn left

249 ft · 18 sec
19

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 18.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | East Jackson Boulevard

Turn right onto East Jackson Boulevard

Navigation decision point

5
0.6 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 90 East, US 85 South

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 90 East, US 85 South
5
6.1 mi into trip | ~8m in | US 85

Take the exit onto US 85 toward US 85 South: Deadwood, Lead

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

Toward US 85 South: Deadwood, Lead
5
13.7 mi into trip | ~17m in | US 14A; US 85 / Main Street

At end of road, turn right onto US 14A; US 85 / Main Street

Navigation decision point

5
18.7 mi into trip | ~23m in | Chicago Street

Keep slight left at fork onto Chicago Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.98 one way

$5.97 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $3.29 $6.59
premium $4.72 $3.75 $7.50
diesel $4.80 $3.81 $7.63

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.1 0 $2.12 $0.97
Efficient EV 5.1 0 $1.77 $0.81
EV Truck/SUV 8.1 0 $2.83 $1.29

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 Jul 10, 2026

Origin

Spearfish, SD

Late night in Spearfish on Sunday

Local time

12:41 AM

MDT

Current temp

94°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 6 mph 19% chance Live forecast

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued July 10 at 5:11PM MDT until July 12 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 10 at 5:10PM MDT until July 14 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Destination

Kirk, SD

Late night in Kirk on Sunday

Local time

12:41 AM

MDT

Current temp

84°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NE 2 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued July 10 at 5:11PM MDT until July 12 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 10 at 5:10PM MDT until July 14 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD

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

10 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

29m 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?

Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this journey, with 76% of the 20.2 miles on major roadways. You'll encounter stretches on US Highway 85, I-90, and US Highway 14A, offering a mix of driving speeds. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll navigate is 7.3 miles on US Highway 85. This route prioritizes getting you to your destination efficiently, rather than focusing on winding backroads or particularly varied scenery.

76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.3 mi on US Highway 85.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 85 and I 90. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Jackson Boulevard.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 20.2 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: near the start (East Jackson Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.1 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

High-altitude sections with notable climbs

5,775 ft 3,643 ft

Total Climb

2,532 ft

Total Descent

400 ft

Highest Point

5,775 ft

~20.2 mi in

Elevation Range

2,132 ft

Notable High Points

4,801 ft at ~13 miles +188 ft prominence

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 Spearfish, SD to Kirk, SD, road signs begin pointing toward Lead along the way.

Lead

6.1 mi in | ~8m | via US 85

About the Cities

Starting in Spearfish, SD

Full guide →

Founded 1876

Spearfish is in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Although Spearfish is a small community with 14,000 residents, it is the commercial and academic center for several towns in the Black Hills and nearby Wyoming and Montana, attracting more than a million visitors each year with its museums, festivals and natural beauty.

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 29m. Total distance: 20.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.3 miles on US Highway 85. 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 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: near the start (East Jackson Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.1 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kirk, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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