Origin
Sturgis, SD
Evening in Sturgis on Saturday
Local time
8:48 PM
MDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sturgis, SD to Rapid City, SD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
28.4 mi
46 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sturgis, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Rapid City, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 28.4-mile drive from Sturgis to Rapid City, South Dakota, is easily manageable in about 31 minutes, making it perfect for a single day trip. The route is heavily focused on highway travel, with 94% of the journey on interstates like I-90 and I-190. Given the minimal distance and time commitment, you won't need to worry about splitting this into an overnight stay. The estimated fuel cost is around $4, which is very budget-friendly. You'll be traversing the Great Plains region for the entirety of this trip, so expect open landscapes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 24.9 mi | 25m |
| I 190 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Junction Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| I 90 Business | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Mount Rushmore Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Omaha Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Edmunds Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 24.9 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sturgis, SD and Rapid City, SD.
1
Start on Edmunds Street
13 ft
·
6 sec
·
Edmunds Street
2
Turn left onto I 90 Business
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Junction Avenue
3
Take the ramp onto I 90 Business
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
I 90 Business
4
Merge onto I 90; US 14; SD 79
25 mi
·
25 min
·
I 90; US 14; SD 79
5
Take the exit onto I 190
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
I 190
Toward I 190: Mount Rushmore, Downtown
6
Turn left onto US 16; SD 44
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Omaha Street
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto US 16
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Mount Rushmore Road
Use the right lane.
8
Arrive at destination
US 16
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 28.1 — 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
|
I 90 Business / Junction Avenue
Turn left onto I 90 Business / Junction Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 90; US 14; SD 79
Merge onto I 90; US 14; SD 79
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
26.4 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
I 190
Take the exit onto I 190 toward I 190: Mount Rushmore, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 190: Mount Rushmore, Downtown
4
27.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
US 16; SD 44 / Omaha Street
Turn left onto US 16; SD 44 / Omaha Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
28.1 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
US 16 / Mount Rushmore Road
Turn right onto US 16 / Mount Rushmore Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.44 one way
$8.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.87 | $9.75 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.47 | $10.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.27 | $12.54 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.98 | $1.82 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Destination
Rapid City, SD
Evening in Rapid City on Saturday
Local time
8:48 PM
MDT
Current temp
78°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
4 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
31m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 31-minute trip, with 94% of the route utilizing interstates. The drive is predominantly on I-90 for a significant stretch of 24.9 miles, offering a consistent, fast-paced journey. You'll transition onto I-190 and eventually Junction Avenue as you approach Rapid City. This route is designed for efficient travel rather than a winding, scenic exploration, allowing you to cover the distance quickly and smoothly.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.9 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and I 190. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near I 90 Business / Junction Avenue.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Sturgis, SD to Rapid City, SD is easy. At 31m with 94% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (I 90 Business / Junction Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 90; US 14; SD 79): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 26.4 miles (I 190): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Sturgis, SD to Rapid City, SD, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
26.4 mi in
|
~27m
|
via I 190
About the Cities
Starting in Sturgis, SD
Full guide →Sturgis is a city in the Black Hills of South Dakota that is most famous for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
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 31m. Total distance: 28.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.9 miles on I 90. 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 (I 90 Business / Junction Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 90; US 14; SD 79): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 26.4 miles (I 190): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Mount Rushmore National Memorial. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rapid City, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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