Origin
Tea, SD
Night in Tea on Saturday
Local time
9:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tea, SD to Mitchell, 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 24m
Distance
80.1 mi
129 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tea, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Mitchell, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a straightforward trip across the South Dakota Great Plains, the 80.1-mile journey from Tea to Mitchell is an efficient choice. You can comfortably complete this drive in about 1 hour and 24 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. Your route primarily utilizes I-29 and I-90, keeping travel times predictable and direct. With an estimated fuel cost of $12, it is a budget-friendly way to move between these two points. Because the entire drive remains within the same region, you will experience a consistent landscape throughout the trek. It is a practical, no-nonsense path perfect for travelers who prioritize speed and simplicity over winding detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 64.1 mi | 1h |
| I 29 | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| East Gateway Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North Heritage Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Burr Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Havens Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East 1st Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Sanborn Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 64.1 mi, about 1h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tea, SD and Mitchell, SD.
1
Start on CR 106
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
East 1st Street
2
Turn left onto CR 111
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Heritage Parkway
3
Turn right onto CR 106
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Gateway Boulevard
4
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
5
Merge onto I 29
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 29
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 90 West: Rapid City
7
Merge onto I 90
64 mi
·
1 hr
·
I 90
8
Take the exit onto I 90 Business
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
I 90 Business
Toward Mitchell
9
Keep slight right at fork
184 ft
·
4 sec
10
Turn straight onto I 90 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Burr Street
11
Turn left onto I 90 Business
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Havens Avenue
12
Turn slight right
260 ft
·
9 sec
13
Turn straight onto South Sanborn Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Sanborn Boulevard
14
Turn left onto West 1st Avenue
34 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
West 1st Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
40 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 40.1 miles from Tea, SD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 90 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 64.1 miles.
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 78.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 111 / North Heritage Parkway
Turn left onto CR 111 / North Heritage Parkway
Navigation decision point
4
1.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CR 106 / East Gateway Boulevard
Turn right onto CR 106 / East Gateway Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
13.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 90 West: Rapid City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 90 West: Rapid City
4
78.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
|
I 90 Business
Take the exit onto I 90 Business toward Mitchell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Mitchell
5
78.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.52 one way
$25.05 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
28 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $13.75 | $27.50 |
| premium | $4.89 | $15.41 | $30.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $17.69 | $35.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 28 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24 | 0 | $8.41 | $3.84 |
| Efficient EV | 20 | 0 | $7.01 | $3.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 32 | 0 | $11.21 | $5.13 |
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Destination
Mitchell, SD
Night in Mitchell on Saturday
Local time
9:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°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
29 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 24m 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 classic highway-focused experience, as 94% of your journey takes place on high-speed roads. The drive is dominated by a 64.1-mile stretch on I-90, which provides a steady rhythm for your trip. You will start by navigating East Gateway Boulevard before merging onto the interstate system for the majority of the duration. Because the route is so heavily concentrated on major thoroughfares, you can anticipate a very consistent driving experience without the technical challenges of local roads. It is the type of path where you can settle into a steady pace and cover ground quickly while remaining focused on the interstate flow.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 64.1 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and I 29. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near CR 111 / North Heritage Parkway.
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 80.1 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.5 miles (CR 111 / North Heritage Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (CR 106 / East Gateway Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 80.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 64.1 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: at 0.5 miles (CR 111 / North Heritage Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (CR 106 / East Gateway Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mitchell, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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