Origin
Three Forks, MT
Afternoon in Three Forks on Sunday
Local time
2:20 PM
MDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Three Forks, MT to Great Falls, MT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
25.2 mi
41 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Three Forks, MT
Alex Moliski
Great Falls, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 25.2-mile drive from Three Forks to Great Falls, Montana, is easily manageable in about 1 hour and 8 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day trip, so you won't need to worry about overnight stays. With a low estimated fuel cost of just $4, it’s an economical option for a quick journey. The route primarily utilizes Stockett Road and Cottonwood Coulee Road, with a portion on US 87, offering a local, turn-heavy driving experience. Both your origin and destination are situated within the Mountain West region, so expect a consistent, familiar landscape throughout your travels.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Stockett Road | 9.5 mi | 22m |
| Cottonwood Coulee Road | 8.3 mi | 31m |
| US 87 | 6.9 mi | 11m |
| 6th Street South | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| 5th Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 4th Street South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Stockett Road
— 9.5 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Three Forks, MT and Great Falls, MT.
1
Start on Cottonwood Coulee Road
8.3 mi
·
31 min
·
Cottonwood Coulee Road
2
At end of road, turn right onto MT 227
9.5 mi
·
22 min
·
Stockett Road
3
Turn left onto US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
6.9 mi
·
11 min
·
US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
4
Turn right onto I 15 Business
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
6th Street South
5
Turn left onto 5th Avenue South
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
5th Avenue South
6
Turn right onto 4th Street South
162 ft
·
7 sec
·
4th Street South
7
Arrive at destination
4th Street South
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 8.3 and 25.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
8.3 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
MT 227 / Stockett Road
At end of road, turn right onto MT 227 / Stockett Road
Navigation decision point
3
17.8 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
Turn left onto US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
Navigation decision point
3
24.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
I 15 Business / 6th Street South
Turn right onto I 15 Business / 6th Street South
Navigation decision point
4
25 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
5th Avenue South
Turn left onto 5th Avenue South
Navigation decision point
5
25.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
4th Street South
Turn right onto 4th Street South
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.99 one way
$7.99 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $4.19 | $8.37 |
| premium | $4.53 | $4.50 | $8.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.56 | $11.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Great Falls, MT
Afternoon in Great Falls on Sunday
Local time
2:20 PM
MDT
Current temp
68°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
21 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 8m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, with only 27% of it being highway. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be approximately 9.5 miles on Stockett Road. This means you'll be navigating a variety of road types, likely including county roads and some state highways, rather than a continuous interstate cruise. The character of the drive will likely shift as you transition between these different road sections, requiring your attention for changes in speed limits and turns.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.5 mi on Stockett Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 8.3 miles in near MT 227 / Stockett Road.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Three Forks, MT to Great Falls, MT is easy. At 1h 8m with 27% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.3 miles (MT 227 / Stockett Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200): Navigation decision point; at 24.6 miles (I 15 Business / 6th Street South): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Great Falls, MT
Full guide →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.
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 8m. Total distance: 25.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (27%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.5 miles on Stockett Road. 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 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 8.3 miles (MT 227 / Stockett Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200): Navigation decision point; at 24.6 miles (I 15 Business / 6th Street South): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Great Falls, MT 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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