This 217.8-mile drive from Three Forks, MT to Lockwood, MT is a feasible one-day trip, estimated to take around 4 hours. Navigating primarily via Cottonwood Coulee Road, North Century School Road, and Century School Road, this route offers a local driving experience with no highway segments. With a projected fuel cost of approximately $35, it's an economical option for exploring the Mountain West region. You'll find this journey offers a more intimate connection with the landscape as you traverse local roads. Plan for a single stop along the way to break up the journey.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
108.5 miles from Three Forks, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 35m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 87
68.5 mi
1h 14m
US 12
45.1 mi
50m
MT 3
41 mi
46m
US 191
39.2 mi
43m
McCoy Road
7.4 mi
28m
North Century School Road
3.8 mi
14m
Airport Road
2.7 mi
4m
MT-3
2.5 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
US 87
— 68.5 mi, about 1h 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Three Forks, MT and Lockwood, MT.
1
Start on Cottonwood Coulee Road
0.7 mi·2 min·Cottonwood Coulee Road
2
Continue on Cottonwood Coulee Road
1.0 mi·3 min·Cottonwood Coulee Road
3
Turn left onto North Century School Road
3.8 mi·14 min·North Century School Road
4
Keep slight right at fork onto Century School Road
369 ft·16 sec·Century School Road
5
Turn slight right onto McCoy Road
2.4 mi·9 min·McCoy Road
6
Continue on McCoy Road
3.1 mi·12 min·McCoy Road
7
Continue on McCoy Road
1.9 mi·7 min·McCoy Road
8
Continue on Tiger Butte Road
0.4 mi·1 min·Tiger Butte Road
9
Turn right onto US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
3.6 mi·3 min·US 87; US 89; MT 3; MT 200
10
Enter roundabout
224 ft·2 sec
11
Continue
0.3 mi·20 sec
12
Turn straight onto US 87; MT 3; MT 200
64 mi·1 hr 9 min·US 87; MT 3; MT 200
13
Turn right onto US 191; MT 3
39 mi·43 min·US 191; MT 3
14
Turn left onto US 12; MT 3
45 mi·50 min·US 12; MT 3
15
Turn right onto MT 3
12 mi·14 min·MT 3
16
Continue on MT-3
2.5 mi·2 min·MT-3
17
Continue on MT 3
25 mi·28 min·MT 3
18
Enter roundabout onto MT 3
123 ft·1 sec·MT 3
19
Continue on MT 3
3.1 mi·3 min·MT 3
20
Enter roundabout onto Airport Road
149 ft·1 sec·Airport Road
21
Continue on Airport Road
2.7 mi·4 min·Airport Road
22
Turn right onto Swords Lane
249 ft·12 sec·Swords Lane
23
Turn left onto Aronson Avenue
469 ft·9 sec·Aronson Avenue
24
Merge onto US 87
0.6 mi·1 min·US 87
25
Turn left onto I 90 Business; US 87
1.3 mi·1 min·US Highway 87 East
26
Turn left onto I 90 Business; US 87
0.3 mi·40 sec·I 90 Business; US 87
27
Continue on I 90; US 87; US 212
1.8 mi·2 min·I 90; US 87; US 212
28
Take the exit
0.3 mi·39 sec
Toward Johnson Lane
29
Turn left onto Johnson Lane
0.4 mi·46 sec·Johnson Lane
30
Arrive at destination
Johnson Lane
Trip Plan
Given the 4-hour duration and 217.8-mile distance, leaving Three Forks, MT in the morning will allow you to reach Lockwood, MT with plenty of daylight. With no long highway stretches, you can easily pace your single planned stop for a meal or a brief rest. The estimated fuel cost of $35 makes this a budget-friendly excursion. Pay attention to local road signage, as the turn-heavy nature of this route requires consistent navigation. This drive is best enjoyed with a full tank of gas before you depart, as fuel availability can be less frequent on local roads.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 108.5 miles from Three Forks, MT, or about 2h 35m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 68.5 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 48 miles or 1h 29m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 108.5 miles or 2h 35m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 53m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lockwood, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Three Forks, 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 Three Forks, MT
This is one driving day of about 217 miles and 4h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Three Forks, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 87 for about 68.5 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.7 and 212.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.7 mi into trip|~6m in|North Century School Road
Turn left onto North Century School Road
Navigation decision point
4
5.5 mi into trip|~21m in|Century School Road
Keep slight right at fork onto Century School Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
16.9 mi into trip|~55m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
120.8 mi into trip|~2h 48m in|US 12; MT 3
Turn left onto US 12; MT 3
Navigation decision point
5
212.2 mi into trip|~4h 33m in|Aronson Avenue
Turn left onto Aronson Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$34.39 one way
$68.77 round trip
$4.03/gal25.4 MPG avg76 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$36.04
$72.09
premium
$4.53
$38.71
$77.42
diesel
$5.61
$47.91
$95.82
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$34
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$59–$84
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 75.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
65.1
0
$22.78
$10.42
Efficient EV
54.3
0
$18.99
$8.68
EV Truck/SUV
86.8
1
$30.38
$13.89
Gas CO2
76 kg
EV CO2
25 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 15, 2026
Origin
Three Forks, MT
Night
in Three Forks on Saturday
Local time
10:41 PM
MDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Lockwood, MT
Night
in Lockwood on Saturday
Local time
10:41 PM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
23°F
Moore, MT
109 mi in
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
30 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
4h 40m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with a 0% highway share. The journey is characterized by frequent turns and changes in direction as you navigate through local roads like Cottonwood Coulee Road and Century School Road. There isn't a single 'longest stretch' to mention, as the route is designed with regular transitions. This road personality means you'll be actively engaged with the driving, experiencing the nuances of Montana's secondary road system rather than a monotonous interstate cruise.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 68.5 mi on US 87.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 87 and US 12. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in near North Century School Road.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 40m drive. You will face about 16 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles (North Century School Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.5 miles (Century School Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 16.9 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 40m. Total distance: 217 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 68.5 miles on US 87. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 1.7 miles (North Century School Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.5 miles (Century School Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 16.9 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Possible but tiring. At 4.7 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Lockwood, MT, but most travelers stay overnight.
