Whitney, NV to McGill, NV is 259.4 miles and takes about 5h 7m via Great Basin Highway and Grand Army of the Republic Highway, with a fuel budget near $47 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, entirely within Nevada. Expect a drive primarily on surface roads, offering a straightforward connection between these two points. With only one recommended stop and a duration under six hours, it's a manageable drive for a single day.
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
129.7 miles from Whitney, NV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 31m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Sunnyside Road
109.4 mi
2h 4m
Great Basin Highway
94.8 mi
1h 50m
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
23.5 mi
26m
Las Vegas Freeway
13.5 mi
14m
South Lamb Boulevard
8.8 mi
14m
Boulder Highway
2.7 mi
4m
Aultman Street
1.6 mi
3m
Main Street
1.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Sunnyside Road
— 109.4 mi, about 2h 4m
Traffic on I-15
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~1,224 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,587
Quietest
1 AM
~169 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 16 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 Whitney, NV and McGill, NV.
1
Start on this road
63 ft·5 sec·this road
2
Turn left
69 ft·6 sec
3
Turn right onto Kimberly Avenue
0.1 mi·35 sec·Kimberly Avenue
4
Turn right onto Steptoe Street
0.2 mi·27 sec·Steptoe Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto East Tropicana Avenue
0.7 mi·1 min·East Tropicana Avenue
6
Turn right onto NV 582
2.7 mi·4 min·Boulder Highway
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto South Lamb Boulevard
8.8 mi·14 min·South Lamb Boulevard
Use the right lane.
8
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·50 sec
Toward I 15 North: Salt Lake City
9
Merge onto I 15; US 93
14 mi·14 min·Las Vegas Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit onto US 93
0.2 mi·26 sec·US 93
Exit 64Toward US 93 North: ElyUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on US 93
85 mi·1 hr 35 min·Great Basin Highway
12
Turn left onto NV 318
99 mi·1 hr 52 min·Sunnyside Road
13
Continue on NV 318
1.4 mi·1 min·Main Street
14
Continue on NV 318
11 mi·12 min·Sunnyside Road
15
At end of road, turn right onto US 6
24 mi·26 min·Grand Army of the Republic Highway
16
Continue on US 6
0.5 mi·1 min·Veterans Boulevard
17
Turn left onto US 50; US 93
0.7 mi·1 min·Great Basin Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Turn right onto US 93
1.6 mi·3 min·Aultman Street
19
Continue on US 93
9.6 mi·15 min·Great Basin Highway
20
Continue on US 93
0.8 mi·2 min·South 4th Street
21
Arrive at destination
US 93
Trip Plan
Given the 5h 7m duration, starting your drive in the morning is advisable to allow for any unexpected delays. Plan for one stop along the way, as indicated. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 109.4-mile stretch on Sunnyside Road, as services might be spread out. The entire route is within Nevada, so you won't need to worry about state lines.
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 129.7 miles from Whitney, NV, or about 2h 31m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 109.4 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 57 miles or 1h 10m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 129.7 miles or 2h 31m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 6m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near McGill, NV than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Whitney, NV 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 Whitney, NV
This is one driving day of about 259.4 miles and 5h 7m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 57 miles from Whitney, NV.
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 Sunnyside Road for about 109.4 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 26.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Steptoe Street
Turn right onto Steptoe Street
Navigation decision point
5
1 mi into trip|~2m in|NV 582 / Boulder Highway
Turn right onto NV 582 / Boulder Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
3.7 mi into trip|~7m in|South Lamb Boulevard
Turn right onto South Lamb Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
13 mi into trip|~22m in|I 15; US 93 / Las Vegas Freeway
Merge onto I 15; US 93 / Las Vegas Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
26.5 mi into trip|~36m in|US 93
Take the exit onto US 93 toward US 93 North: Ely
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 64
Toward US 93 North: Ely
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$52.89 one way
$105.78 round trip
$5.18/gal25.4 MPG avg91 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.48
$56.01
$112.01
premium
$5.74
$58.57
$117.14
diesel
$6.18
$63.10
$126.21
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$53
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$78–$103
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 90.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $27 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
77.8
0
$27.24
$12.45
Efficient EV
64.9
0
$22.70
$10.38
EV Truck/SUV
103.8
1
$36.32
$16.60
Gas CO2
91 kg
EV CO2
30 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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Whitney, NV
Late night
in Whitney on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
WNW 1 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Destination
McGill, NV
Late night
in McGill on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
39°F
Mostly Clear
S 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
65°F
Alamo, NV
130 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
25 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
5h 7m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
Over the last ~570,000 years, water has transformed the Upper Las Vegas Valley. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is an urban park that preserves the unique story of this ever-changing enviro...
18 mi from route
~46 min detour
Free
near mile 8.9
Park Closure: South Unit temporarily closed south of Grand Teton Drive; Trailheads remain open.
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is mostly surface roads, with only about 5% on highways. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch at 109.4 miles on Sunnyside Road before transitioning to other roads. Expect primarily rural cruising as you navigate through Nevada.
Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 109.4 mi on Sunnyside Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Steptoe Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 7m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Steptoe Street): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (NV 582 / Boulder Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (South Lamb Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 109.4 miles on Sunnyside Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 7 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NV 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 0.2 miles (Steptoe Street): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (NV 582 / Boulder Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (South Lamb Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.1 hours each way, a round trip means 10.3 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at McGill, NV before the return drive.
