Trip from Box Elder, SD to Keystone, SD

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

42m

Distance

29.7 mi

48 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min

4 AM

0h 39m ★

6 AM

0h 42m

8 AM

0h 49m

10 AM

0h 45m

12 PM

0h 44m

3 PM

0h 45m

5 PM

0h 49m

8 PM

0h 40m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

Google Maps Waze Apple Maps

Download GPX

city in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States

Box Elder, SD

Wikimedia Commons

Keystone, SD

Patrick

Trip Overview

The drive from Box Elder, SD to Keystone, SD covers 29.7 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South Highway 16, North Elk Vale Road, US 16A for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12 miles on South Highway 16. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.64 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 29.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

The drive from Box Elder, SD to Keystone, SD covers 29.7 miles and takes about 42m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

South Highway 16 is the longest continuous segment at about 12 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Ellsworth Road.

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 29.7 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 0.1 miles (South Ellsworth Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Ellsworth Road

At end of road, turn right onto South Ellsworth Road

Navigation decision point

4.2 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the exit toward US 16 Truck, ND 79 South: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 16 Truck, ND 79 South: Mount Rushmore...

4.5 mi into trip | ~7m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

26.6 mi into trip | ~35m in | US 16A

Take the exit onto US 16A

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

29.2 mi into trip | ~40m in | SD 40 / Reed Street

Turn left onto SD 40 / Reed Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

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 Box Elder, SD to Keystone, SD, road signs begin pointing toward Crazy Horse along the way.

Crazy Horse

4.2 mi in | ~6m

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
South Highway 16	12 mi	14m
North Elk Vale Road	5.4 mi	7m
US 16A	2.7 mi	5m
Catron Boulevard	2.2 mi	3m
Highway 1416	2 mi	2m
East Catron Boulevard	1.2 mi	1m
I 90	1.2 mi	1m
Mount Rushmore Road	1.1 mi	1m

Longest stretch: South Highway 16 — 12 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Box Elder, SD and Keystone, SD.

Start on Front Street

0.1 mi · 30 sec · Front Street

At end of road, turn right onto South Ellsworth Road

0.1 mi · 21 sec · South Ellsworth Road

Turn left onto Highway 1416

2.0 mi · 2 min · Highway 1416

Take the ramp

0.8 mi · 1 min

Merge onto I 90; US 14

1.2 mi · 1 min · I 90; US 14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec

Toward US 16 Truck, ND 79 South: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 23 sec

Continue on US 16 Truck; SD 79

5.4 mi · 7 min · North Elk Vale Road

Continue on US 16 Truck

1.2 mi · 1 min · East Catron Boulevard

Continue on US 16 Truck

2.2 mi · 3 min · Catron Boulevard

Turn left onto US 16

1.1 mi · 1 min · Mount Rushmore Road

Continue on US 16

12 mi · 14 min · South Highway 16

Take the exit onto US 16A

2.7 mi · 5 min · US 16A

Use the straight / left lanes.

Turn left onto SD 40

0.4 mi · 1 min · Reed Street

Use the straight / left lanes.

Continue on SD 40

510 ft · 19 sec · 1st Street

Turn right

93 ft · 6 sec

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.64 one way

$9.29 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.36	$5.10	$10.20
premium	$4.89	$5.72	$11.43
diesel	$5.61	$6.56	$13.11

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	8.9	$3.12	$1.43
Efficient EV	7.4	$2.60	$1.19
EV Truck/SUV	11.9	$4.16	$1.90

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Box Elder, SD

Morning in Box Elder on Thursday

Local time

10:31 AM

MDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Keystone, SD

Morning in Keystone on Thursday

Local time

10:31 AM

MDT

Current temp

45°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

1 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

42m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Box Elder, SD to Keystone, SD covers 29.7 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are South Highway 16, North Elk Vale Road, US 16A. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 14.9 miles from Box Elder, SD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.64 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.