Trip from Bozeman, MT to North Browning, MT

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

5h 15m

Distance

272 mi

438 km

Drive Score

10/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$43

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 41 min

4 AM

5h 2m ★

6 AM

5h 16m

8 AM

5h 43m

10 AM

5h 25m

12 PM

5h 22m

3 PM

5h 27m

5 PM

5h 41m

8 PM

5h 8m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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city and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States

Bozeman, MT

Wikimedia Commons

North Browning, MT

John De Leon

Trip Overview

The drive from Bozeman, MT to North Browning, MT covers 272 miles and takes about 5h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Highway 287, United States Highway 89, First Special Service Force Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 62.2 miles on Highway 287. At current regular gas prices, budget about $43.10 one way before food or hotel costs.

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

136 miles from Bozeman, MT

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 29m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Highway 287	62.2 mi	1h 10m
United States Highway 89	49.2 mi	53m
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway	35.9 mi	35m
I 90 Business	31.8 mi	32m
US 287	21.1 mi	31m
MT 200	18.4 mi	20m
Park Way	16.8 mi	18m
13th Lane Northwest	12.9 mi	15m

Longest stretch: Highway 287 — 62.2 mi, about 1h 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bozeman, MT and North Browning, MT.

Start on North Willson Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Willson Avenue

Turn left onto West Peach Street

0.4 mi · 42 sec · West Peach Street

Turn right onto I 90 Business

0.9 mi · 1 min · North 7th Avenue

Turn left onto I 90 Business

32 mi · 32 min · I 90 Business

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec

Toward US 287: Helena, Ennis

Turn right onto US 287

62 mi · 1 hr 10 min · Highway 287

Use the straight / right lanes.

Take the exit onto US 287

0.4 mi · 47 sec · US 287

Toward I 15 North: Great Falls

Merge onto I 15; US 287

36 mi · 35 min · First Special Service Force Memorial Highway

Use the slight right lane.

Take the exit onto US 287

21 mi · 31 min · US 287

Toward US 287 North: Augusta, Choteau

Turn right onto MT 200

18 mi · 20 min · MT 200

Turn left onto Simms Fairfield Road

1.8 mi · 3 min · Simms Fairfield Road

Continue on S-565

5.3 mi · 9 min · 3rd Lane

Turn left onto US 89

3.3 mi · 3 min · 1st Road Southeast

Continue on US 89

17 mi · 18 min · Park Way

Continue on US 89

0.7 mi · 1 min · Main Avenue South

Enter roundabout onto US 89

514 ft · 17 sec · West Division Street

Continue on US 89

143 ft · 4 sec · West Division Street

Turn slight right onto US 89

6.0 mi · 8 min · Main Avenue North

Continue on US 89

13 mi · 15 min · 13th Lane Northwest

Continue on US 89

49 mi · 53 min · United States Highway 89

At end of road, turn left onto US 2; US 89

3.3 mi · 5 min · US 2; US 89

Continue on MT 464

0.4 mi · 43 sec · Northeast Boundary Street

Continue on MT 464

0.6 mi · 1 min · Duck Lake Road

Turn right onto Meineke Road

329 ft · 14 sec · Meineke Road

Arrive at destination

Meineke Road

Trip Plan

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 136 miles from Bozeman, MT, or about 2h 29m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 62.2 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 60 miles or 1h 6m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 136 miles or 2h 29m 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 20m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near North Browning, MT than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Bozeman, 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 Bozeman, MT

This is one driving day of about 272 miles and 5h 15m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 60 miles from Bozeman, 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 Highway 287 for about 62.2 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

state capital of Montana, United States and seat of Lewis and Clark County

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Helena, MT

136 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

Montana City, MT

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 60 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Helena, MT

Meal break

The midpoint is around 136 miles from Bozeman, MT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Highway 287 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 62.2 miles.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Nearby Places

Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.

Top Restaurant

Dave's Sushi

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Bozeman, Montana

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour $20 to $30

Hours: 11 am–9:30 pm

+14065561351

Visit website

Bacchus Pub

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Bozeman, Montana

0 mi

The Porch at Nogans

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Manhattan, Montana

0.1 mi

Top Coffee Stop

Wild Joe*s Coffee Spot

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Bozeman, Montana

Near the start, right off the route

0.1 mi from route $1 to $10

Hours: 6:30 am–6 pm

+14065861212

Visit website

Rockford Coffee

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Bozeman, Montana

0.1 mi

Nexus Drive Up Coffee

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Bozeman, Montana

0.4 mi

Dave's Sushi

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour $20 to $30

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: 11 am–9:30 pm

+14065561351

Visit website

Bacchus Pub

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, right off the route

0 mi from route $20 to $30

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: 11 am–10 pm

+14064041996

Visit website

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Bozeman, Montana

+14064047999

Visit website

Wild Joe*s Coffee Spot

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.1 mi from route $1 to $10

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: 6:30 am–6 pm

+14065861212

Visit website

Rockford Coffee

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.1 mi from route $1 to $10

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: 6:30 am–6 pm

+14065561053

Visit website

Nexus Drive Up Coffee

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour $1 to $10

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: 7 am–2 pm

+14065458089

Visit website

Sophie's Bakery Cafe Espresso

5.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour $1 to $10 mile 19.4

Manhattan, Montana

Hours: 7 am–2 pm

+14063123452

Visit website

Treeline Coffee Roasters

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour $1 to $10

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: 6:30 am–4 pm

+14062192501

Visit website

Roly-Poly Coffee Co.

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.8 mi from route ~2 min detour $1 to $10

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: 7 am–3 pm

+14069228080

Visit website

Harvest Moon Coffee Shoppe

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour $1 to $10 mile 19.4

Manhattan, Montana

Hours: 7 am–6 pm

+14065955122

Visit website

Broadway Brew

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour $1 to $10 mile 19.4

Manhattan, Montana

Hours: 7 am–1 pm

+14065952424

ChargePoint Charging Station

5.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 97.1

Helena, Montana

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18887584389

Visit website

Tesla Supercharger

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, right off the route

0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour mile 97.1

Helena, Montana

Hours: Open 24 hours

Visit website

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, short detour

2 mi from route ~5 min detour mile 97.1

Helena, Montana

Hours: 1–8:30 pm

+14064220321

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 33.4 and 199.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

33.4 mi into trip | ~35m in

Take the exit toward US 287: Helena, Ennis

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

Toward US 287: Helena, Ennis

33.7 mi into trip | ~36m in | US 287 / Highway 287

Turn right onto US 287 / Highway 287

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

96.3 mi into trip | ~1h 47m in | I 15; US 287 / First Special Service Force Memorial Highway

Merge onto I 15; US 287 / First Special Service Force Memorial Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane.

132.3 mi into trip | ~2h 23m in | US 287

Take the exit onto US 287 toward US 287 North: Augusta, Choteau

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

Toward US 287 North: Augusta, Choteau

199.5 mi into trip | ~3h 51m in | US 89 / West Division Street

Enter roundabout onto US 89 / West Division Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$43.10 one way

$86.20 round trip

$4.03/gal 25.4 MPG avg 95 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.22	$45.18	$90.36
premium	$4.53	$48.52	$97.04
diesel	$5.61	$60.05	$120.11

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$43

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$68–$93

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 95.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	81.6	1	$28.56	$13.06
Efficient EV	68	0	$23.80	$10.88
EV Truck/SUV	108.8	1	$38.08	$17.41

Gas CO2

95 kg

EV CO2

32 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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

Bozeman, MT

Afternoon in Bozeman on Saturday

Local time

2:13 PM

MDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Browning, MT

Afternoon in North Browning on Saturday

Local time

2:13 PM

MDT

Current temp

65°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

1 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

5h 15m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

272 mi in 5h 15m, mostly highway — 62.2 mi of that is on Highway 287.

68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 62.2 mi on Highway 287.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Highway 287 and United States Highway 89. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 33.4 miles in.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 5h 15m drive. You will face about 14 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 33.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 33.7 miles (US 287 / Highway 287): Lane positioning matters here; at 96.3 miles (I 15; US 287 / First Special Service Force Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Bozeman, MT and North Browning, MT, road signs point toward Ennis and Choteau.

Ennis

33.4 mi in | ~35m

Choteau

132.3 mi in | ~2h 23m | via US 287

About the Cities

Starting in Bozeman, MT

Full guide →

Bozeman is a city in Montana's Yellowstone Country. Set in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, this college town is a place for experiencing the great outdoors around the year, and for those days the weather makes you want to stay indoors there are a number of museums and galleries to explore.

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 5h 15m. Total distance: 272 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (68%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 62.2 miles on Highway 287. 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.

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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.

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.

Not recommended in a single day. At 5.3 hours each way, a round trip means 10.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at North Browning, MT before the return drive.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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Trip from Bozeman, MT to North Browning, MT

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Nearby Places

Dave's Sushi

Wild Joe*s Coffee Spot

Dave's Sushi

Bacchus Pub

The Porch at Nogans

Sweet Chili Asian Bistro

Western Café

MacKenzie River Pizza Co.

Montana Ale Works

RSVP Motel

Wild Joe*s Coffee Spot

Rockford Coffee

Nexus Drive Up Coffee

Sophie's Bakery Cafe Espresso

Treeline Coffee Roasters

Roly-Poly Coffee Co.

Harvest Moon Coffee Shoppe

Broadway Brew

ChargePoint Charging Station

Tesla Supercharger

Rivian Waypoints

Tesla Supercharger

Electrify America Charging Station

Rivian Adventure Network

Electric Vehicle Charging Station

ChargePoint Charging Station

Last Chance Tours

ExplorationWorks

Escape Helena

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Bozeman, MT

North Browning, MT

Same local time

1 degrees warmer at arrival

5h 15m on the road

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

About the Cities

Starting in Bozeman, MT

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Will I have cell service along this route?

Where does this route get tricky?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

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