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Trip from Butte, MT to Bozeman, MT

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

Drive Time

1h 28m

Distance

85.3 mi

137 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min
4 AM
1h 21m ★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 24m

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

consolidated city-county (with Silver Bow County) in Montana, United States

Butte, MT

Wikimedia Commons

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

Bozeman, MT

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Butte, MT to Bozeman, MT covers 85.3 miles and takes about 1h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 15, North 7th Avenue, South Montana Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 82.2 miles on I 15. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.59 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 28m. Total distance: 85.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 28m highway drive covering 85.3 miles, with most of the trip on I 15 and North 7th Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 82.2 miles on I 15.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 15 is the longest continuous segment at about 82.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 15 and North 7th Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Main Street.

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 1h 28m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (La Salle Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

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

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Main Street

Turn right onto South Main Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.4 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Front Street

Turn right onto West Front Street

Navigation decision point

4
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | La Salle Street

Turn left onto La Salle Street

Navigation decision point

5
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 15; I 90

Merge onto I 15; I 90

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
83.6 mi into trip | ~1h 24m in | I 90 Business

Take the exit onto I 90 Business toward North 7th Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward North 7th Avenue

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 15 82.2 mi 1h 21m
North 7th Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
South Montana Street 0.4 mi <1m
North Willson Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
South Main Street 0.4 mi <1m
West Peach Street 0.4 mi <1m
I 90 Business 0.3 mi <1m
West Front Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 15 — 82.2 mi, about 1h 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on West Iron Street

70 ft · 5 sec · West Iron Street
2

Turn right onto South Main Street

0.4 mi · 45 sec · South Main Street
3

Turn right onto West Front Street

0.3 mi · 29 sec · West Front Street
4

Turn left onto South Montana Street

0.4 mi · 45 sec · South Montana Street
5

Turn left onto La Salle Street

292 ft · 4 sec · La Salle Street
6

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 23 sec
7

Merge onto I 15; I 90

82 mi · 1 hr 21 min · I 15; I 90
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit onto I 90 Business

0.3 mi · 38 sec · I 90 Business
Toward North 7th Avenue
9

Turn right onto I 90 Business

0.7 mi · 1 min · North 7th Avenue
10

Turn left onto West Peach Street

0.4 mi · 43 sec · West Peach Street
11

Turn right onto North Willson Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Willson Avenue
12

Arrive at destination

North Willson Avenue

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 42.7 mi from Butte, MT · 43m into the drive

road in the City of Westminster, in central London

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Whitehall, MT

43 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.

Popular next leg

Whitehall, MT to Bozeman, MT

59.9 mi · 1h 1m

Pacing Suggestions

Whitehall, MT

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Whitehall, MT

Meal break

The midpoint is around 42.7 miles from Butte, MT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 15 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 82.2 miles.

Arriving in Bozeman, MT

The final approach into Bozeman, MT usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.59 one way

$23.17 round trip

$3.45/gal 25.4 MPG avg 30 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $3.85 $12.93 $25.86
premium $4.15 $13.94 $27.87
diesel $3.75 $12.59 $25.19

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 29.8 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 25.6 0 $8.96 $4.09
Efficient EV 21.3 0 $7.46 $3.41
EV Truck/SUV 34.1 0 $11.94 $5.46

Gas CO2

30 kg

EV CO2

10 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Butte, MT

Late night in Butte on Saturday

Local time

4:27 AM

MDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bozeman, MT

Late night in Bozeman on Saturday

Local time

4:27 AM

MDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

74°F

Whitehall, MT

43 mi in

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

2 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

1h 28m 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 Butte, MT to Bozeman, MT covers 85.3 miles and takes about 1h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 15, North 7th Avenue, South Montana Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 42.7 miles from Butte, MT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.59 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.

This is a straightforward 1h 28m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (La Salle Street): Navigation decision point.

The route from Butte, MT to Bozeman, MT does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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