Origin
Fort Benton, MT
Late night in Fort Benton on Saturday
Local time
12:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
40.8 mi
66 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Benton, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Great Falls, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting the historic town of Fort Benton to the hub of Great Falls, this 40.8-mile journey is a straightforward trip across Montana’s Mountain West. You can expect to spend about 49 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. With a modest fuel budget of around $6, the route is both efficient and budget-friendly. You will primarily utilize US 87, MT 386, and 9th Street North to reach your destination. Since the entire drive stays within the same region, you won't experience drastic climate or geographic shifts, allowing for a predictable and smooth transit.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 40.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This is a highway-focused drive, with approximately 91% of your time spent on main thoroughfares. You will settle into a steady rhythm quickly, as the longest uninterrupted stretch covers 35.7 miles on US 87. The road maintains a consistent feel, trading local streets for open stretches of highway that allow for steady pacing. Because the drive is short, you won't encounter the fatigue associated with long-haul interstate grinds. Expect a functional, direct experience that prioritizes speed and convenience over technical navigation.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Main Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
3,561 ft
2,635 ft
Total Climb
1,055 ft
Total Descent
361 ft
Highest Point
3,561 ft
~37.8 mi in
Elevation Range
926 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT is easy. At 49m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Main Street | — | — |
| 12th Street | — | — |
| Saint Charles Street | — | — |
| MT 386 | — | — |
| US 87 | — | — |
| 15th Street Northeast | — | — |
| Old Havre Highway | — | — |
| 10th Street Northeast | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Main Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Benton, MT and Great Falls, MT.
1
Start on the route
79 ft
·
6 sec
·
the route
2
Turn right
194 ft
·
19 sec
3
Turn left onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn right onto 12th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
12th Street
5
Turn left onto Saint Charles Street
384 ft
·
11 sec
·
Saint Charles Street
6
Continue on MT 386
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
MT 386
7
Turn left onto US 87
36 mi
·
38 min
·
US 87
8
Continue on 15th Street Northeast
299 ft
·
6 sec
·
15th Street Northeast
9
Turn right onto Old Havre Highway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Havre Highway
10
Continue on 10th Street Northeast
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
10th Street Northeast
11
Continue on 9th Street North
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
9th Street North
12
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue North
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
2nd Avenue North
13
Turn left onto 5th Street North
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
5th Street North
14
Turn right onto 4th Avenue South
430 ft
·
24 sec
·
4th Avenue South
15
Turn left onto 4th Street South
230 ft
·
10 sec
·
4th Street South
16
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.47 one way
$12.93 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $6.78 | $13.55 |
| premium | $4.53 | $7.28 | $14.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.01 | $18.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.28 | $1.96 |
| Efficient EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.71 | $2.61 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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.
Destination
Great Falls, MT
Late night in Great Falls on Saturday
Local time
12:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
68°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
6 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
49m 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 Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT covers 40.8 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Main Street, 12th Street, Saint Charles Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.4 miles from Fort Benton, MT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.47 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.
The drive from Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT is easy. At 49m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fort Benton, MT to Great Falls, MT does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Gently rolling terrain. The route ranges from 2,635 ft to 3,561 ft elevation with about 1,055 ft of total climbing.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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