Origin
Gillette, WY
Morning in Gillette on Thursday
Local time
7:02 AM
MDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gillette, WY to Afton, WY
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
9h 31m
Distance
480.1 mi
773 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$76
one way
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 23m
★
6 AM
9h 32m
8 AM
9h 49m
10 AM
9h 38m
12 PM
9h 36m
3 PM
9h 39m
5 PM
9h 48m
8 PM
9h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gillette, WY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Gillette, WY to Afton, WY covers 480.1 miles and takes about 9h 31m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on South Douglas Highway, Highway 59 South, I 25 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $76.08 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
240 miles from Gillette, WY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 45m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
9h 31m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 9h 31m drive with frequent turns across 480.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Douglas Highway is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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.
Route Complexity
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 31m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Gillette, WY to Afton, WY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Douglas Highway | — | — |
| Highway 59 South | — | — |
| I 25 South | — | — |
| US 20 West | — | — |
| West Yellowstone Highway | — | — |
| East Main Street | — | — |
| East Ramshorn Street | — | — |
| US 26 | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
South Douglas Highway
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gillette, WY and Afton, WY.
1
Start on East 4th Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
2
Turn right onto South Douglas Highway
5.0 mi
·
9 min
·
South Douglas Highway
3
Continue on State Highway 59 South
33 mi
·
35 min
·
State Highway 59 South
4
Turn right
51 mi
·
58 min
5
Turn left
18 mi
·
20 min
6
Take the exit left toward I 25 South: Casper
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
I 25 South: Casper
7
Merge slight left
20 mi
·
18 min
8
Take the exit slight right toward US 20 West, US 26 West, WY 220 West: Shoshoni, Port of Entry
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
US 20 West, US 26 West, WY 220 West: Shoshoni, Port of Entry
9
Keep slight left
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
10
Turn right
2.7 mi
·
3 min
11
Turn right onto West Yellowstone Highway
94 mi
·
1 hr 47 min
·
West Yellowstone Highway
12
Continue straight
18 mi
·
20 min
13
Continue straight
4.0 mi
·
4 min
14
Turn right onto East Main Street
78 mi
·
1 hr 27 min
·
East Main Street
15
Turn left onto East Ramshorn Street
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Ramshorn Street
16
Continue on US 26 / US 287
53 mi
·
1 hr
·
US 26 / US 287
17
Continue on North Highway 89
23 mi
·
32 min
·
North Highway 89
18
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward North Highway 89
98 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Highway 89
19
Exit the roundabout onto North Highway 89
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Highway 89
20
Continue on North Cache Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
North Cache Street
21
Continue on South Cache Drive
394 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Cache Drive
22
Turn right onto West Pearl Avenue
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
West Pearl Avenue
23
At the end of the road, turn left onto West Broadway Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Broadway Avenue
24
Continue on South Highway 89
12 mi
·
17 min
·
South Highway 89
25
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward the route
62 ft
·
2 sec
·
the route
26
Exit the roundabout
23 mi
·
31 min
27
Turn left onto US Highway 89
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
US Highway 89
28
Continue on Main Street
17 mi
·
21 min
·
Main Street
29
Continue on North Main Street
14 mi
·
17 min
·
North Main Street
30
Continue on North Washington Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
North Washington Street
31
Turn left onto East 4th Avenue
443 ft
·
21 sec
·
East 4th Avenue
32
Turn right
108 ft
·
8 sec
33
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 240 miles from Gillette, WY, or about 4h 45m into the drive.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 106 miles or 2h 6m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 240 miles or 4h 45m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 240 miles or 4h 45m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 8h 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Afton, WY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Gillette, WY 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Gillette, WY
Aim for roughly 240 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Afton, WY
Aim for roughly 240 miles and 4.8 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 106 miles from Gillette, WY.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 240 mi from Gillette, WY · 4h 45m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
240 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Pinedale, WYOvernight Options
Night 1
240 mi · about 4.8h in
A practical overnight split lands near Pinedale, WY after about 240 miles or 4.8 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 106 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 240 miles from Gillette, WY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 240 miles or 4.8 hours on the road.
Arriving in Afton, WY
The final approach into Afton, WY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Afton, WY.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Afton, WY with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$76.08 one way
$152.16 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
168 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $79.75 | $159.49 |
| premium | $4.53 | $85.64 | $171.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $106.00 | $212.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$76
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$206–$316
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 168 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $50 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 144 | 1 | $50.41 | $23.04 |
| Efficient EV | 120 | 1 | $42.01 | $19.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 192 | 2 | $67.21 | $30.73 |
Gas CO2
168 kg
EV CO2
56 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Afton, WY
Morning in Afton on Thursday
Local time
7:02 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
15 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
9h 31m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Gillette, WY to Afton, WY covers 480.1 miles and takes about 9h 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Douglas Highway, Highway 59 South, I 25 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 240 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 240 miles from Gillette, WY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $76.08 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 31m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Gillette, WY to Afton, WY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Gillette, WY to Afton, WY does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More from Gillette, WY
Explore more options from Gillette, WY or browse trips ending in Afton, WY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WY road trips.
Explore maps for Gillette, WY or Afton, WY on MapSof.net.