Origin
Great Falls, MT
Afternoon in Great Falls on Saturday
Local time
3:02 PM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Great Falls, MT to East Helena, MT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 36m
Distance
93.4 mi
150 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 29m
★
6 AM
1h 37m
8 AM
1h 51m
10 AM
1h 42m
12 PM
1h 40m
3 PM
1h 43m
5 PM
1h 51m
8 PM
1h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Great Falls, MT
Wikimedia Commons
East Helena, MT
John De Leon
Trip Overview
The drive from Great Falls, MT to East Helena, MT covers 93.4 miles and takes about 1h 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 5th Avenue South, 5th Street South, 10th Avenue South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.80 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
46.7 miles from Great Falls, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 48m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 5th Avenue South | — | — |
| 5th Street South | — | — |
| 10th Avenue South | — | — |
| Country Club Boulevard | — | — |
| First Special Service Force Memorial Highway | — | — |
| US 12 South | — | — |
| Prospect Avenue | — | — |
| Wylie Drive | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
5th Avenue South
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Great Falls, MT and East Helena, MT.
1
Start on 4th Street South
161 ft
·
12 sec
·
4th Street South
2
Turn left onto 5th Avenue South
427 ft
·
21 sec
·
5th Avenue South
3
Turn right onto 5th Street South
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
5th Street South
4
Turn right onto 10th Avenue South
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
10th Avenue South
5
Continue on Country Club Boulevard
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Country Club Boulevard
6
Keep slight left
0.7 mi
·
1 min
7
Merge slight left onto First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
86 mi
·
1 hr 22 min
·
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
8
Take the exit slight right toward US 12 South, US 287 South: Townsend, Capitol Area
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
US 12 South, US 287 South: Townsend, Capitol Area
9
Turn left onto Prospect Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Prospect Avenue
10
Continue straight
2.4 mi
·
3 min
11
Turn left onto Wylie Drive
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Wylie Drive
12
Turn right onto West Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
13
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 46.7 miles from Great Falls, MT, or about 48m into the drive.
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 21 miles or 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 46.7 miles or 48m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near East Helena, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Great Falls, MT so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Great Falls, MT
This is one driving day of about 93.4 miles and 1h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Great Falls, MT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
47 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 46.7 miles from Great Falls, MT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.80 one way
$29.60 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
33 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $15.51 | $31.03 |
| premium | $4.53 | $16.66 | $33.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $20.62 | $41.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 32.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 28 | 0 | $9.81 | $4.48 |
| Efficient EV | 23.4 | 0 | $8.17 | $3.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 37.4 | 0 | $13.08 | $5.98 |
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 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.
Destination
East Helena, MT
Afternoon in East Helena on Saturday
Local time
3:02 PM
MDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
32°F
Cascade, MT
47 mi in
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
3 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 36m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
93.4 mi in 1h 36m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: 5th Avenue South.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
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 Great Falls, MT to East Helena, MT is easy. At 1h 36m 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 Great Falls, MT to East Helena, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 36m. Total distance: 93.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
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.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Great Falls, MT to East Helena, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at East Helena, MT before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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