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Trip from Havre, 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

5h 22m

Distance

272.2 mi

438 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$43

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
5h 9m ★
6 AM
5h 22m
8 AM
5h 49m
10 AM
5h 32m
12 PM
5h 29m
3 PM
5h 33m
5 PM
5h 48m
8 PM
5h 14m

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

Downtown Havre, MT, MT

Havre, MT

Shashank Brahmavar

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

Bozeman, MT

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Havre, MT to Bozeman, MT covers 272.2 miles and takes about 5h 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on 5th Street, 2nd Avenue, 1st Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $43.13 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

136.1 miles from Havre, MT

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 41m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
5th Street
2nd Avenue
1st Street
15th Street Northeast
Old Havre Highway
Smelter Avenue Northeast
3rd Street Northwest
Central Avenue West

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: 5th Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Montana Avenue

161 ft · 12 sec · Montana Avenue
2

Turn left onto 5th Street

0.1 mi · 40 sec · 5th Street
3

Turn left onto 2nd Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · 2nd Avenue
4

Turn left onto 1st Street

3.1 mi · 3 min · 1st Street
5

Turn left

107 mi · 1 hr 58 min
6

Continue on 15th Street Northeast

299 ft · 6 sec · 15th Street Northeast
7

Turn right onto Old Havre Highway

0.8 mi · 1 min · Old Havre Highway
8

Turn right onto Smelter Avenue Northeast

0.5 mi · 43 sec · Smelter Avenue Northeast
9

Turn straight onto 3rd Street Northwest

1.4 mi · 1 min · 3rd Street Northwest
10

Turn right onto Central Avenue West

1.3 mi · 1 min · Central Avenue West
11

Turn sharp left

0.3 mi · 35 sec
12

Merge slight left onto First Special Service Force Memorial Highway

87 mi · 1 hr 24 min · First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
13

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
14

Turn left onto Prospect Avenue

1.0 mi · 1 min · Prospect Avenue
15

Continue straight

3.6 mi · 5 min
16

Continue straight

0.3 mi · 26 sec
17

Continue straight

30 mi · 34 min
18

Continue straight

2.3 mi · 2 min
19

Continue straight

1.2 mi · 1 min
20

Continue straight

1.4 mi · 1 min
21

Continue straight

23 mi · 24 min
22

Take the exit left toward I 90 East: Billings

0.3 mi · 34 sec · I 90 East: Billings
23

Merge slight left

32 mi · 31 min
24

Take the exit slight right toward North 7th Avenue

0.3 mi · 38 sec · North 7th Avenue
25

Turn right onto North 7th Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · North 7th Avenue
26

Turn left onto West Peach Street

0.4 mi · 44 sec · West Peach Street
27

Turn right onto North Willson Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Willson Avenue
28

Arrive at your destination

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 136.1 miles from Havre, MT, or about 2h 41m 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 60 miles or 1h 11m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 136.1 miles or 2h 41m 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 24m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Havre, 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 Havre, MT

This is one driving day of about 272.2 miles and 5h 22m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 60 miles from Havre, 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.

Where to Stop

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

Downtown East Helena, MT, MT

Mid-route town

Meal stop

East 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

Fort Benton, MT

Fuel and coffee

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

East Helena, MT

Meal break

The midpoint is around 136.1 miles from Havre, 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

$43.13 one way

$86.27 round trip

$4.03/gal 25.4 MPG avg 95 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.22 $45.21 $90.43
premium $4.53 $48.56 $97.11
diesel $5.61 $60.10 $120.20

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 81.7 1 $28.58 $13.07
Efficient EV 68.1 0 $23.82 $10.89
EV Truck/SUV 108.9 1 $38.11 $17.42

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

Havre, MT

Afternoon in Havre on Saturday

Local time

1:58 PM

MDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bozeman, MT

Afternoon in Bozeman on Saturday

Local time

1:58 PM

MDT

Current temp

64°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

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

5h 22m 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?

272.2 mi in 5h 22m 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.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: 5th Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

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.

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 22m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Havre, MT to Bozeman, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

About the Cities

Arriving 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 22m. Total distance: 272.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Havre, MT to Bozeman, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Not recommended in a single day. At 5.4 hours each way, a round trip means 10.7 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Bozeman, 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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