Origin
Idaho Falls, ID
Afternoon in Idaho Falls on Sunday
Local time
4:40 PM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Idaho Falls, ID to Spirit Lake, ID
Drive Time
8h 31m
Distance
504.6 mi
812 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$80
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
8h 24m
★
6 AM
8h 31m
8 AM
8h 47m
10 AM
8h 37m
12 PM
8h 35m
3 PM
8h 37m
5 PM
8h 46m
8 PM
8h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Idaho Falls, ID
Wal Saravia
Spirit Lake, ID
Ghassan Hani
Trip Overview
The drive from Idaho Falls, ID to Spirit Lake, ID covers 504.6 miles and takes about 8h 31m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on West Stone Run Lane, Stonebrook Lane, South Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $79.96 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
252.3 miles from Idaho Falls, ID
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 15m into the drive .
Drive Character
At 504.6 miles and 8h 31m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are West Stone Run Lane and Stonebrook Lane.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Stone Run Lane is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 8h 31m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. 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 8h 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 Idaho Falls, ID to Spirit Lake, ID is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Stone Run Lane | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Stonebrook Lane | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East 17th Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Pancheri Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Utah Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| West Broadway Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I15 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
West Stone Run Lane
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Idaho Falls, ID and Spirit Lake, ID.
1
Start on Charleston Lane
151 ft
·
9 sec
·
Charleston Lane
2
Turn right onto West Stone Run Lane
243 ft
·
16 sec
·
West Stone Run Lane
3
Turn left onto Stonebrook Lane
466 ft
·
15 sec
·
Stonebrook Lane
4
Continue on South Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Boulevard
5
Turn left onto East 17th Street
0.6 mi
·
53 sec
·
East 17th Street
6
Continue on Pancheri Drive
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Pancheri Drive
7
Turn right onto South Utah Avenue
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
South Utah Avenue
8
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward South Utah Avenue
223 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Utah Avenue
9
Exit the roundabout onto South Utah Avenue
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
South Utah Avenue
10
Turn left onto West Broadway Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
West Broadway Street
11
Take the ramp right toward I15 North: Roberts, Butte
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
I15 North: Roberts, Butte
12
Merge slight left onto Veterans Memorial Highway
198 mi
·
3 hr 6 min
·
Veterans Memorial Highway
13
Take the exit slight left toward I 90 West: Missoula
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 90 West: Missoula
14
Merge slight left onto I 90 West: Missoula
283 mi
·
4 hr 47 min
·
I 90 West: Missoula
15
Take the exit slight right
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
16
Keep slight right
427 ft
·
10 sec
17
Turn straight onto North Highway 41
7.5 mi
·
11 min
·
North Highway 41
18
Turn left onto West Highway 53 / North Highway 41
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
West Highway 53 / North Highway 41
19
Turn right onto North Highway 41
10 mi
·
15 min
·
North Highway 41
20
Continue on North 5th Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North 5th Avenue
21
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 252.3 miles from Idaho Falls, ID, or about 4h 15m 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 111 miles or 1h 52m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 252.3 miles or 4h 15m 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 252.3 miles or 4h 15m
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 7h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Spirit Lake, ID than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Idaho Falls, ID 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 Idaho Falls, ID
Aim for roughly 252 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Spirit Lake, ID
Aim for roughly 252 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 111 miles from Idaho Falls, ID.
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 252.3 mi from Idaho Falls, ID · 4h 15m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
167 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
333 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 Thompson Falls, MTOvernight Options
Night 1
252 mi · about 4.3h in
A practical overnight split lands near Thompson Falls, MT after about 252 miles or 4.3 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 111 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 252.3 miles from Idaho Falls, ID, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 252 miles or 4.3 hours on the road.
Arriving in Spirit Lake, ID
The final approach into Spirit Lake, ID 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 Spirit Lake, ID.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Spirit Lake, ID 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
$79.96 one way
$159.92 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
177 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.23 | $84.05 | $168.11 |
| premium | $4.53 | $89.97 | $179.95 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $112.10 | $224.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$80
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$210–$320
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 176.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $53 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 151.4 | 1 | $52.98 | $24.22 |
| Efficient EV | 126.2 | 1 | $44.15 | $20.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 201.8 | 2 | $70.64 | $32.29 |
Gas CO2
177 kg
EV CO2
59 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
Spirit Lake, ID
Afternoon in Spirit Lake on Sunday
Local time
3:40 PM
PDT
Current temp
30°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
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
8 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
8h 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 Idaho Falls, ID to Spirit Lake, ID covers 504.6 miles and takes about 8h 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Stone Run Lane, Stonebrook Lane, South Boulevard. 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 252 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 252.3 miles from Idaho Falls, ID. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $79.96 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 8h 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 Idaho Falls, ID to Spirit Lake, ID is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Idaho Falls, ID to Spirit Lake, ID does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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