The drive from Livingston, MT to Colstrip, MT covers 241.5 miles and takes about 4h 22m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 90, US 212, State Highway 39 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 172.1 miles on I 90.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $38.27 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
120.8 miles from Livingston, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 4m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 90
172.1 mi
2h 49m
US 212
42.5 mi
50m
State Highway 39
22.2 mi
33m
East Park Street
3.6 mi
6m
Cheyenne Avenue
0.5 mi
<1m
Box Elder Avenue
0.4 mi
1m
I 90 Business
0.1 mi
<1m
Park Street
—
—
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 172.1 mi, about 2h 49m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Livingston, MT and Colstrip, MT.
1
Start on I 90 Business
3.6 mi·6 min·East Park Street
2
Take the ramp onto I 90 Business
0.1 mi·17 sec·I 90 Business
3
Merge onto I 90; US 89; US 191
2.0 mi·1 min·I 90; US 89; US 191
4
Continue on I 90; US 191
113 mi·1 hr 53 min·I 90; US 191
5
Continue on I 90; US 87; US 212
3.1 mi·3 min·I 90; US 87; US 212
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90; US 87; US 212
54 mi·50 min·I 90; US 87; US 212
Toward I 90 East: Sheridan
7
Take the exit onto US 212
0.4 mi·53 sec·US 212
Toward US 212 East: Little Bighorn Battlefield, Broadus
8
Turn left onto US 212
42 mi·49 min·US 212
9
Enter roundabout onto MT 39
328 ft·5 sec·Cheyenne Avenue
10
Continue on MT 39
0.5 mi·42 sec·Cheyenne Avenue
11
Continue on MT 39
22 mi·33 min·State Highway 39
12
Turn right onto Box Elder Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·Box Elder Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Park Street
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 120.8 miles from Livingston, MT, or about 2h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 172.1 miles.
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 53 miles or 55m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 120.8 miles or 2h 4m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colstrip, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Livingston, 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 Livingston, MT
This is one driving day of about 241.5 miles and 4h 22m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 53 miles from Livingston, 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.
The longest stretch is on I 90 for about 172.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.8 and 241.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
3.8 mi into trip|~6m in|I 90; US 89; US 191
Merge onto I 90; US 89; US 191
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
121.9 mi into trip|~2h 5m in|I 90; US 87; US 212
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90; US 87; US 212 toward I 90 East: Sheridan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 90 East: Sheridan
5
175.9 mi into trip|~2h 56m in|US 212
Take the exit onto US 212 toward US 212 East: Little Bighorn Battlefield, Broadus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 212 East: Little Bighorn Battlefield,...
5
218.4 mi into trip|~3h 47m in|MT 39 / Cheyenne Avenue
Enter roundabout onto MT 39 / Cheyenne Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
241.1 mi into trip|~4h 21m in|Box Elder Avenue
Turn right onto Box Elder Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$38.27 one way
$76.54 round trip
$4.03/gal25.4 MPG avg85 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$40.11
$80.23
premium
$4.53
$43.08
$86.16
diesel
$5.61
$53.32
$106.64
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$38
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$63–$88
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 84.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
72.5
0
$25.36
$11.59
Efficient EV
60.4
0
$21.13
$9.66
EV Truck/SUV
96.6
1
$33.81
$15.46
Gas CO2
84 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
Livingston, MT
Morning
in Livingston on Saturday
Local time
11:40 AM
MDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Colstrip, MT
Morning
in Colstrip on Saturday
Local time
11:40 AM
MDT
Current temp
73°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
4h 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
National Monument
This land is a place to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made here on June 25 and 26, 1876, when Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors fought against a deliberate attack by the U.S. Army's 7th Cav...
4 mi from route
~9 min detour
$25
near mile 174.9
Park Closure: The Park is ONLY OPEN Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
241.5 mi in 4h 22m, mostly highway — 172.1 mi of that is on I 90.
98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 172.1 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and US 212. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 3.8 miles in near I 90; US 89; US 191.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 22m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles (I 90; US 89; US 191): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 121.9 miles (I 90; US 87; US 212): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 175.9 miles (US 212): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Livingston, MT to Colstrip, MT, road signs begin pointing toward Broadus along the way.
Broadus
175.9 mi in|~2h 56m|via US 212
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 22m. Total distance: 241.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 172.1 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles (I 90; US 89; US 191): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 121.9 miles (I 90; US 87; US 212): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 175.9 miles (US 212): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.8 hours — manageable with a long break at Colstrip, MT, but most travelers stay overnight.
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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
