The drive from Medary, SD to Mitchell, SD covers 109 miles and takes about 1h 49m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 90, I 29, 471st Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 63.7 miles on I 90.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.04 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
54.5 miles from Medary, SD
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 55m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 49m. Total distance: 109 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 49m highway drive covering 109 miles, with most of the trip on I 90 and I 29. The longest continuous stretch is about 63.7 miles on I 90.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 90 is the longest continuous segment at about 63.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and I 29. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4 miles in near CR 4 / 223rd Street.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 109 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles (CR 4 / 223rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 42.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 106.9 miles (I 90 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
4 mi into trip|~5m in|CR 4 / 223rd Street
Turn left onto CR 4 / 223rd Street
Navigation decision point
4
42.7 mi into trip|~43m in
Take the exit toward Interstate 90 West: Rapid City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Interstate 90 West: Rapid City
4
106.9 mi into trip|~1h 45m in|I 90 Business
Take the exit onto I 90 Business toward Mitchell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Mitchell
5
107.2 mi into trip|~1h 45m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
109 mi into trip|~1h 49m in|West 1st Avenue
Turn left onto West 1st Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 90
63.7 mi
1h
I 29
37.1 mi
34m
471st Avenue
4 mi
5m
223rd Street
1.4 mi
3m
South Burr Street
0.7 mi
1m
East Havens Avenue
0.5 mi
1m
South Sanborn Boulevard
0.5 mi
1m
I 90 Business
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 63.7 mi, about 1h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Medary, SD and Mitchell, SD.
1
Start on CR 77
4.0 mi·5 min·471st Avenue
2
Turn left onto CR 4
1.4 mi·3 min·223rd Street
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·32 sec
4
Merge onto I 29
37 mi·34 min·I 29
5
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward Interstate 90 West: Rapid City
6
Merge onto I 90
64 mi·1 hr·I 90
7
Take the exit onto I 90 Business
0.3 mi·34 sec·I 90 Business
Toward Mitchell
8
Keep slight right at fork
184 ft·4 sec
9
Turn straight onto I 90 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·South Burr Street
10
Turn left onto I 90 Business
0.5 mi·1 min·East Havens Avenue
11
Turn slight right
260 ft·9 sec
12
Turn straight onto South Sanborn Boulevard
0.5 mi·1 min·South Sanborn Boulevard
13
Turn left onto West 1st Avenue
34 ft·1 sec·West 1st Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
West 1st Avenue
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 54.5 miles from Medary, SD, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 63.7 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 24 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 54.5 miles or 55m 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 28m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mitchell, SD than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Medary, SD so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Medary, SD
This is one driving day of about 109 miles and 1h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 24 miles from Medary, SD.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 90 for about 63.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 54.5 mi from Medary, SD
· 55m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
32.7
0
$11.44
$5.23
Efficient EV
27.3
0
$9.54
$4.36
EV Truck/SUV
43.6
0
$15.26
$6.98
Gas CO2
38 kg
EV CO2
13 kg (66% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Medary, SD
Morning
in Medary on Friday
Local time
7:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Mitchell, SD
Morning
in Mitchell on Friday
Local time
7:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°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
5 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
1h 49m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Medary, SD to Mitchell, SD covers 109 miles and takes about 1h 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 90, I 29, 471st Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 54.5 miles from Medary, SD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $17.04 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 109 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles (CR 4 / 223rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 42.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 106.9 miles (I 90 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Medary, SD to Mitchell, SD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
EV charging comes from the
NREL Alternative Fuels
dataset.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
