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Trip from Miles City, MT to Anaconda, MT

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

6h 39m

Distance

393.8 mi

634 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$62

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 36 min
4 AM
6h 28m ★
6 AM
6h 40m
8 AM
7h 4m
10 AM
6h 48m
12 PM
6h 46m
3 PM
6h 49m
5 PM
7h 3m
8 PM
6h 33m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in and county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States

Miles City, MT

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Anaconda, MT, MT

Anaconda, MT

Regan Dsouza

Trip Overview

The drive from Miles City, MT to Anaconda, MT covers 393.8 miles and takes about 6h 39m 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 94, Pintler Veterans' Memorial Scenic Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 246.8 miles on I 90. At current regular gas prices, budget about $62.40 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

196.9 miles from Miles City, MT

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 22m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 90 246.8 mi 4h 5m
I 94 135.4 mi 2h 18m
Pintler Veterans' Memorial Scenic Highway 7 mi 7m
I 94 Business 2.2 mi 3m
Main Street 1.1 mi 2m
East Commercial Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 90 — 246.8 mi, about 4h 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Miles City, MT and Anaconda, MT.

1

Start on MT 59

1.1 mi · 2 min · Main Street
2

Continue on I 94 Business

1.9 mi · 2 min · I 94 Business
3

Take the ramp onto I 94 Business

66 ft · 1 sec · I 94 Business
4

Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 Business

0.3 mi · 36 sec · I 94 Business
5

Merge onto I 94; US 12

135 mi · 2 hr 18 min · I 94; US 12
6

Merge onto I 90; US 87; US 212

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 90; US 87; US 212
7

Continue on I 90; US 212

113 mi · 1 hr 51 min · I 90; US 212
8

Continue on I 90; US 89; US 191

7.0 mi · 6 min · I 90; US 89; US 191
9

Continue on I 90; US 191

113 mi · 1 hr 54 min · I 90; US 191
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90

11 mi · 10 min · I 90
Toward I 90 West: Missoula
11

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 58 sec
Toward MT 1: Anaconda, Opportunity, Phillipsburg
12

Continue on MT 1

7.0 mi · 7 min · Pintler Veterans' Memorial Scenic Highway
13

Continue on MT 1

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Commercial Avenue
14

Arrive at destination

MT 1

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.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 196.9 miles from Miles City, MT, or about 3h 22m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 246.8 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 87 miles or 1h 31m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 196.9 miles or 3h 22m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 5h 39m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Miles City, 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 Miles City, MT

This is one driving day of about 393.8 miles and 6h 39m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 87 miles from Miles City, 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 246.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

city in and county seat of Sweet Grass County, Montana, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Big Timber, MT

197 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

Hardin, MT

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 87 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Columbus, MT

Meal break

The midpoint is around 196.9 miles from Miles City, MT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 90 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 246.8 miles.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Nearby Places

Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.

Top Restaurant

Jordi's Cantina & Sports Bar

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Anaconda, Montana

Near the end, right off the route

0.1 mi from route $10 to $20 mile 393.8

Hours: 7 am–8 pm

+14065630134

Visit website

Peppermint Paddy’s

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Anaconda, Montana

0.3 mi

The Farmhouse Cafe

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Miles City, Montana

0 mi

Top Coffee Stop

The Ruby

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Miles City, Montana

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour $1 to $10

Hours: 6:15 am–2 pm

+14062347829

The Ugly Mug

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Miles City, Montana

0.5 mi

Main Street Grind

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Miles City, Montana

0.4 mi

Jordi's Cantina & Sports Bar

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

0.1 mi from route $10 to $20 mile 393.8

Anaconda, Montana

Hours: 7 am–8 pm

+14065630134

Visit website

Peppermint Paddy’s

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20 mile 393.8

Anaconda, Montana

Hours: 11 am–8 pm

+14065637428

Visit website

The Farmhouse Cafe

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, right off the route

0 mi from route $10 to $20

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 8 am–1 pm

+14062346731

Vintage and Rustics in Montana

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Miles City, MT

Hours: 7:30 am–4:30 pm

+14062347878

Visit website

Montana Bar

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 10 am–2 pm

+14062345809

Visit website

Remember When Cafe inside Vintage and Rustics in Montana

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 7:30 am–3 pm

+14062347878

Visit website

Hole In the Wall Family Dining

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 6 am–2 pm

+14062343860

Barclay II Supper Club

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour $30 to $50 mile 393.8

Anaconda, Montana

Hours: 5–9 pm

+14065635541

Visit website

The Ruby

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour $1 to $10

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 6:15 am–2 pm

+14062347829

The Ugly Mug

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour $1 to $10

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 6:30 am–2 pm

+14068748459

Visit website

Main Street Grind

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 6:30 am–2 pm

+14062344664

Scoop MT

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 9 am–5:30 pm

+14062341915

City Brew Coffee

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, right off the route

1 mi from route ~2 min detour Moderately

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 5:30 am–3 pm

+14062346106

Visit website

The Coffee Stop

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, short detour

1.2 mi from route ~3 min detour $1 to $10 mile 225

Big Timber, Montana

Hours: 6 am–2 pm

+14069328646

Visit website

Crazy Mountain Coffee Roasters

5.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, right off the route

0.8 mi from route ~2 min detour mile 225

Big Timber, Montana

Hours: 8 am–1 pm

+14064046056

Visit website

Yellowstone Coffee and Canvas

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, short detour

1.5 mi from route ~4 min detour $1 to $10 mile 140.6

Billings, Montana

Hours: 7 am–8 pm

+14068942073

Visit website

AmpUp Charging Station

5.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~2 min detour mile 393.8

Anaconda, Montana

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18039449666

Visit website

Tesla Supercharger

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, short detour

2 mi from route ~5 min detour mile 365.7

Butte, Montana

Hours: Open 24 hours

Visit website

ChargePoint Charging Station

1.0 ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Later in the drive, ~12 min detour

4.9 mi from route ~12 min detour mile 281.3

Bozeman, Montana

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18887584389

Visit website

Girl Ran Away With the Spoon

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 10 am–5 pm

+14062341525

Visit website

Unique Creations

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

1 mi from route ~2 min detour $1 to $10

Miles City, Montana

Hours: 6 am–8 pm

+14062341008

After Rage

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, short detour

3.4 mi from route ~8 min detour mile 140.6

Billings, Montana

Hours: 3:30–9 pm

+14063715114

Visit website

Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, ~9 min detour

3.8 mi from route ~9 min detour mile 140.6

Billings, Montana

Hours: 10 am–5 pm

+14067021280

Visit website

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, ~12 min detour

4.9 mi from route ~12 min detour mile 337.5

Whitehall, MT

Hours: Open 24 hours

+14062873541

Visit website

DanWalt Botanical Gardens

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Around the midpoint, ~12 min detour

4.8 mi from route ~12 min detour mile 140.6

Billings, Montana

Hours: 9 am–5:30 pm

+14062484003

Visit website

Dumas Brothel

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, ~11 min detour

4.4 mi from route ~11 min detour mile 365.7

Butte, Montana

+14063519922

Visit website

Piccadilly Museum of Transportation

4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, ~11 min detour

4.6 mi from route ~11 min detour mile 365.7

Butte, Montana

Hours: 10 am–4 pm

+14067233034

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.1 and 385.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
3.1 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 94 Business

Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 Business

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

3
3.3 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 94; US 12

Merge onto I 94; US 12

Merge point - match speed before joining

3
138.7 mi into trip | ~2h 24m in | I 90; US 87; US 212

Merge onto I 90; US 87; US 212

Merge point - match speed before joining

5
374.7 mi into trip | ~6h 20m in | I 90

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90 toward I 90 West: Missoula

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 90 West: Missoula
5
385.5 mi into trip | ~6h 30m in

Take the exit toward MT 1: Anaconda, Opportunity, Phillipsburg

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward MT 1: Anaconda, Opportunity, Phillipsbur...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$62.40 one way

$124.81 round trip

$4.03/gal 25.4 MPG avg 138 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.22 $65.41 $130.82
premium $4.53 $70.25 $140.50
diesel $5.61 $86.95 $173.89

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$62

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$87–$112

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 137.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $41 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 118.1 1 $41.35 $18.90
Efficient EV 98.5 1 $34.46 $15.75
EV Truck/SUV 157.5 1 $55.13 $25.20

Gas CO2

138 kg

EV CO2

46 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Miles City, MT

Afternoon in Miles City on Saturday

Local time

2:15 PM

MDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Anaconda, MT

Afternoon in Anaconda on Saturday

Local time

2:15 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

11 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

6h 39m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

393.8 mi in 6h 39m, mostly highway — 246.8 mi of that is on I 90.

98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 246.8 mi on I 90.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and I 94. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 3.1 miles in near I 94 Business.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 39m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 5 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.1 miles (I 94 Business): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.3 miles (I 94; US 12): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 138.7 miles (I 90; US 87; US 212): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 39m. Total distance: 393.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

6h 39m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (98%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 246.8 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.

It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Anaconda, MT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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.

The main spots that need attention: at 3.1 miles (I 94 Business): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.3 miles (I 94; US 12): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 138.7 miles (I 90; US 87; US 212): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Not recommended in a single day. At 6.7 hours each way, a round trip means 13.3 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Anaconda, 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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