Origin
Missoula, MT
Morning in Missoula on Saturday
Local time
10:01 AM
MDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Missoula, MT to Baker, MT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
10h 4m
Distance
566.3 mi
911 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$90
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
9h 55m
★
6 AM
10h 5m
8 AM
10h 23m
10 AM
10h 11m
12 PM
10h 9m
3 PM
10h 12m
5 PM
10h 22m
8 PM
9h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Missoula, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Baker, MT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Missoula, MT to Baker, MT covers 566.3 miles and takes about 10h 4m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on East Broadway Street, Van Buren Street, Jeannette Rankin Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $89.74 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
283.1 miles from Missoula, MT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 2m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
10h 4m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Long-distance drive route profile.
Drive Character
At 566.3 miles and 10h 4m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are East Broadway Street and Van Buren Street.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Broadway Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 10h 4m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. Navigation is simple, but the total wheel time makes endurance and break timing the real challenge.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
Navigation is easy, but the length (10h 4m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Missoula, MT to Baker, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Broadway Street | — | — |
| Van Buren Street | — | — |
| Jeannette Rankin Memorial Highway | — | — |
| I 94 East | — | — |
| US 12 East | — | — |
| 6th Street West | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
East Broadway Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Missoula, MT and Baker, MT.
1
Start on North Higgins Avenue
20 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Higgins Avenue
2
Turn left onto East Broadway Street
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
East Broadway Street
3
Turn left onto Van Buren Street
436 ft
·
6 sec
·
Van Buren Street
4
Take the exit right
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
5
Merge slight left onto Jeannette Rankin Memorial Highway
115 mi
·
1 hr 49 min
·
Jeannette Rankin Memorial Highway
6
Keep slight right
111 mi
·
1 hr 51 min
7
Continue straight
6.9 mi
·
6 min
8
Continue straight
113 mi
·
1 hr 53 min
9
Continue straight
3.1 mi
·
3 min
10
Keep slight left to continue on I 94 East: Bismark
140 mi
·
2 hr 25 min
·
I 94 East: Bismark
11
Take the exit slight right toward US 12 East: Miles City, Baker
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
US 12 East: Miles City, Baker
12
Turn right
76 mi
·
1 hr 52 min
13
Turn right onto 6th Street West
328 ft
·
15 sec
·
6th Street West
14
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 283.1 miles from Missoula, MT, or about 5h 2m 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 125 miles or 2h 13m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 283.1 miles or 5h 2m 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 283.1 miles or 5h 2m
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 9h
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Baker, MT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Missoula, 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.
+
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 Missoula, MT
Aim for roughly 283 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Baker, MT
Aim for roughly 283 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 125 miles from Missoula, MT.
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 283.1 mi from Missoula, MT · 5h 2m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
187 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
374 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 Billings, MTOvernight Options
Night 1
283 mi · about 5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Livingston, MT after about 283 miles or 5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 125 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 283.1 miles from Missoula, MT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 283 miles or 5 hours on the road.
Arriving in Baker, MT
The final approach into Baker, MT 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 Baker, MT.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Baker, MT 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
$89.74 one way
$179.48 round trip
$4.03/gal
25.4 MPG avg
198 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.22 | $94.06 | $188.13 |
| premium | $4.53 | $101.02 | $202.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $125.03 | $250.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$90
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$220–$330
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 198.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $59 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 169.9 | 2 | $59.46 | $27.18 |
| Efficient EV | 141.6 | 1 | $49.55 | $22.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 226.5 | 2 | $79.28 | $36.24 |
Gas CO2
198 kg
EV CO2
66 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 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.
Destination
Baker, MT
Morning in Baker on Saturday
Local time
10:01 AM
MDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
74°F
Whitehall, MT
187 mi in
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
7 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
10h 4m 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 Missoula, MT to Baker, MT covers 566.3 miles and takes about 10h 4m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Broadway Street, Van Buren Street, Jeannette Rankin Memorial Highway. 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 283 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 283.1 miles from Missoula, MT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $89.74 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.
Navigation is easy, but the length (10h 4m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Missoula, MT to Baker, MT is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Missoula, MT to Baker, MT does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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