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Create accountDrive Time
8h 34m
Distance
451.8 mi
727 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$72
one way
EV Charging
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station data
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Priest River, ID
cottonbro studio
Caldwell, ID
Liliana Drew
The drive from Priest River, ID to Caldwell, ID covers 451.8 miles and takes about 8h 34m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Old Oregon Trail Highway, Thomas S. Foley Memorial Highway, I 90 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 215.2 miles on Old Oregon Trail Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $71.59 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
225.9 miles from Priest River, ID
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 30m into the drive .
Expect a 8h 34m drive with frequent turns across 451.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
Total Climb
4,243 ft
Total Descent
4,031 ft
Highest Point
3,941 ft
~357.7 mi in
Elevation Range
3,507 ft
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 4th Street.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
This is a demanding drive. With 29 significant decision points across 451.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 115.9 miles (US 395 / Thomas S. Foley Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 192 miles (US 395 / Lewis and Clark Trail): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn right onto 4th Street
Navigation decision point
Keep slight right at fork onto US 395 / Thomas S. Foley Memorial Highway toward Ritzville, Pasco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto US 395 / Lewis and Clark Trail toward US 395: Kennewick, Pendleton, Columbia Basin College, Tri Cities Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto US 395 toward US 395 south, US 730: Umatilla, Hermiston, Irrigon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward City Center, 10th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Between Priest River, ID and Caldwell, ID, road signs point toward Ritzville, Pasco, Pendleton, Columbia Basin College, Tri Cities Airport and Hermiston - among others.
Ritzville
Pasco
Pendleton
Columbia Basin College
Tri Cities Airport
Hermiston
Irrigon
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Old Oregon Trail Highway | 215.2 mi | 3h 48m |
| Thomas S. Foley Memorial Highway | 73.7 mi | 1h 19m |
| I 90 | 61.8 mi | 1h 7m |
| South Washington Avenue | 37.3 mi | 49m |
| Lewis and Clark Trail Highway | 23.7 mi | 26m |
| Umatilla-Stanfield Highway | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| Albeni Road | 6.4 mi | 10m |
| Lewis and Clark Trail | 5.7 mi | 7m |
Step-by-step road directions between Priest River, ID and Caldwell, ID.
Start on Summit Boulevard
Turn right onto 4th Street
Turn right onto US 2
Turn left onto US 2
Keep slight right at fork onto US 2
Take the exit
Merge onto US 395 Future
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto East Wellesley Avenue
Turn left onto North Haven Street
Continue on North Haven Place
Turn straight onto North Market Street
Turn left onto East Grace Avenue
Continue on North Greene Street
Turn straight onto North Freya Way
Continue on North Freya Street
Continue on South Thor Place
Turn right onto East 2nd Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 90
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; US 395
Keep slight right at fork onto US 395
Take the exit onto US 395
Merge onto I 182; US 12; US 395
Keep slight right at fork onto US 395
Continue on US 395
Continue on US 395
Take the exit onto US 395
Keep slight left at fork onto US 395
Turn left onto US 395; US 730
Turn right onto US 395
Continue on US 395
Turn left onto East Theater Lane
Turn right onto Northeast 4th Street
Turn left onto US 395
Continue on US 395
Continue on US 395
Take the exit onto US 395
Merge onto I 84; US 30; US 395
Continue on I 84; US 20; US 26; US 30
Take the exit
Turn right onto North 10th Avenue
Turn left
Turn right
Arrive at destination
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.
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 99 miles or 2h 8m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 225.9 miles or 4h 30m 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 225.9 miles or 4h 30m
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 29m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Caldwell, ID than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Priest River, 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 Priest River, ID
Aim for roughly 226 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Caldwell, ID
Aim for roughly 226 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 225.9 mi from Priest River, ID · 4h 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
226 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 Hermiston, ORNight 1
226 mi · about 4.3h in
A practical overnight split lands near Hermiston, OR after about 226 miles or 4.3 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 99 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 225.9 miles from Priest River, ID, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Old Oregon Trail Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 215.2 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 226 miles or 4.3 hours on the road.
The final approach into Caldwell, 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 Caldwell, ID.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Caldwell, ID with some flexibility left in the schedule.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$71.59 one way
$143.19 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.23 | $75.26 | $150.52 |
| premium | $4.53 | $80.56 | $161.12 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $100.37 | $200.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$72
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$202–$312
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 158.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $47 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 135.5 | 1 | $47.44 | $21.69 |
| Efficient EV | 113 | 1 | $39.53 | $18.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 180.7 | 2 | $63.25 | $28.92 |
Gas CO2
158 kg
EV CO2
53 kg (66% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Priest River on Sunday
Local time
4:40 PM
PDT
Current temp
42°F
Patchy Fog
Destination
Evening in Caldwell on Sunday
Local time
5:40 PM
MDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
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
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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