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Trip from Rapid City, SD to Lennox, SD

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

5h 51m

Distance

352.6 mi

567 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$55

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min
4 AM
5h 39m ★
6 AM
5h 52m
8 AM
6h 18m
10 AM
6h 1m
12 PM
5h 58m
3 PM
6h 2m
5 PM
6h 17m
8 PM
5h 44m

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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seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States

Rapid City, SD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Lennox, SD, SD

Lennox, SD

Julio Lopez

Trip Overview

The drive from Rapid City, SD to Lennox, SD covers 352.6 miles and takes about 5h 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 90, South SD Highway 17, 463rd Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 329.4 miles on I 90. At current regular gas prices, budget about $55.12 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

176.3 miles from Rapid City, SD

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 48m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 51m. Total distance: 352.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 5h 51m highway drive covering 352.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 90 and South SD Highway 17. The longest continuous stretch is about 329.4 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 16 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 329.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and South SD Highway 17. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near I 190; US 16.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 5h 51m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (I 190; US 16): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (I 190): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 331.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 190; US 16

Turn right onto I 190; US 16

Navigation decision point

6
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 190

Keep slight right at fork onto I 190 toward I 90 East: Sioux Falls

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 1B Toward I 90 East: Sioux Falls
4
331.7 mi into trip | ~5h 15m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4
336.2 mi into trip | ~5h 23m in | SD 42 / 265th Street

Turn left onto SD 42 / 265th Street

Navigation decision point

5
351.9 mi into trip | ~5h 50m in | East Boynton Avenue

Turn right onto East Boynton Avenue

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 90 329.4 mi 5h 10m
South SD Highway 17 9.6 mi 16m
463rd Avenue 4.4 mi 7m
466th Avenue 3 mi 5m
265th Street 3 mi 4m
I 190 1.5 mi 2m
North Main Street 0.4 mi <1m
East Boynton Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 90 — 329.4 mi, about 5h 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rapid City, SD and Lennox, SD.

1

Start on US 16

0.2 mi · 47 sec · Mount Rushmore Road
2

Turn left onto US 16; SD 44

0.2 mi · 38 sec · Omaha Street
3

Turn right onto I 190; US 16

1.2 mi · 1 min · I 190; US 16
4

Keep slight right at fork onto I 190

0.3 mi · 29 sec · I 190
Exit 1B Toward I 90 East: Sioux Falls
5

Continue on I 90; US 14; US 16 Truck; SD 79

329 mi · 5 hr 10 min · I 90; US 14; US 16 Truck; SD 79
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
7

Keep slight right at fork

247 ft · 6 sec
8

Turn straight onto CR 151

4.4 mi · 7 min · 463rd Avenue
9

Turn left onto SD 42

3.0 mi · 4 min · 265th Street
10

Turn right onto CR 145

3.0 mi · 5 min · 466th Avenue
11

Continue on CR 105

9.6 mi · 16 min · South SD Highway 17
12

Continue on CR 105

0.2 mi · 19 sec · North Pine Street
13

Turn right onto East Boynton Avenue

0.3 mi · 48 sec · East Boynton Avenue
14

Turn left onto North Main Street

0.4 mi · 54 sec · North Main Street
15

Turn right onto West 2nd Avenue

70 ft · 3 sec · West 2nd Avenue
16

Arrive at destination

West 2nd Avenue

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 176.3 miles from Rapid City, SD, or about 2h 48m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 329.4 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 78 miles or 1h 15m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 176.3 miles or 2h 48m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 37m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Rapid City, SD 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 Rapid City, SD

This is one driving day of about 352.6 miles and 5h 51m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 78 miles from Rapid City, SD.
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 329.4 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 176.3 mi from Rapid City, SD · 2h 48m into the drive

Downtown Fort Thompson, SD, SD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Fort Thompson, SD

176 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

Box Elder, SD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 78 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Fort Thompson, SD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 176.3 miles from Rapid City, SD, 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 329.4 miles.

Arriving in Lennox, SD

The final approach into Lennox, SD 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 Lennox, SD.

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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

National Memorial

Majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota, tell the story of the birth, growth, devel...

18 mi from route ~44 min detour Free
View on nps.gov
Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park

National Park

The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here. The...

24 mi from route ~60 min detour $30 near mile 60.8
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$55.12 one way

$110.25 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 123 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $60.53 $121.05
premium $4.89 $67.85 $135.71
diesel $5.61 $77.85 $155.70

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$55

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$80–$105

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 123.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $37 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 105.8 1 $37.02 $16.92
Efficient EV 88.2 1 $30.85 $14.10
EV Truck/SUV 141 1 $49.36 $22.57

Gas CO2

123 kg

EV CO2

41 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

Rapid City, SD

Afternoon in Rapid City on Thursday

Local time

3:17 PM

MDT

Current temp

78°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lennox, SD

Afternoon in Lennox on Thursday

Local time

4:17 PM

CDT

Current temp

48°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

1 hour later

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

30 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

5h 51m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Rapid City, SD to Lennox, SD covers 352.6 miles and takes about 5h 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 90, South SD Highway 17, 463rd 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 176.3 miles from Rapid City, SD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $55.12 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 5h 51m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (I 190; US 16): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (I 190): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 331.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Rapid City, SD to Lennox, SD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Badlands National Park.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Lennox, SD to Rapid City, SD

Plan the drive back the other way.

353.3 mi 5h 53m

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