Origin
Rapid Valley, SD
Night in Rapid Valley on Thursday
Local time
11:24 PM
MDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rapid Valley, SD to Box Elder, SD
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
12m
Distance
7.5 mi
12 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Box Elder, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Rapid Valley, SD to Box Elder, SD covers 7.5 miles and takes about 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Highway 1416, Elk Vale Road, I 90 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 2.1 miles on Highway 1416. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.17 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 12m. Total distance: 7.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Rapid Valley, SD to Box Elder, SD covers 7.5 miles and takes about 12m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Highway 1416 is the longest continuous segment at about 2.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Walnut Street.
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 12m 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 0.2 miles (Walnut Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (Twilight Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Jolly Lane): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Walnut Street
At end of road, turn left onto Walnut Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Twilight Drive
Turn left onto Twilight Drive
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Jolly Lane
Turn right onto Jolly Lane
Navigation decision point
5
4.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Box Elder, Elisworth AirForce Base, Commercial Gate
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Box Elder, Elisworth AirForce Base, Comm...
5
7.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Front Street
Turn right onto Front Street
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Rapid Valley, SD and Box Elder, SD, road signs point toward Elisworth Airforce Base and Commercial Gate.
Elisworth Airforce Base
4.7 mi in
|
~8m
Commercial Gate
4.7 mi in
|
~8m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 1416 | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Elk Vale Road | 2 mi | 2m |
| I 90 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Twilight Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Sweetbriar Street | 0.2 mi | 1m |
| Jubilee Lane | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Peanut Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Jolly Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 1416
— 2.1 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rapid Valley, SD and Box Elder, SD.
1
Start on Sweetbriar Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Sweetbriar Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto Walnut Street
192 ft
·
8 sec
·
Walnut Street
3
Continue on Peanut Lane
511 ft
·
27 sec
·
Peanut Lane
4
Turn left onto Twilight Drive
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Twilight Drive
5
Turn right onto Jolly Lane
397 ft
·
15 sec
·
Jolly Lane
6
Turn left onto Jubilee Lane
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Jubilee Lane
7
Turn right onto US 16 Truck; SD 79
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Elk Vale Road
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
9
Merge onto I 90; US 14
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
I 90; US 14
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Box Elder, Elisworth AirForce Base, Commercial Gate
11
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
this road
Toward Box Elder, Elisworth AirForce Base, Commercial Gate
12
Continue on Highway 1416
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 1416
13
Turn right onto Oak Street
365 ft
·
18 sec
·
Oak Street
14
Turn right onto Front Street
94 ft
·
4 sec
·
Front Street
15
Arrive at destination
Front Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.17 one way
$2.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.29 | $2.57 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.44 | $2.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.66 | $3.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.79 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.66 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Box Elder, SD
Night in Box Elder on Thursday
Local time
11:24 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
34 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
12m 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 Rapid Valley, SD to Box Elder, SD covers 7.5 miles and takes about 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Highway 1416, Elk Vale Road, I 90. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.7 miles from Rapid Valley, SD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.17 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 is a straightforward 12m 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 0.2 miles (Walnut Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (Twilight Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Jolly Lane): Navigation decision point.
Between Rapid Valley, SD and Box Elder, SD, road signs point toward Elisworth Airforce Base and Commercial Gate.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
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