Origin
Spearfish, SD
Night in Spearfish on Friday
Local time
10:32 PM
MDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Spearfish, SD to Lead, SD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
18.3 mi
30 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Spearfish, SD
Wikimedia Commons
Lead, SD
Patrick
Trip Overview
The drive from Spearfish, SD to Lead, SD covers 18.3 miles and takes about 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US Highway 85, I 90, East Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.5 miles on US Highway 85. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 24m highway drive covering 18.3 miles, with most of the trip on US Highway 85 and I 90. The longest continuous stretch is about 7.5 miles on US Highway 85.
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.
US Highway 85 is the longest continuous segment at about 7.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 85 and I 90. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Jackson Boulevard.
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 24m 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: near the start (East Jackson Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.1 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Jackson Boulevard
Turn right onto East Jackson Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 90 East, US 85 South
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 East, US 85 South
5
6.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 85
Take the exit onto US 85 toward US 85 South: Deadwood, Lead
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 85 South: Deadwood, Lead
4
6.4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 85 / US Highway 85
Turn right onto US 85 / US Highway 85
Navigation decision point
5
13.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 14A; US 85 / Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 14A; US 85 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US Highway 85 | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| I 90 | 5.2 mi | 5m |
| East Main Street | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Cliff Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Sherman Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| East Jackson Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Pioneer Way | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US Highway 85
— 7.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Spearfish, SD and Lead, SD.
1
Start on I 90 Business
85 ft
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Continue on I 90 Business
166 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Main Street
3
Turn right onto East Jackson Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Jackson Boulevard
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 90 East, US 85 South
5
Merge onto I 90; US 14; US 85
5.2 mi
·
5 min
·
I 90; US 14; US 85
6
Take the exit onto US 85
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
US 85
Toward US 85 South: Deadwood, Lead
7
Turn right onto US 85
7.3 mi
·
8 min
·
US Highway 85
8
At end of road, turn right onto US 14A; US 85
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
9
Continue on US 14A; US 85
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
Pioneer Way
10
Turn left onto US 85
410 ft
·
9 sec
·
Pine Street
11
Turn right onto US 85
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
Sherman Street
12
Continue on US 85
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Cliff Street
13
Continue on US 85
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
·
US Highway 85
14
Continue on US 85
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
15
Turn right
102 ft
·
7 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.86 one way
$5.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.14 | $6.28 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.52 | $7.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.04 | $8.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.56 | $1.17 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Lead, SD
Night in Lead on Friday
Local time
10:32 PM
MDT
Current temp
45°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
28 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
24m 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 Spearfish, SD to Lead, SD covers 18.3 miles and takes about 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US Highway 85, I 90, East Main Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.2 miles from Spearfish, SD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.86 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 24m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Jackson Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.1 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Spearfish, SD to Lead, SD 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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