Driving From Billings Montana To Dickinson North Dakota
I know this stretch because I have driven it more times than I care to count. The route runs roughly 220 miles northeast from Billings through Glendive and then up to Dickinson. It is mostly I-94 the entire way, which sounds convenient until you realize how much open highway there is between towns. Cell service drops out for chunks. Gas stations sometimes sit 40 miles apart once you leave the interstate proper. The standard routing is simple enough: take I-94 east out of Billings, stay on it through Glendive, touch down in Miles City briefly if you need fuel, then keep going until Dickinson appears on the right. Total drive time sits around 3 hours 15 minutes under normal conditions. Weather changes that number fast. Here is the thing nobody tells you about this route. The wind gusts coming off the prairie can push a light truck sideways at 80 miles per hour. I learned this the hard way in October of 2022 when a crosswind hit me just outside Glendive. My Honda Accord was barely holding the lane. I had to grip the wheel with both hands and slow to 55 until the gusts passed. The same thing happens in spring when temperature swings hit 30 degrees in a single afternoon. Ice patches form on the north side of overpasses and stay there while the rest of the road looks dry.
Fuel strategy matters more than most people expect. You have full service in Billings. Then it thins out. Glendive has options but the prices are 15 to 20 cents higher per gallon than what you paid in Billings. Miles City sits halfway and has the usual truck stop pricing. Dickinson will fill you up but again at a premium. Keep your tank above half after leaving Billings. Do not wait until the light comes on. The dead zone between Glendive and Dickinson stretches about 90 miles with no stations worth stopping at. Food stops break into two categories. Real restaurants exist in Glendive and Miles City but the hours are restrictive. Most close by 9 PM and some do not open until 11 AM. Dickinson has decent options near the interstate exit but expect a 15 minute wait during shift change at the nearby oil fields. I usually pack snacks and just push through. The alternative is eating at a truck stop diner where the coffee tastes like it has been sitting since morning. Weather windows dictate whether this drive takes 3 hours or 5 hours. Winter storms roll in fast and often without warning. A whiteout can reduce visibility to 50 feet while traffic keeps moving at 70. I got caught in one near Glendive in January 2021. Took me 4 hours to cover the distance that normally takes 3. Keep an emergency kit in the trunk. Blanket, flashlight, first aid supplies, water, and a phone charger. Not because you will need them every time. Because when you do need them, help is hours away.
Cell coverage is spotty along this corridor. Band 12 and Band 17 drop out between Glendive and Miles City. Then you get spotty coverage again past Dickinson until you reach larger towns. I usually download offline maps before leaving Billings. Google Maps works fine if you preload the area. The same goes for any navigation app. Without data you are navigating by landmarks which works until the landmarks change. One counter-intuitive insight about this route. The fastest time is not always the best time. Driving through the afternoon means fighting head-on traffic from oil field shifts. Dickinson processes trucks pulling out of Wyoming and Colorado heading east. That traffic spike happens between 6 AM and 8 AM and again between 4 PM and 6 PM. Leave Billings at 9 AM and you might arrive by noon with clear roads. Leave at 6 AM and you sit in congestion the entire way. Another detail people miss. The speed limit changes frequently along I-94. It drops to 65 near Glendive and then back to 75 once you pass through. Radar traps exist but they are rare. The real enforcement comes from state police doing spot checks near exits. I once got pulled over just outside Dickinson for doing 82 in a 75 zone. Fine was $120 plus court fees. Worth the 5 mph.
Get the Full Details
Gas prices vary by station brand on this route. Shell and Phillips 66 run slightly higher than the independent stations. The difference is about 8 to 12 cents per gallon but it adds up over 220 miles. I usually fill up at the Costco in Billings before leaving if they have it open. Same goes for any bulk purchase. The travel centers along I-94 charge premium for convenience. One edge case worth mentioning. Road construction season runs from April through September. I-94 narrows to one lane in sections near Glendive and occasionally past Miles City. Delays range from 10 minutes to 45 minutes depending on the scale. I learned to check the Montana Department of Transportation website before leaving. Same for North Dakota DOT once you cross the border. Planning around construction usually cuts delay time from 30 minutes to under 5 minutes. Altitude changes are minimal along this route. Billings sits around 3,000 feet. Dickinson sits around 2,100 feet. The net change is about 900 feet lower which matters if you have respiratory issues. Most people do not notice. The wind factor is more significant than the elevation factor.
Timing recommendations depend on your purpose. Oil field workers often drive this route for shift rotations. Their schedule is rigid. Tourists have more flexibility. I recommend leaving Billings mid-morning if you want clear roads and good light for photography. The badlands scenery around Glendive is worth a stop. The same applies to any scenic byway you encounter. Digital tools help but have limitations. Waze and Google Maps give real-time traffic but update slowly in rural areas. The delay is usually 5 to 10 minutes behind actual conditions. I cross-reference with local radio stations when available. KMGZ in Glendive and KTYL in Dickinson both carry road condition reports. The same goes for any local news outlet along the corridor. One practical tip about winter driving on this route. Tire chains are not legally required but they are recommended from November through March. I carry a set even though I rarely use them. The peace of mind is worth the trunk space. The same logic applies to any emergency equipment you carry. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Rest areas along I-94 are sparse but functional. One sits just outside Glendive with restrooms and picnic tables. Another exists past Dickinson heading toward Bismarck. Both are maintained by the respective state highway departments. The Montana ones tend to be cleaner than the North Dakota ones based on my experience. No scientific reason for that observation. Just anecdotal. The route itself is straightforward geography. East from Billings then north from Glendive area toward Dickinson. The total distance is approximately 220 miles following I-94 directly. Alternative routes exist but they add time. Taking US-87 north then I-94 east adds about 30 minutes and passes through smaller towns with fewer services. Not worth the detour unless you have specific reason to visit those areas. Final thought on this corridor. It is not glamorous. It is not dramatic. It is just highway connecting two mid-size cities in the northern plains. The value is in knowing what to expect before you show up. Fuel up in Billings. Pack snacks. Download maps. Check weather. Drive carefully through wind zones. Arrive at Dickinson with your tank half full and your patience intact.
I have done this drive in snow, in heat, in wind, and in rain. Each time teaches you something new about the route. The constants are the distance, the highway number, and the general landscape. The variables are the weather, the traffic, and the condition of the road surface. Plan for the constants. Adapt to the variables. That is the practical approach to any long drive through open country.
