How far is Great Falls, MT from Libby, MT?

The driving distance from Great Falls, MT to Libby, MT is about 312.7 miles (503.3 km), with a travel time of about 06h 05m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 206.2 miles (331.9 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 12h 11m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM MDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
312.73 mi
06h 05m
Flight
206.25 mi
331.92 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Great Falls.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
206.25 mi
Kilometers
331.92 km
Flight Time
00h 24m

Driving Distance

Road route
312.73 mi
Kilometers
503.29 km
Drive Time
06h 05m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 06h 05m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Libby
Thu, Apr 23, 2:43 AM MDT
Return by in Great Falls
Thu, Apr 23, 8:49 AM MDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Great Falls
2026-04-22T20:38
Arrive Libby
Thu, Apr 23, 2:43 AM MDT
Route Timing
06h 05m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM MDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
12:06 PM to 1:36 PM MDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
11:48 PM MDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Great Falls
8:00 PM MDT
Overnight-style route

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Ferndale
MT

Town in Lake County, Florida, United States

From Great Falls
156.2 mi
03h 02m
To Libby
156.6 mi
03h 02m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
70°F
Wednesday

Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Wed, Apr 22 6:00 AM MDT
Wind
6 to 21 mph W
Destination
59°F
Wednesday

Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Wed, Apr 22 6:00 AM MDT
Wind
3 mph WSW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Great Falls and Libby.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Great Falls and Libby.

  1. 1

    Start on 4th Street South

    49 m · 9 sec · 4th Street South

  2. 2

    Turn right onto 5th Avenue South

    862 ft · 40 sec · 5th Avenue South

  3. 3

    At the end of the road, turn right onto 2nd Street South

    686 ft · 24 sec · 2nd Street South

  4. 4

    Turn left onto 3rd Avenue South

    683 ft · 20 sec · 3rd Avenue South

  5. 5

    At the end of the road, turn right onto River Drive South

    2365 ft · 49 sec · River Drive South

  6. 6

    Turn left onto First Avenue North Bridge

    1148 ft · 27 sec · First Avenue North Bridge

  7. 7

    Continue on Central Avenue West

    1.4 mi · 2 min · Central Avenue West

  8. 8

    Take the exit right

    1311 ft · 32 sec

  9. 9

    Merge slight left onto First Special Service Force Memorial Highway

    9.4 mi · 9 min · First Special Service Force Memorial Highway

  10. 10

    Take the exit slight right

    8.3 mi · 10 min

  11. 11

    Turn right

    32.2 mi · 36 min

  12. 12

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward West Division Street

    157 m · 18 sec · West Division Street

  13. 13

    Exit the rotary onto West Division Street

    44 m · 5 sec · West Division Street

  14. 14

    Turn slight right onto Main Avenue North

    6 mi · 8 min · Main Avenue North

  15. 15

    Continue on 13th Lane Northwest

    12.9 mi · 15 min · 13th Lane Northwest

  16. 16

    Continue on United States Highway 89

    49.2 mi · 53 min · United States Highway 89

  17. 17

    At the end of the road, turn left

    3.9 mi · 7 min

  18. 18

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward the route

    75 m · 4 sec

  19. 19

    Exit the roundabout

    72.3 mi · 1 hr 20 min

  20. 20

    Turn right

    842 ft · 1 min

  21. 21

    At the end of the road, turn left onto Old US 2

    1930 ft · 1 min · Old US 2

  22. 22

    Turn right onto US Route 2

    7.5 mi · 10 min · US Route 2

  23. 23

    Continue on US 2

    1.7 mi · 2 min · US 2

  24. 24

    Turn left

    9.7 mi · 12 min

  25. 25

    At the end of the road, turn right

    5.7 mi · 8 min

  26. 26

    Continue on US Route 2

    1.2 mi · 2 min · US Route 2

  27. 27

    Continue on East Idaho Street

    3.6 mi · 8 min · East Idaho Street

  28. 28

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route

    29 m · 1 sec

  29. 29

    Exit the roundabout

    85.7 mi · 1 hr 37 min

  30. 30

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · West 9th Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Great Falls and Libby.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
30 steps
19 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
9
1 merges, 8 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
9.6 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
United States Highway 89
122 mi · 39%
East Idaho Street
89.3 mi · 29%
First Special Service Force Memorial Highway
17.7 mi · 6%
13th Lane Northwest
12.9 mi · 4%
US Route 2
8.73 mi · 3%
Main Avenue North
6.04 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

East Idaho Street

Exit the roundabout

85.7 mi · 01h 37m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

Better with a longer stop

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

Drive Time
06h 05m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
12h 12m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+106.5 mi
206.2 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Ferndale
03h 02m from Great Falls
Leave By
11:48 PM MDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely leaving Great Falls and Showers And Thunderstorms near Libby.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Great Falls to Libby?

The road trip is about 312.7 miles (503.3 km) and usually takes 06h 05m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Ferndale is a useful midpoint, sitting about 156.2 miles from Great Falls and 156.6 miles from Libby.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 206.2 miles (331.9 km), while the road route adds roughly 106.5 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM MDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $42.94 one way or $85.88 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 98 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely around Great Falls and Showers And Thunderstorms near Libby.

Stop Ideas Near Ferndale

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Ferndale, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Ferndale.

RAIL

Essex

39 mi away
290 Izaak Walton Inn Rd
RAIL

Whitefish station

47 mi away
500 Depot Street
RAIL

West Glacier

50 mi away
Hwy 2 and Going-to-the-Sun Rd.
RAIL

East Glacier Park

73 mi away
400 Highway 49 North

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Great Falls and Libby. Straight-line distance: 206.25 mi (331.92 km).

Great Falls

#1 Great Falls

Town in Cascade County, Montana, United States

Population58,353
Coordinates47.5002400, -111.3008100
Altitude1015
CountryUnited States
Libby

#2 Libby

City in Montana, United States

Population2,845
Coordinates48.3882900, -115.5560000
Altitude639
CountryUnited States
Start: Great Falls (-111.30081, 47.50024)
End: Libby (-115.556, 48.38829)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 503 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)10h 25m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)07h 49m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)06h 15m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)05h 12m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)04h 28m
80 mph (129 km/h)03h 54m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
11.03 gal
41.77 L · about $42.94
Round trip
$85.88
22.06 gal · 83.54 L
Estimated CO2
98 kg one way
Round trip: 196 kg / 432 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.89 $42.94 $85.88
Mid-grade $4.23 $46.67 $93.34
Premium $4.55 $50.18 $100.35
Diesel $5.41 $59.69 $119.39

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Montana · Apr 23, 2026

There is no time difference between Great Falls and Libby. The current time is 20:38:03.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.