How far is Rapid City, SD from Mesa, AZ?
The driving distance from Rapid City, SD to Mesa, AZ is about 1257.5 miles (2023.7 km), with a travel time of about 22h 34m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 867.9 miles (1396.7 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 45h 08m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM MST.
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.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
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 22h 34m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
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.
City in New Mexico
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Mostly Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Rapid City and Mesa.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rapid City and Mesa.
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1
Start on Mount Rushmore Road
9 m · 5 sec · Mount Rushmore Road
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2
Turn right onto Saint Joseph Street
2.4 mi · 6 min · Saint Joseph Street
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3
Continue on Cambell Street
2448 ft · 54 sec · Cambell Street
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4
Turn straight onto Cambell Street
1.5 mi · 2 min · Cambell Street
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5
Continue on South Highway 79
13.6 mi · 16 min · South Highway 79
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6
Continue on North Heartland Expressway
2172 ft · 34 sec · North Heartland Expressway
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7
Continue on South Highway 79
8.1 mi · 9 min · South Highway 79
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8
Continue on SD Highway 79
9.7 mi · 10 min · SD Highway 79
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9
Continue on Highway 79
9.5 mi · 10 min · Highway 79
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10
Continue on SD Highway 79
6.2 mi · 7 min · SD Highway 79
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11
Turn right onto Fall River Road
4 mi · 5 min · Fall River Road
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12
Continue on Jensen Highway
905 ft · 28 sec · Jensen Highway
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13
Turn left onto Indianapolis Avenue
1.2 km · 1 min · Indianapolis Avenue
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14
Continue on Highway 18 Bypass
1.1 mi · 2 min · Highway 18 Bypass
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15
At the end of the road, turn left onto Highway 18 West
1069 ft · 14 sec · Highway 18 West
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16
Continue on US Highway 18
44.8 mi · 52 min · US Highway 18
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17
Turn left onto US Highway 85
45.8 mi · 49 min · US Highway 85
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18
Continue on North Main Street
1.4 km · 2 min · North Main Street
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19
Turn right onto West 8th Street
882 ft · 25 sec · West 8th Street
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20
Continue on US Highway 20
23.3 mi · 25 min · US Highway 20
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21
Continue on US Highway 18/20
18.4 mi · 20 min · US Highway 18/20
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22
Take the exit left
198 mi · 3 hr 13 min
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23
Keep slight right to continue on North Valley Highway
8.8 mi · 11 min · North Valley Highway
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24
Keep slight right to continue on North Valley Highway
70.1 mi · 1 hr 18 min · North Valley Highway
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25
Continue on Monument Valley Freeway
8.8 mi · 10 min · Monument Valley Freeway
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26
Continue on Ronald Reagan Highway
915 ft · 12 sec · Ronald Reagan Highway
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27
Keep slight left to continue on Ronald Reagan Highway
22.7 mi · 23 min · Ronald Reagan Highway
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28
Continue on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
12.9 mi · 13 min · John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
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29
Continue on North Freeway
2.6 mi · 3 min · North Freeway
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30
Take the exit slight right toward 29th Street
2351 ft · 33 sec
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31
Merge slight left onto North Freeway
1 mi · 1 min · North Freeway
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32
Take the exit slight right toward 13th Street
792 ft · 12 sec
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33
Continue straight
1189 ft · 18 sec
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34
Merge slight left onto North Freeway
6.1 mi · 8 min · North Freeway
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35
Continue on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
327.1 mi · 5 hr 33 min · John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
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36
Take the exit slight right toward I 40: Gallup, Santa Rosa
987 ft · 24 sec
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37
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 West: Gallup
2389 ft · 45 sec
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38
Merge slight left onto Coronado Freeway
231.1 mi · 3 hr 54 min · Coronado Freeway
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39
Take the exit slight right toward I 40 Business, AZ 77 South, AZ 377 South, US 180 East: Show Low, Heber
1930 ft · 50 sec
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40
Turn left onto Navajo Boulevard
1.2 mi · 2 min · Navajo Boulevard
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41
Continue on Holbrook-Springerville Highway
2841 ft · 57 sec · Holbrook-Springerville Highway
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42
Continue on Show Low-Holbrook Highway
1.6 mi · 2 min · Show Low-Holbrook Highway
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43
Turn right onto Heber Road
30.9 mi · 36 min · Heber Road
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44
Turn straight onto Heber-Holbrook Highway
2.9 mi · 4 min · Heber-Holbrook Highway
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45
At the end of the road, turn right onto West 3rd Street North
4.9 mi · 7 min · West 3rd Street North
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46
Continue on Highway 277
1.9 mi · 3 min · Highway 277
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47
At the end of the road, turn right onto Highway 260
1036 ft · 20 sec · Highway 260
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48
Continue on Hwy 260
15.9 mi · 22 min · Hwy 260
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49
Continue on Payson-Heber Highway
12.7 mi · 18 min · Payson-Heber Highway
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50
Continue on Payson-Show Low Highway
24.2 mi · 31 min · Payson-Show Low Highway
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51
Turn left onto South Beeline Highway
68.6 mi · 1 hr 22 min · South Beeline Highway
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52
Turn left onto North Gilbert Road
6.2 mi · 10 min · North Gilbert Road
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53
Turn left onto East Main Street
2 mi · 3 min · East Main Street
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54
Turn right onto South Val Vista Drive
1.4 km · 2 min · South Val Vista Drive
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55
Turn left onto East Drummer Avenue
149 m · 19 sec · East Drummer Avenue
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56
At the end of the road, turn right onto South 37th Street
118 m · 19 sec · South 37th Street
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57
Turn left onto East Diamond Avenue
744 ft · 27 sec · East Diamond Avenue
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58
Continue on South Diamond Avenue
12 m · 1 sec · South Diamond Avenue
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59
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · South Diamond Avenue
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Rapid City and Mesa.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Continue on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
327 mi · 05h 33m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
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.
Mostly Sunny leaving Rapid City and Sunny near Mesa.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Rapid City to Mesa?
The road trip is about 1257.5 miles (2023.7 km) and usually takes 22h 34m 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?
Raton is a useful midpoint, sitting about 626.2 miles from Rapid City and 631.3 miles from Mesa.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 867.9 miles (1396.7 km), while the road route adds roughly 389.6 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 MST. 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 $176.24 one way or $352.48 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 394.3 kg one way.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Mostly Sunny around Rapid City and Sunny near Mesa.
Stop Ideas Near Raton
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Raton.
Raton
Trinidad
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Rapid City and Mesa. Straight-line distance: 867.88 mi (1396.71 km).
#1 Rapid City
The second most populous city in South Dakota.
| Population | 77,503 |
| Coordinates | 44.0805400, -103.2310100 |
| Altitude | 988 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Mesa
Suburb city of Phoenix, located in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
| Population | 0 |
| Coordinates | 33.4017142, -111.7495822 |
| Altitude | 388 |
| Country | United States |
End: Mesa (-111.749582, 33.401714)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 2024 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 41h 53m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 31h 26m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 25h 08m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 20h 57m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 17h 57m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 15h 41m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $3.97 | $176.24 | $352.48 |
| Mid-grade | $4.22 | $187.37 | $374.75 |
| Premium | $4.75 | $210.67 | $421.34 |
| Diesel | $5.92 | $262.63 | $525.25 |
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 South Dakota · Nov 08, 2026