Next 7 departures
- TueOct 13
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 47–55°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Minneapolis7 AM CDT Cloudy55°F Mankato8:30 AM CDT Mostly cloudy54°F Worthington10 AM CDT Partly sunny55°F Sioux Falls11 AM CDT Partly sunny55°F Mitchell11:45 AM CDT Mostly cloudy55°F Chamberlain12:45 PM CDT Mostly cloudy52°F Kadoka1:15 PM MDT Partly sunny49°F Rapid City2:30 PM MDT Slight chance of light rain47°F - WedOct 14
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 49–56°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Minneapolis7 AM CDT Partly sunny49°F Mankato8:30 AM CDT Mostly sunny51°F Worthington10 AM CDT Mostly sunny52°F Sioux Falls11 AM CDT Mostly sunny53°F Mitchell11:45 AM CDT Mostly sunny54°F Chamberlain12:45 PM CDT Mostly sunny55°F Kadoka1:15 PM MDT Partly sunny56°F Rapid City2:30 PM MDT Chance of light rain54°F - ThuOct 15
HighGusts to 46 mph near Rapid City around 2:30 PM MDT. Also at 1 other checkpoint.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Minneapolis7 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers48°F Mankato8:30 AM CDT Light rain showers likely50°F Worthington10 AM CDT Light rain showers likely53°F Sioux Falls11 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers53°F Mitchell11:45 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers55°F Chamberlain12:45 PM CDT Chance of light rain showers56°F Kadoka1:15 PM MDT Partly sunny58°F Rapid City2:30 PM MDT Mostly sunny57°F - FriOct 16
CautionGusts to 33 mph near Minneapolis around 7 AM CDT. Also at 3 other checkpoints.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Minneapolis7 AM CDT Partly sunny44°F Mankato8:30 AM CDT Partly sunny43°F Worthington10 AM CDT Partly sunny43°F Sioux Falls11 AM CDT Mostly sunny44°F Mitchell11:45 AM CDT Mostly sunny46°F Chamberlain12:45 PM CDT Mostly sunny49°F Kadoka1:15 PM MDT Sunny54°F Rapid City2:30 PM MDT Sunny60°F - SatOct 17
CautionGusts to 33 mph near Mitchell around 11:45 AM CDT. Also at 1 other checkpoint.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Minneapolis7 AM CDT Areas frost37°F Mankato8:30 AM CDT Areas frost37°F Worthington10 AM CDT Mostly sunny45°F Sioux Falls11 AM CDT Mostly sunny46°F Mitchell11:45 AM CDT Mostly sunny53°F Chamberlain12:45 PM CDT Mostly sunny60°F Kadoka1:15 PM MDT Sunny70°F Rapid City2:30 PM MDT Sunny74°F - SunOct 18
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 46–73°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Minneapolis7 AM CDT Mostly sunny46°F Mankato8:30 AM CDT Mostly sunny47°F Worthington10 AM CDT Mostly sunny53°F Sioux Falls11 AM CDT Mostly sunny55°F Mitchell11:45 AM CDT Mostly sunny60°F Chamberlain12:45 PM CDT Mostly sunny65°F Kadoka1:15 PM MDT Mostly sunny71°F Rapid City2:30 PM MDT Sunny73°F - MonOct 19
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 47–71°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Minneapolis7 AM CDT Mostly sunny47°F Mankato8:30 AM CDT Mostly sunny49°F Worthington10 AM CDT Mostly sunny56°F Sioux Falls11 AM CDT Mostly sunny56°F Mitchell11:45 AM CDT Mostly sunny60°F Chamberlain12:45 PM CDT Mostly sunny63°F Kadoka1:15 PM MDT Sunny70°F Rapid City2:30 PM MDT Sunny71°F
The worst conditions expected at any checkpoint, timed to when you would reach it driving without stops. Levels use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
The route, stop by stop
Checkpoints in order, with driving time from Minneapolis (no stops) and elevation. The forecast above is timed to these.
- Minneapolis, MNStart 840 ftelevation
- Mankato, MNMile 81 · 1 h 27 min 784 ftelevation
- Worthington, MNMile 176 · 3 h 3 min 1,595 ftelevation
- Sioux Falls, SDMile 233 · 3 h 53 min 1,427 ftelevation
- Mitchell, SDMile 300 · 4 h 47 min 1,304 ftelevation
- Chamberlain, SDMile 368 · 5 h 41 min 1,408 ftelevation
- Kadoka, SDMile 481 · 7 h 10 min 2,461 ftelevation
- Rapid City, SDMile 577 · 8 h 30 min 3,236 ftelevation
Typical weather by month
Average daily highs and lows, and days with an inch or more of snow, at Minneapolis, Worthington and Rapid City.
| Month | Minneapolis Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport station · 872 ft | Worthington 1,570 ft | Rapid City 3,379 ft | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High / low °F | Snow days | High / low °F | Snow days | High / low °F | Snow days | |
| Jan | 24° / 9° | 3.3 | 23° / 5° | 3.7 | 37° / 16° | 2.1 |
| Feb | 29° / 13° | 2.8 | 27° / 10° | 3.8 | 38° / 18° | 2.6 |
| Mar | 42° / 25° | 2.4 | 40° / 21° | 2.1 | 47° / 26° | 3.0 |
| Apr | 57° / 38° | 0.8 | 55° / 33° | 1.3 | 55° / 34° | 2.4 |
| May | 69° / 50° | 0 | 68° / 46° | 0.1 | 65° / 45° | 0.5 |
| Jun | 79° / 60° | 0 | 78° / 57° | 0 | 76° / 55° | 0 |
| Jul | 83° / 65° | 0 | 82° / 61° | 0 | 84° / 62° | 0 |
| Aug | 81° / 63° | 0 | 79° / 58° | 0 | 83° / 60° | 0 |
| Sep | 73° / 54° | 0 | 73° / 49° | 0 | 74° / 51° | 0 |
| Oct | 58° / 41° | 0.1 | 59° / 36° | 0.4 | 59° / 38° | 1.2 |
| Nov | 42° / 28° | 1.9 | 42° / 23° | 2.0 | 47° / 27° | 1.8 |
| Dec | 29° / 15° | 3.3 | 28° / 12° | 3.5 | 38° / 19° | 2.1 |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL AP (USW00014922, 872 ft); WORTHINGTON 2 NNE (USC00219170, 1,570 ft); RAPID CITY WFO (USC00396948, 3,379 ft). Snow days are days with at least 1 inch of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Road conditions
Closures and chain rules change by the hour, so we link to the official reports for Minnesota and South Dakota rather than repeat them.
- Minnesota · MnDOT511MN road conditions
- South Dakota · SDDOTSD511 road conditions
Check the official National Weather Service forecast and each state's road report before you leave.
Get alerts timed to where you’ll be when you get there
Road Travel plans the drive from Minneapolis to Rapid City with the forecast at every stretch for the hour you’ll reach it, then warns you about weather ahead while you drive.
Questions about this drive
How long is the drive from Minneapolis to Rapid City?
577 miles, about 8½ hours of driving without stops, by way of US-169 and I-90. Fuel, food and rest stops add to that.
What is the highest point on the drive?
Rapid City, at 3,236 ft. It comes at mile 577, about 8 h 30 min of driving after you leave Minneapolis.
Does it snow at Rapid City in November?
Rapid City averages 6.5 inches of snow in November, with about 2 days of 1 inch or more (1991–2020 normals).