Interstate 90 East - Billings to Hardin

U.S. 87 joins Interstate 90 for the remainder of both routes through Montana. U.S. 87 overlaps with I-90 southeast to I-25 at Buffalo, Wyoming.

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Interstate 94 begins in 2.5 miles from at a trumpet interchange (Exit 456) with I-90. Exit 455 departs next to Johnson Lane. The diamond interchange at Exit 455 serves a number of truck stops, parallel Old Hardin Road, industrial areas and oil refineries off the N Frontage Road.

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Johnson Lane leads south from Exit 455 to Hardin Road (Old U.S. 87) and north to the railroad siding of Hirsh. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was conducted for an eastern bypass connecting I-90 at Johnson Lane with Old Highway 312 (former U.S. 312) northeast of Billings. The project was spearheaded by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with three alternatives considered.

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The eastboumd mainline of I-90/U.S. 87-212 defaults onto Interstate 94 east at Exit 456 while a single lane continues Interstate 90 east to Hardin, Crow Agency and Sheridan, Wyoming.

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U.S. 212 remains alongside Interstate 90 to Exit 510 beyond Crow Agency. The route originally ended in Miles City, but was extended westward to Yellowstone National Park in 1962.¹

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I-94 leaves the Billings area to Miles City, Glendive and Bismark, North Dakota. Interstate 94 stretches 1,625 miles across the northern tier of the United States to Fargo, North Dakota, the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan.

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Interstate 90 shifts southward from Billings through Big Horn County toward the Equality State. Interests to Little Bighorn Battlefield are directed to follow U.S. 212 east beyond the separation with I-90.

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Interstate 94 parallels the Yellowstone River northeast to Exit 215 at Glendive. Both I-90 and I-94 travel through sparsely populated areas beyond Billings.

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I-90/U.S. 87-212 turn southward from Interstate 94. I-94 returns to the I-90 corridor at Tomah, Wisconsin, 1,044 miles to the east on I-90 and 1,003 miles to the east along I-94.

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Passing over Dickie Road, the speed limit on I-90/U.S. 87-212 eastbound increases to 75 miles per hour.

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Hardin, the seat of Big Horn County, is the next city along Interstate 90 east in 40 miles. Sheridan, Wyoming lies 26 miles south of the state line.

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Interstate 90 gains elevation southward from 3,200 to 3,500 feet before dropping 100 feet from a plateau, and another 200 feet from a second plateau, back to 3,200 feet above sea level ahead of Exit 462.

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Pryor Creek Road south and Indian Creek Road north come together at a diamond interchange (Exit 462) with I-90 in one half mile.

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Pryor Creek flows northward to the Yellowstone River near Huntley. Interstate 90 crosses the waterway just ahead of Exit 462 on a pair of bridges built in 1969.

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Pryor Creek Road leads north from Exit 462 to Interstate 94 at Exit 6, becoming Northern Avenue through Huntley. Indian Creek Road parallels I-90 east to Indian Arrow and Exit 469.

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Interstate 90 continues east 34 miles to Hardin and 118 miles to Sheridan.

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Rising onto a hill after crossing Indian Creek along I-90/U.S. 87-212 east.

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Interstate 90 stays around 3,500 feet in elevation above parallel Indian Creek and below a 3,800 foot bluff to the north.

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Indian Creek Road switches sides with Interstate 90 while Stark Road lines the eastbound roadway.

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The roadways of Interstate 90 separate south of Indian Arrow as the freeway increases to over 3,900 feet in elevation.

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Arrow Creek Road heads north from a diamond interchange (Exit 469) with Interstate 90 to I-94 at Exit 14.

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Exit 469 is a ranch exit with no services are available. Arrow Creek Road is unpaved out from Interstate 90 and mirrors Arrow Creek northward to Ballantine.

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Fly Creek Road is the next exit in seven miles. Hardin is 25 miles, followed by Sheridan in 109 miles.

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Another series of hills, where the roadways for I-90 again separate far enough to occasionally disappear in view from one another. 5,750 vehicles per day were recorded on this stretch of Interstate 90 in 2011.

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Big Horn County is the last of 14 counties along Interstate 90 east in the Treasure State.

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I-90/U.S. 87-212 beeline eastward two miles to the last rest area in Montana.

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The Big Horn County rest area follows milepost 476 on I-90 eastbound. A companion facility is located in the westbound direction nearby.

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Leaving the rest area, Interstate 90 parallels Spring Creek to the diamond interchange (Exit 478) with Fly Creek Road.

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Fly Creek Road is unpaved in Big Horn County. The ranch road leads south from Exit 478 to Old U.S. 87.

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North from Exit 478, Fly Creek Road is a paved route in Yellowstone County leading to I-94 at Exit 23 and S-568 (former U.S. 312).

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Shields for I-90/U.S. 87-212 posted ahead of the crossing over Fly Creek. This stretch of freeway was completed in 1972.

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17 miles from Hardin, Little Bighorn Battlefield reappears on this eastbound distance sign at 32 miles out. The National Battlefield lies just south of U.S. 212 beyond the separation with I-90 at Exit 510.

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Interstate 90 lines an agricultural area beyond a BNSF Railroad line at milepost 481.

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Toluca Frontage Road connects I-90/U.S. 87-212 with Old U.S. 87 near the railroad siding of Toluca. Old U.S. 87/212 meander southeast from Billings along a circuitous route through northern reaches of Crow Indian Reservation before reconvening with I-90 near Exit 484.

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A ranch road ties into the north side of the diamond interchange (Exit 484) with Toluca Frontage Road as Old U.S. 87/212 parallel the south side of the freeway eastward to Hardin.

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I-90/U.S. 87-212 travel another 12 miles to Hardin. Old U.S. 87/212 diverge from the freeway in two miles and traverse open ranch land eastward to 3rd Street through Hardin while I-90 bypasses the city to the north.

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A handful of trees appear alongside Interstate 90 at the crossing over Peritsa Creek.

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Tributaries of Peritsa Creek were dammed to form several ponds to the south of Interstate 90 ahead of milepost 490. These bodies of water break the monotony of the arid landscape (Hardin's average annual rainfall is just 12.07 inches).

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A set of transmission lines cross I-90/U.S. 87-212 east by milepost 492.

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I-90/U.S. 87-212 advance east from Torske Overpass Road to the city of Hardin.

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Business Loop I-90 follows Center Avenue south from the diamond interchange at Exit 495 to the Hardin city center and 3rd Street east back to Interstate 90.

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S-313 leads 38.59 miles southwest from MT 47 (Center Avenue) in Hardin to Saint Xavier, Fort Smith and Yellowtail Dam. Located within Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Yellowtail Dam was constructed between 1961 and 1967 along the Bighorn River.

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MT 47 travels north from Hardin and I-90, 31 miles to Interstate 94 at Exit 49 near Custer. Business Loop I-90 coincides with the state highway 2.68 miles to Exit 497.

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Interstate 90 encircles the northeast side of Hardin along a freeway completed in 1971.

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Crossing an abandoned CB&Q Railroad spur, I-90/U.S. 87-212 curve southward and next meet Third Street (Business Loop I-90 west / MT 47 north) in 0.75 miles.

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Formally enter Crow Indian Reservation (Crow Country) ahead of Exit 497, Interstate 90 runs through the reservation to Wyoming.

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Concluding a 31.44 mile route that started at I-94, MT 47 ends at the diamond interchange (Exit 497) with 3rd Street. S-384 stems southeast from 3rd Street along Old U.S. 87/212, a frontage road to I-90. S-384 provides the last direct connection between I-90 and I-94, traveling 57.05 miles from here to Exit 72 near Sanders.

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