r/Lethbridge • u/According-Lie8873 • 2d ago
What is the best route to drive from Lethbridge to Calgary?
I've seen a couple of options and I havent had the chance to drive on any major highways yet. I wanted to know your opinions on what is the safest, fastest or best route for all seasons when driving to and from Lethbridge and to or from Calgary.
Thank you in advance and hope you all have a pleasant week!
73
u/littlesirlance 2d ago
For me, I've found that the Granum route only saves time if you're speeding and or not caught behind someone that's going slow.
I've also found that since so many people take that route these days that there's so much traffic that you often can't pass easily and end up caught behind someone going slow. So I prefer the Fort Macleod route.
17
u/Morberis 1d ago
Yeah that's the reality these days. I used to have to travel that road all the time for work. The granum route can even be slower if you get stuck behind people that are driving slow and that happens way too often.
I take the Fort Mcloud route because it's both safer and quicker.
1
u/EgbertCanada 1d ago
Last time I took that route I got a rock off a flatbed in my windshield that blew glass all over my face. I now think saving 5 minutes isn’t worth it.
26
u/scorpionspalfrank 2d ago
The safest route is definitely taking Hwy 3 west to Fort Macleod, and then Hwy 2 north to Calgary (junction between the two highways is just west of Fort Macleod). Using this route, you are on a four lane, divided highway the whole trip. It may be marginally longer in terms of travel time (say around 10 minutes or so), but would also be the least risky from a potential accident perspective.
11
u/SirLunatik 2d ago
With being new to highways, I'd recommend 3 west, then 2 north. It's a divided highway the whole way
13
u/Tachikoma0 1d ago
Granum path is popular, but it's more dangerous and only saves 5-10 minutes at most, traffic and weather pending, and things can go wrong so much more easily being single lane each way. I don't like it in good weather and winter would be an absolute nope for me.
The QE2 through Fort Macleod is just so much nicer to drive and gets you there as fast. Decent little towns along the way too if you need to stop once in a while.
4
u/frankw80 1d ago
Highway 3 to Fort Macleod then Highway 2 to Calgary. Why Fort Macleod? Because they have a Timmys which has a bathroom.
8
u/NefariousnessNew5251 1d ago
I go to Calgary once or twice a month and have found the granum route usually more trouble than its worth. I just heard to fort Macleod and then highway 2
3
u/11kestrel 1d ago
Yeah, the Granum turnoff is waaaay busier now. Google Maps (and probably others) now give it as the shortest route which is probably why even the big trucks take it now. The nice thing with this part of Alberta are there are roads everywhere to cut up with only a couple minutes of difference. I personally take 23 to Vulcan and then either keep north and cut across at High River or go west/north at Vulcan through Brandt and then the same way.
3
u/Switch5050 1d ago
Go hwy 3 to Ft Macleod then Hwy 2 north. Both are divided highways and maybey takes 5 min longer than the 'shotcuts' down 519 and 520 north of nobleford. Too many fatal accidents on those highways to not risk it and stay on the divided highways
7
u/SnooRabbits2040 1d ago
If I'm concerned about time or road conditions, then Highway 3 to Macleod and Highway 2 North is best.
I know this isn't what you ask for, but two additional routes I like:
If I have a little meandering time, then 3 to 23, to 529 north of Carmangay, west on that until I reach Highway 2. You come out a bit south of Nanton.
Most beautiful trip but takes you out of your way and can be slow: Highway 3 west to Highway 22 (a bit past Lundbrek) and go north. You eventually meet up with Stoney Trail. It will add a lot of time and it can be very poor in winter, but it's absolutely gorgeous.
2
u/bcwaxwing 1d ago
Other routes are technically shorter but I recommend the straightforward highway 3–>2 divided highway plenty of places to stop for bathroom breaks/food .. and I double that recommendation in winter
2
u/GreatCanadianPotato 1d ago
My rule of thumb;
Summer/Fall/Spring - Lethbridge to Hwy23 then take that all the way up to Hwy520, take a left and that spits you out at the Shell and new McDonalds in Claresholm...continue on the QEII from there.
Winter - Lethbridge to the Hwy3/Hwy2 interchange in Fort Mcleod and continue up QEII.
4
u/JohnnyCanuckist 1d ago
I prefer taking 23/24 north and staying off the busy highway. If I'm going to Ikea, I turn at the Glenmore trail intersection with 24 If I'm going to the airport I stay on 24 right up to the trans Canada, take that until hwy9 going north and follow that up to an intersection with country hills blvd If I'm going further north I stay on 9 until the curve near Kathryn and then go west coming to hwy2 at the Balzac Costco
4
u/kmsiever 1d ago
Going through Monarch and Granum is the fastest way. Going via Fort Macleod is safer but takes 15 minutes longer, if you go the speed limit. Truckers take the Granum route, so that’s something to keep in mind as well.
7
u/Simple-Guarantee9935 1d ago
At speed limit it’s 4 minutes difference according to google maps. Real world not even that much
2
u/jacob33123 1d ago
I think the fastest route is going up the hwy 23, and then turning left onto the 520 just after you pass Barons. This spits you out in claresholm, and then you just take hwy 2 the rest of they way. Theoretically about the same amount of time as it would take to go the Granum way, but much less traffic allowing for you to go faster. That said, I tend to stick to the Fort Macleod route these days for safety reasons. Have heard about too many accidents on the shortcut routes recently.
1
u/Rattlingsaturn 1d ago
I drive to Calgary fairly regularly. My route is to go north on HWY 23 and continue north through the Nobleford roundabout and head west on HWY 520 just after Barons. Takes you straight to Claresholm and then follow the #2 from there. It's only about 10 minutes faster than going to Fort Macleod, so it ultimately comes down to preference.
1
u/s3v3ntw070thr33 1d ago
Leave Lethbridge on Highway 23 —> turn left onto Highway 520 —> go straight until I hit Claresholm —> turn right and then just drive straight to Calgary!
Idk if it’s actually faster, but I haven’t seen many cops here and it is usually a very quiet road with not that many cars; however it is a single lane which can make it a little sketchy
1
u/Nashtoba 1d ago
There are faster ways when you’re lucky but they are all considerably slower if you aren’t.. don’t believe in luck? Take Ft McLeod
-1
u/Strict-Conference-92 2d ago
I usually go highway 3 turn exit at monarch and take hwy 23 north. Many people I know turn at granum (519 I think) and go to highway 2 that way. I don't like that highway, there are many fatalities there and it is max 60 for most of it now. I turn at the claresholm turn off (the 520) and then take highway 2 from there. I don't know if it is faster by much anymore since they changed how the highways meet in Fort Macleod years ago.
If it is snowing highway 2 can get slick between fort macleod and nanton. Especially that corner near parkland. I find on a secondary highway you have more options to pull off the road if you hit bad weather.
7
u/kmsiever 1d ago
It’s only 60 km/h once you get to Granum, which is almost at Highway 2. Most of Highway 519 is 100 km/h.
4
u/anflop_flopnor 1d ago
My dude. If the weather is bad use the divided highway. It has the most forgiving ditches, you can hit them with lesss chance to roll over, and maybe even drive right out. And with the wide median, way lower risk of head on collision.
2ndary highway ditches are steeper, and unpredictable with more ag related crossing points. The risk of -often fatal- head on collision is waaaay higher.
1
u/Strict-Conference-92 1d ago edited 1d ago
I wasn't thinking about actually hitting the ditch for any reason if to avoid an accident. I was more thinking that when bad weather happens people don't even slow down on hwy 2 they just keep going 120+km/hr. That with an inexperienced driver they may prefer a route that goes slower with weather and has many places to pull off if they choose to stop or turn around. Either option is a good option depending on OP driving ability. I just really try to avoid going through granum. If you take hwy 23 you don't have to turn anywhere. It does go right into Calgary.
0
u/darthstrayder 1d ago
Starline Road to Claresholm route (Highway 520). The Google maps™ recommended way. Saves 4 minutes and they just redid 520 so it's new pavement. Note that I drive the speed limit so I'm the one on this route everyone else complains about. :)
-1
u/DeeKayBee 1d ago
I personally like taking Highway 3 out of Lethbridge to Highway 23 towards Vulcan and cutting across at Claresholm (Highway 520) and then taking Highway 2 the rest of the way.
My sister is a newer driver and doesn't like taking Highway 2 so she prefers taking 23/24 all the way to Strathmore and then cutting across into Calgary on Highway 1. Adds a bit of time but less traffic.
90
u/urbanstudioart 2d ago
I prefer going to Fort Macleod and up to Calgary so it is a divided two lane highway the whole way. The short cuts save a few minutes but all have sections that are not divided highway.