Columbia Heights, MN Road Trips

Columbia Heights, MN serves as a quiet starting point in the Midwest, connecting drivers to 3 outbound routes across the area. Most drives stay under 23 miles, making this area well-suited for day trips and weekend getaways. Most routes from Columbia Heights, MN head south, giving the route network a clear directional lean.

city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Trip Routes

6

Longest Drive

30.6 mi

Lakeville, MN

Quickest Drive

13m

Brooklyn Park, MN

Plan Around Columbia Heights, MN

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if Columbia Heights, MN is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

Minnetonka Mills, MN to Columbia Heights, MN 15.3 mi · 26m Blaine, MN to Columbia Heights, MN 10 mi · 16m Brooklyn Park, MN to Columbia Heights, MN 7.8 mi · 13m

Continue From Columbia Heights, MN

Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.

Columbia Heights, MN to Lakeville, MN 30.6 mi · 45m Columbia Heights, MN to Apple Valley, MN 24.8 mi · 38m Columbia Heights, MN to Maple Grove, MN 13.4 mi · 18m

Trips from Columbia Heights, MN

Columbia Heights, MN to Lakeville, MN

30.6 mi 45m

Columbia Heights, MN to Apple Valley, MN

24.8 mi 38m

Columbia Heights, MN to Maple Grove, MN

13.4 mi 18m

Driving from Columbia Heights, MN

The typical drive from Columbia Heights, MN covers about 23 miles and takes around 34m. The majority of routes are short drives — quick enough to finish before lunch and be back for dinner. The longest mapped route runs 31 miles (45m), while the shortest is just 13 miles.

Popular Destinations

Drivers leaving Columbia Heights, MN most often head toward Lakeville, MN (30.6 mi, 45m), Apple Valley, MN (24.8 mi, 38m), and Maple Grove, MN (13.4 mi, 18m). Most destinations stay within the same state, perfect for exploring the local region thoroughly.

Planning & Costs

Regular gas in MN currently averages around $3.57 per gallon. For the typical 23-mile trip from Columbia Heights, MN, budget about $3 in fuel one way, assuming 25 MPG. Longer hauls and premium fuel will cost proportionally more.

The majority of destinations are to the south. Morning starts help you avoid the midday heat on longer drives. With an average drive under three hours, you have plenty of flexibility — leave whenever it suits you.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are 3 mapped routes leaving Columbia Heights, MN and 3 routes heading into Columbia Heights, MN, covering 6 total connections. Distances range from 13 to 31 miles.

The longest mapped route from Columbia Heights, MN covers 31 miles and takes approximately 45m. Shorter options start at just 13 miles.

The average route from Columbia Heights, MN runs about 23 miles with a drive time of roughly 34m. This includes both short day trips and longer multi-day drives.

At current gas prices (about $3.57/gallon for regular), the average 23-mile trip from Columbia Heights, MN costs roughly $3 in fuel one way, based on 25 MPG. Your actual cost depends on your vehicle's efficiency.

The most popular road trip destinations from Columbia Heights, MN include Lakeville, MN, Apple Valley, MN and Maple Grove, MN. Each route page has detailed drive times, fuel estimates, stop suggestions, and turn-by-turn directions.

Columbia Heights, MN by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

22,016

Median Income

$74,688

Median Home Value

$259,900

Median Age

36.6

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Columbia Heights, MN

Columbia Heights and Fridley are suburbs of Minneapolis located in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota.

1 Fridley History Center, 611 Mississippi St NE (between 7th and Monroe Sts), ☏ +1 763 571-0120. 2nd and 4th Sa of the month 11AM-3PM. A small community history museum housed in a two-room schoolhouse built in the 1930s. Exhibits trace Fridley's transition from sleepy farming community to modern suburb. One of the former classrooms still looks as it did in the 1930s.

1 Heights Theater, 3951 Central Ave NE (between 39th and 40th Aves), ☏ +1 763 788-9079. Single-screen movie theater with a live pipe organ.

1 Miller's, 547 40th Ave NE (at 7th St), ☏ +1 763 788-5789. M-Sa 11AM-9PM. Burgers and fries. (updated May 2016) 2 Dong Yang, 735 45th Ave NE (at Quincy), ☏ +1 763 571-2009. M-Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 10AM-6PM. A Korean restaurant hidden in the back of a Korean grocery store. 3 Filfillah, 4301 Central Ave NE (at 43rd Ave), ☏ +1 763 781-2222. 11AM-9PM daily. Middle Eastern. 4 King's, 1051 E Moore Lake Dr (at Hwy 65), ☏ +1 763 571-7256. Su-Th 11:30AM-9PM, F-Sa 11:30AM-9:30PM. King's menu is a combination of Korean dishes plus Japanese sushi.

Interstate 694 passes through the south end of Fridley, close to Columbia Heights. Central Avenue (Minnesota Highway 65) and University Avenue (Minnesota Highway 47) are the main thoroughfares through both towns. 1 Fridley railway station, 6050 Main Street. (updated Aug 2022) A few Metro Transit bus routes serve Columbia Heights. The Columbia Heights Transit Center (at Central Avenue and 41st Avenue) is the main bus station for the city. Route 10 runs along Central Avenue and passes by the Transit Center. At 53rd Avenue it splits into two branches, one continuing along Central Avenue and the other jogging over to University Avenue. Both branches terminate at Northtown Mall in Blaine. Route 11 runs along University Avenue between 37th and 40th Avenues, then runs along 40th Avenue until Central Avenue, terminating at the Transit Center.

Travel tips adapted from Columbia Heights-Fridley on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.