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Trip from Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

19m

Distance

13.1 mi

21 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 18m ★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m ★

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States

Apple Valley, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Credit River, MN, MN

Credit River, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN is 13.1 miles and takes about 19m via Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway and I 35, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Midwest region, specifically in Minnesota. It's a very short trip, ideal for a quick excursion or a way to connect two nearby points without a significant time commitment. Given its brief duration, this route offers a lot of flexibility for when you choose to depart and whether you need to plan for stops.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway 2.3 mi 3m
I 35 2 mi 2m
Texas Avenue 1.5 mi 2m
160th Street West 1.5 mi 2m
162nd Street West 1.3 mi 2m
185th Street West /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway 1.2 mi 1m
185th Street East /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway 1 mi 1m
Cedar Avenue 1 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway — 2.3 mi, about 3m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Apple Valley, MN and Credit River, MN.

1

Start on CR 42

35 ft · 6 sec · County Road 42
2

Turn left onto CR 23

1.0 mi · 1 min · Cedar Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Turn right onto CR 46

1.5 mi · 2 min · 160th Street West
Use the right lane.
4

Continue on CR 46

0.6 mi · 55 sec · Isleton Way
5

Continue on CR 46

1.3 mi · 2 min · 162nd Street West
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Toward I 35 South
7

Merge onto I 35

2.0 mi · 2 min · I 35
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 84 Toward CR 60: 185th Street West Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn right onto CR 60

1.2 mi · 1 min · 185th Street West /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
10

Continue on CR 21

1.0 mi · 1 min · 185th Street East /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
11

Continue on CR 21

2.3 mi · 3 min · Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
12

Turn left onto CR 27

1.5 mi · 2 min · Texas Avenue
13

Enter roundabout onto CR 27

314 ft · 4 sec · Texas Avenue
14

Continue on CR 27

37 ft · 0 sec · Texas Avenue
15

Arrive at destination

CR 27

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | CR 23 / Cedar Avenue

Turn left onto CR 23 / Cedar Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
1 mi into trip | ~1m in | CR 46 / 160th Street West

Turn right onto CR 46 / 160th Street West

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
4.4 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the ramp toward I 35 South

Navigation decision point

Toward I 35 South
7
6.7 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward CR 60: 185th Street West

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 84 Toward CR 60: 185th Street West
4
13 mi into trip | ~19m in | CR 27 / Texas Avenue

Enter roundabout onto CR 27 / Texas Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.95 one way

$3.90 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $2.10 $4.20
premium $4.53 $2.34 $4.67
diesel $5.61 $2.89 $5.78

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.9 0 $1.38 $0.63
Efficient EV 3.3 0 $1.15 $0.52
EV Truck/SUV 5.2 0 $1.83 $0.84

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Apple Valley, MN

Morning in Apple Valley on Tuesday

Local time

10:51 AM

CDT

Current temp

36°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Credit River, MN

Morning in Credit River on Tuesday

Local time

10:51 AM

CDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

21 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

19m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a route with a "Turn-heavy local drive" profile, featuring a highway share of only 16%. You'll navigate a mix of roads, including stretches on Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway, I 35, and Texas Avenue. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.3 miles on Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway. This suggests a driving experience that requires frequent attention to navigation and potentially more frequent turns than a straightforward highway journey.

Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.3 mi on Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 23 / Cedar Avenue.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 23 / Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (CR 46 / 160th Street West): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Navigation decision point.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 60: 185Th Street West along the way.

Cr 60: 185Th Street West

6.7 mi in | ~10m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 13.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

19m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (16%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 2.3 miles on Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 23 / Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (CR 46 / 160th Street West): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Credit River, MN before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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