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Trip from Apple Valley, MN to Maplewood, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

34m

Distance

23.6 mi

38 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 31m ★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m

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

Best Time
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city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States

Apple Valley, MN

Wikimedia Commons

city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States

Maplewood, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Apple Valley, MN to Maplewood, MN is 23.6 miles and takes about 34m via I 35E, Purple Heart Memorial Highway, and Cedar Avenue, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Minnesota, making it a convenient local excursion. The drive is predominantly on major roadways, offering a straightforward path between these two Twin Cities suburbs. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick errand, a short commute extension, or a simple transfer without requiring an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 35E 14.3 mi 18m
Purple Heart Memorial Highway 4.7 mi 6m
Cedar Avenue 2.9 mi 4m
Innovation Boulevard 0.6 mi 2m
South McKnight Road <0.1 mi <1m
County Road 42 <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 35E — 14.3 mi, about 18m

Traffic on I-94

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 6 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~5,192 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~321 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

16.2×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 27 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on CR 42

35 ft · 6 sec · County Road 42
2

Turn right onto CR 23

2.9 mi · 4 min · Cedar Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Take the exit

0.9 mi · 1 min
Exit 2A Toward I 35E North: Saint Paul Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4

Merge onto I 35E

11 mi · 13 min · I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E

2.7 mi · 4 min · I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E

0.4 mi · 35 sec · I 35E
7

Merge onto I 35E; I 94

4.7 mi · 6 min · Purple Heart Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Exit 246C Toward North McKnight Road Use the right lane.
9

Turn straight onto CH 68

427 ft · 11 sec · South McKnight Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Turn slight right onto Innovation Boulevard

0.6 mi · 2 min · Innovation Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Arrive at destination

Innovation Boulevard

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.8 — 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 right onto CR 23 / Cedar Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
2.9 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward I 35E North: Saint Paul

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 2A Toward I 35E North: Saint Paul
5
3.8 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 35E

Merge onto I 35E

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
14.9 mi into trip | ~19m in | I 35E

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
22.8 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward North McKnight Road

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

Use the right lane. Exit 246C Toward North McKnight Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.85 one way

$7.70 round trip

$4.15/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.46 $4.15 $8.29
premium $4.95 $4.60 $9.20
diesel $5.97 $5.54 $11.09

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.1 0 $2.48 $1.13
Efficient EV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.94
EV Truck/SUV 9.4 0 $3.30 $1.51

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 Sep 8, 2026

Origin

Apple Valley, MN

Night in Apple Valley on Friday

Local time

11:37 PM

CDT

Current temp

80°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 10 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued September 8 at 12:52PM CDT until September 8 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

Destination

Maplewood, MN

Night in Maplewood on Friday

Local time

11:37 PM

CDT

Current temp

80°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 10 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued September 8 at 12:52PM CDT until September 8 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

34m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

What kind of drive is this?

About 60% of this 23.6-mile route is on highways, including a longest stretch of 14.3 miles on I 35E. You'll experience a mixed highway and surface road profile, meaning you'll transition from faster freeway driving to more controlled surface streets. Expect to encounter numerous exits and merges as you navigate through developed areas. The change in road type will be noticeable as you leave the higher-speed sections of I 35E.

60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.3 mi on I 35E.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 23 / Cedar Avenue.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 23.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 23 / Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (I 35E): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,047 ft 698 ft

Total Climb

568 ft

Total Descent

542 ft

Highest Point

1,047 ft

~1.7 mi in

Elevation Range

349 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Apple Valley, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1860

Apple Valley, a relatively-modern suburban community at the southern edge of Minnesota's Twin Cities region, is far enough from the city to have plenty of open space to host parkland, a golf course and the state's expansive zoological gardens while remaining close enough to allow easy access to Minneapolis and its big-city amenities.

Arriving in Maplewood, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1957

Top landmarks

  • • Bruentrup Heritage Farm — Farm Museum in Maplewood, Minnesota.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 23.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

34m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14.3 miles on I 35E. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Maplewood, MN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (I 35E): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Maplewood, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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