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Trip from Blaine, MN to Nowthen, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

28m

Distance

21.8 mi

35 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 26m ★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m

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 Anoka County, Minnesota, United States

Blaine, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Nowthen, MN, MN

Nowthen, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Blaine to Nowthen is 21.8 miles and takes about 28m via US 10, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Minnesota, making it a straightforward local excursion. Given its minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a simple change of scenery without requiring extensive planning. The drive primarily utilizes a major highway before transitioning to more local roads, offering a brief taste of both driving experiences.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 10 11.3 mi 12m
Nowthen Boulevard Northwest 5.8 mi 8m
Sunfish Lake Boulevard Northwest 2.5 mi 3m
Central Avenue Northeast 1.8 mi 2m
Longest stretch: US 10 — 11.3 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Blaine, MN and Nowthen, MN.

1

Start on MN 65

26 ft · 8 sec · Central Avenue Northeast
2

Continue on MN 65

1.8 mi · 2 min · Central Avenue Northeast
Use the left lane.
3

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward US 10 West Use the right lane.
4

Merge onto US 10

0.8 mi · 49 sec · US 10
5

Keep slight left at fork onto US 10

10 mi · 11 min · US 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
7

Enter roundabout onto CR 57

111 ft · 2 sec · Sunfish Lake Boulevard Northwest
8

Continue on CR 57

2.4 mi · 3 min · Sunfish Lake Boulevard Northwest
9

At end of road, turn left onto CR 5

5.8 mi · 8 min · Nowthen Boulevard Northwest
10

Arrive at destination

CR 5

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | MN 65 / Central Avenue Northeast

Continue onto MN 65 / Central Avenue Northeast

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
1.8 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the exit toward US 10 West

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

Use the right lane. Toward US 10 West
6
2.9 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 10

Keep slight left at fork onto US 10

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
13.6 mi into trip | ~16m in | CR 57 / Sunfish Lake Boulevard Northwest

Enter roundabout onto CR 57 / Sunfish Lake Boulevard Northwest

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
16 mi into trip | ~20m in | CR 5 / Nowthen Boulevard Northwest

At end of road, turn left onto CR 5 / Nowthen Boulevard Northwest

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.45 one way

$6.90 round trip

$4.02/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.28 $3.68 $7.35
premium $4.85 $4.16 $8.32
diesel $5.60 $4.81 $9.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.5 0 $2.29 $1.05
Efficient EV 5.5 0 $1.91 $0.87
EV Truck/SUV 8.7 0 $3.05 $1.40

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 1, 2026

Origin

Blaine, MN

Evening in Blaine on Friday

Local time

8:30 PM

CDT

Current temp

88°F

Partly Sunny

WSW 5 to 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued September 1 at 5:22AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued September 1 at 4:55AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

Destination

Nowthen, MN

Evening in Nowthen on Friday

Local time

8:30 PM

CDT

Current temp

87°F

Mostly Sunny

WSW 0 to 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued September 1 at 5:22AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued September 1 at 4:55AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

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

1 degrees cooler at arrival

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

Road read

28m 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?

The drive begins on US 10, where you'll encounter 52% highway driving for a significant portion of the trip. You'll experience an 11.3-mile stretch on US 10 before transitioning to surface roads like Nowthen Boulevard Northwest and Sunfish Lake Boulevard Northwest. Expect a mixed driving experience, starting with highway cruising and then shifting to navigating local streets as you approach your destination.

52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.3 mi on US 10.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MN 65 / Central Avenue Northeast.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 21.8 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (MN 65 / Central Avenue Northeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (US 10): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

940 ft 857 ft

Total Climb

112 ft

Total Descent

76 ft

Highest Point

940 ft

~21.8 mi in

Elevation Range

82 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Blaine, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1877

Arriving in Nowthen, MN

Full guide →

Founded 2008

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 28m. Total distance: 21.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.3 miles on US 10. 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 (MN 65 / Central Avenue Northeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (US 10): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Nowthen, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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