Origin
Bloomington, MN
Morning in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
7:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bloomington, MN to Cokato, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
55.4 mi
89 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Cokato, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Bloomington, MN to Cokato, MN is 55.4 miles and takes about 1h 17m via I 494 and US 12, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip keeps you within Minnesota, moving from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area into a more rural setting. It's a straightforward hop for a quick errand or to visit friends, with most of the driving on major highways. You'll find it's a short enough distance that you can easily make it a same-day trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 13.7 mi | 17m |
| US 12 | 13.4 mi | 18m |
| Officer Bill Mathews Memorial Highwa | 11 mi | 14m |
| Babcock Boulevard | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| 60th Street Southwest | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| Nelson Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| 6th Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| I 35W | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 13.7 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bloomington, MN and Cokato, MN.
1
Start on West 90th Street
163 ft
·
10 sec
·
West 90th Street
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 35W North
3
Merge onto I 35W
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 8B-C
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
6
Merge onto I 494; MN 5
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 19B
Toward US 12 West: Wayzata
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 394
80 ft
·
1 sec
·
I 394
Exit 1A
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
28 sec
Toward US 12 West: Carlson Parkway, Linner Road
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
Toward US 12 West: Wayzata
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Merge onto US 12
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Officer Bill Mathews Memorial Highwa
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Enter roundabout onto US 12
135 ft
·
1 sec
·
Babcock Boulevard
14
Continue on US 12
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Babcock Boulevard
15
Keep slight right at fork onto US 12
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Babcock Boulevard
16
Continue on US 12
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
US 12
17
Continue on US 12
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
60th Street Southeast
18
Continue on US 12
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
·
US 12
19
Turn slight right onto US 12; MN 25
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
·
60th Street Southeast
20
Merge onto US 12; MN 25
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
US 12; MN 25
21
Continue on US 12; MN 25
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Nelson Boulevard
22
Continue on US 12
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
US 12
23
Continue on US 12
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Pacific Avenue
24
Continue on US 12
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
US 12
25
Continue on US 12
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
6th Street
26
Continue on US 12
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
60th Street Southwest
27
Continue on US 12
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
US 12
28
Continue on US 12
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
Cokato Street
29
Turn left onto CR 3
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Broadway Avenue South
30
Arrive at destination
CR 3
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.7 miles from Bloomington, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.6 — 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
Take the ramp toward I 35W North
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 35W North
8
1.1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 8B-C
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
7
15.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward US 12 West: Wayzata
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 19B
Toward US 12 West: Wayzata
7
16.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 12 West: Wayzata
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward US 12 West: Wayzata
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.24 one way
$16.49 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $8.88 | $17.77 |
| premium | $4.53 | $9.88 | $19.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.23 | $24.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.82 | $2.66 |
| Efficient EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.85 | $2.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.2 | 0 | $7.76 | $3.55 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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.
Destination
Cokato, MN
Morning in Cokato on Tuesday
Local time
7:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Medina, MN
28 mi in
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
2 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
1h 17m 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?
About half of this 55.4-mile drive, specifically 50%, is on highways like I 494 and US 12. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 13.7 miles on I 494 before transitioning to Officer Bill Mathews Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of comfortable highway cruising and more local road driving as you get closer to Cokato. The change from freeway speeds to surface roads will be noticeable.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.7 mi on I 494.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.4 miles you will encounter 15 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: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Bloomington, MN
Full guide →Founded 1843
Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP IATA) and home to the Mall of America, the United States' largest shopping mall. Bloomington has a population of 89,000 people (as of 2021). Bloomington was established as a post–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is served by two major freeways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494.
Top landmarks
- • Nickelodeon Universe — amusement park inside Mall of America
- • SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge — amusement ride
- • SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium
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 1h 17m. Total distance: 55.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.7 miles on I 494. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Cokato, 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: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cokato, 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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