Origin
Bloomington, MN
Late night in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
5:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bloomington, MN to North Saint Paul, 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
35m
Distance
26.4 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
North Saint Paul, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Bloomington, MN to North Saint Paul, MN is 26.4 miles and takes about 35m via I 35W, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, making it a convenient local excursion. The route is primarily highway-focused, meaning you'll spend most of your time on well-maintained interstates. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for a quick commute or a short hop across the metro area without needing an overnight stay. Consider this an easy option when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently within the region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 14.8 mi | 19m |
| MN 36 | 10.4 mi | 12m |
| 7th Avenue East | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Division Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Geneva Avenue North | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 14.8 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bloomington, MN and North Saint Paul, 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
9.0 mi
·
12 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 22B
Toward MN 36
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 35W
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
I 35W
7
Keep slight right at fork onto MN 36
10 mi
·
12 min
·
MN 36
Exit 22B
Toward MN 36
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn sharp right onto MN 120
330 ft
·
8 sec
·
Geneva Avenue North
9
Continue on MN 120
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Division Street
10
Turn right onto 7th Avenue East
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
7th Avenue East
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
7th Avenue East
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.4 — 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
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
I 35W
Merge onto I 35W
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
9.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 35W
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
14.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward MN 36
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 22B
Toward MN 36
8
15.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
MN 36
Keep slight right at fork onto MN 36 toward MN 36
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 22B
Toward MN 36
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.93 one way
$7.86 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.23 | $8.47 |
| premium | $4.53 | $4.71 | $9.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
North Saint Paul, MN
Late night in North Saint Paul on Tuesday
Local time
5:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
35m 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?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 95% of the journey taking place on major roadways. You'll experience a 14.8-mile stretch on I 35W, offering a consistent, uninterrupted speed. The route utilizes I 35W, MN 36, and 7th Avenue East, keeping you on higher-speed roads for the vast majority of the trip. Expect a smooth, direct experience with minimal slowdowns, typical of urban interstate travel. The character is one of efficiency and directness, designed for quick transit.
95% 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: 14.8 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and MN 36. 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
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 26.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 35m. Total distance: 26.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.8 miles on I 35W. 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 North Saint Paul, 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 0.2 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles (I 35W): 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 North Saint Paul, 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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