Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Bloomington, MN to Stillwater, MN

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49m

Distance

36.2 mi

58 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 45m ★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Bloomington, MN, MN

Bloomington, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Stillwater, MN, MN

Stillwater, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Bloomington, MN to Stillwater, MN covers 36.2 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 494, MN 36, I 694 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20 miles on I 494. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.73 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 494 20 mi 24m
MN 36 6.7 mi 8m
I 694 5.4 mi 6m
Greeley Street South 1.3 mi 3m
I 35W 0.8 mi 1m
Myrtle Street West 0.7 mi 1m
West 90th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Main Street South <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 494 — 20 mi, about 24m

Traffic on I-694

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~3,888 veh/hr typical · worst 4,476

Quietest

2 AM

~213 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

18.3×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 82 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 Bloomington, MN and Stillwater, 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 right at fork

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
6

Merge onto I 494; MN 5

20 mi · 24 min · I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 694

5.4 mi · 6 min · I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 52B Toward MN 36 East: Stillwater Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Merge onto MN 36

6.7 mi · 8 min · MN 36
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn left onto CR 66

1.3 mi · 3 min · Greeley Street South
11

Turn right onto Myrtle Street West

0.7 mi · 1 min · Myrtle Street West
12

Turn right onto MN 95

92 ft · 1 sec · Main Street South
13

Arrive at destination

MN 95

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

capital of the state of Minnesota, United States; county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Saint Paul, MN

18 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

Oak Park Heights, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Newport, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.1 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.9 — 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.
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
7
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 494 East, MN 5 East

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
7
26.9 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward MN 36 East: Stillwater

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 52B Toward MN 36 East: Stillwater

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.73 one way

$11.46 round trip

$4.02/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.28 $6.10 $12.21
premium $4.85 $6.91 $13.82
diesel $5.60 $7.98 $15.96

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.9 0 $3.80 $1.74
Efficient EV 9.1 0 $3.17 $1.45
EV Truck/SUV 14.5 0 $5.07 $2.32

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 5, 2026

Origin

Bloomington, MN

Afternoon in Bloomington on Sunday

Local time

4:12 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Partly Cloudy

NE 5 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued September 4 at 3:50AM CDT until September 4 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN

Destination

Stillwater, MN

Afternoon in Stillwater on Sunday

Local time

4:12 PM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Partly Cloudy then Patchy Fog

NNE 0 to 5 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued September 4 at 3:50AM CDT until September 4 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN

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

5 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

49m 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?

36.2 mi in 49m, mostly highway — 20 mi of that is on I 494.

91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20 mi on I 494.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 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 9 decision points packed into just 36.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

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 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,053 ft 693 ft

Total Climb

495 ft

Total Descent

628 ft

Highest Point

1,053 ft

~23.3 mi in

Elevation Range

360 ft

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

Arriving in Stillwater, MN

Full guide →

Stillwater is a city in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Washington County.

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 49m. Total distance: 36.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 20 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 Stillwater, 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 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Stillwater, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

More from Bloomington, MN

Baudette, MN 328.2 mi · 6h 48m Thief River Falls, MN 303.6 mi · 5h 54m Grand Marais, MN 274.1 mi · 5h 29m Dilworth, MN 240.4 mi · 4h 26m Turtle River, MN 239 mi · 4h 54m Chisholm, MN 223.1 mi · 4h 19m

More trips to Stillwater, MN

Woodbury, MN 135.5 mi
Escape planner: Bloomington, MN Scenic drives in MN

Explore more options from Bloomington, MN or browse trips ending in Stillwater, MN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.