Origin
Brooklyn Park, MN
Evening in Brooklyn Park on Saturday
Local time
7:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brooklyn Park, MN to Columbus, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
25.4 mi
41 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 37m
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.
Brooklyn Park, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Columbus, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Brooklyn Park, MN to Columbus, MN is 25.4 miles and takes about 34 minutes via MN 610 East and I 35W North, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically crossing Minnesota. It's a straightforward drive that can easily be completed in a single day, making it ideal for a quick local excursion or an easy leg of a larger trip. You'll primarily be on surface roads, so expect typical suburban and local traffic patterns.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 6.2 mi | 6m |
| Lake Drive Northeast | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| MN-610 | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| US 10 | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| Zane Avenue North | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Kettle River Boulevard Northeast | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 6.2 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brooklyn Park, MN and Columbus, MN.
1
Start on CR 14
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Zane Avenue North
Use the left lane.
2
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward MN 610 East
Use the right lane.
3
Merge onto MN 610
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
MN-610
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Merge onto US 10
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
US 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 236
Toward I 35W North: Duluth
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Merge onto I 35W
6.2 mi
·
6 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 36
Toward CR 23
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto CH 23
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Lake Drive Northeast
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Turn left onto CR 62
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Kettle River Boulevard Northeast
10
Arrive at destination
CR 62
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.2 and 18.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward MN 610 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward MN 610 East
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
MN 610 / MN-610
Merge onto MN 610 / MN-610
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
7.7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 10
Merge onto US 10
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
11.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 35W North: Duluth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 236
Toward I 35W North: Duluth
7
18.2 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward CR 23
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 36
Toward CR 23
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.02 one way
$8.04 round trip
$4.02/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.28 | $4.28 | $8.57 |
| premium | $4.85 | $4.85 | $9.70 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.60 | $11.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.22 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.56 | $1.63 |
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
Columbus, MN
Evening in Columbus on Saturday
Local time
7:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
81°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
23 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
34m 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 25.4-mile route features 0% highway driving, meaning you'll be on surface roads for the entire duration. The drive is expected to take around 34 minutes. Since there's no highway component, anticipate navigating through suburban and local traffic with frequent intersections and lower speed limits. The profile is described as 'Mostly surface roads,' so be prepared for a driving experience that involves more direct interaction with local infrastructure rather than high-speed cruising.
58% 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: 6.2 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 around 2.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
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 25.4 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: at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (MN 610 / MN-610): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles (US 10): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
936 ft
818 ft
Total Climb
141 ft
Total Descent
100 ft
Highest Point
936 ft
~9.1 mi in
Elevation Range
118 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Brooklyn Park, MN to Columbus, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 23 along the way.
Cr 23
18.2 mi in
|
~22m
About the Cities
Arriving in Columbus, MN
Full guide →Founded 2006
Columbus is a city in Minnesota. It is a northern suburb of the Twin Cities.
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: 25.4 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 (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.2 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 Columbus, 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: at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (MN 610 / MN-610): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles (US 10): 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 Columbus, 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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