The drive from Brooklyn Park, MN to Cormorant, MN covers 200.9 miles and takes about 3h 51m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 94, US 59, I-94 W for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 149.7 miles on I 94.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $31.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
100.4 miles from Brooklyn Park, MN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 51m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 94
149.7 mi
2h 40m
US 59
16.7 mi
19m
I-94 W
12.6 mi
13m
Head Lake Road
4.7 mi
5m
County Road 81
3.3 mi
5m
South Shore Drive
2.5 mi
6m
MN-610
2.1 mi
2m
County Road 9
1.7 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 149.7 mi, about 2h 40m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 42 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,901 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,756
Quietest
2 AM
~175 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 99 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 Brooklyn Park, MN and Cormorant, MN.
1
Start on CR 14
34 ft·5 sec·Zane Avenue North
2
Turn left onto CR 152
1.4 mi·2 min·Brooklyn Boulevard
3
Turn right onto CR 81
1.2 mi·1 min·Bottineau Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on CR 81
3.3 mi·5 min·County Road 81
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi·39 sec
Toward MN 610 West
6
Merge onto MN 610
2.1 mi·2 min·MN-610
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 94
13 mi·13 min·I-94 W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
150 mi·2 hr 40 min·I 94
9
Take the exit onto US 59
17 mi·19 min·US 59
Toward US 59 North, CH 88: Pelican Rapids, Detroit Lakes
10
Continue on US 59; MN 108
1.2 mi·1 min·North Broadway
11
Continue on US 59
4.7 mi·5 min·Head Lake Road
12
Turn left onto 215th Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·215th Avenue
13
Continue on South Shore Drive
2.5 mi·6 min·South Shore Drive
14
Turn left onto South Pelican Drive
1.0 mi·2 min·South Pelican Drive
15
At end of road, turn right onto South Pelican Drive
0.6 mi·1 min·South Pelican Drive
16
At end of road, turn right onto CH 9
1.7 mi·4 min·County Road 9
17
Turn left onto CH 9
0.6 mi·1 min·County Highway 9
18
Continue on CR 5
0.9 mi·2 min·County Highway 5
19
Arrive at destination
CR 5
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 100.4 miles from Brooklyn Park, MN, or about 1h 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 149.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 44 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 100.4 miles or 1h 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cormorant, MN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Brooklyn Park, MN so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Brooklyn Park, MN
This is one driving day of about 200.9 miles and 3h 51m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 miles from Brooklyn Park, MN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 94 for about 149.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 187.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.4 mi into trip|~2m in|CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard
Turn right onto CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
6.2 mi into trip|~10m 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
8.3 mi into trip|~12m in|I 94 / I-94 W
Merge onto I 94 / I-94 W
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
170.5 mi into trip|~3h 6m in|US 59
Take the exit onto US 59 toward US 59 North, CH 88: Pelican Rapids, Detroit Lakes
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 59 North, CH 88: Pelican Rapids, Detr...
5
187.2 mi into trip|~3h 25m in|US 59; MN 108 / North Broadway
Enter roundabout onto US 59; MN 108 / North Broadway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$31.81 one way
$63.62 round trip
$4.02/gal25.4 MPG avg70 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.28
$33.88
$67.75
premium
$4.85
$38.35
$76.69
diesel
$5.60
$44.29
$88.57
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 70.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
60.3
0
$21.09
$9.64
Efficient EV
50.2
0
$17.58
$8.04
EV Truck/SUV
80.4
1
$28.13
$12.86
Gas CO2
70 kg
EV CO2
24 kg (66% 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 Aug 30, 2026
Origin
Brooklyn Park, MN
Late night
in Brooklyn Park on Thursday
Local time
12:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 5 mph10% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Cormorant, MN
Late night
in Cormorant on Thursday
Local time
12:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 7 mph12% chanceLive forecast
76°F
Avon, MN
100 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
3 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
3h 51m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
200.9 mi in 3h 51m, mostly highway — 149.7 mi of that is on I 94.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 149.7 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and US 59. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard.
Driving Effort5/10
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 200.9 miles you will encounter 13 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: at 1.4 miles (CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles (MN 610 / MN-610): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles (I 94 / I-94 W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,421 ft868 ft
Total Climb
702 ft
Total Descent
198 ft
Highest Point
1,421 ft
~129.1 mi in
Elevation Range
553 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Brooklyn Park, MN and Cormorant, MN, road signs point toward Ch 88: Pelican Rapids and Detroit Lakes.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 51m. Total distance: 200.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 149.7 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 16 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles (MN 610 / MN-610): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles (I 94 / I-94 W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 3.9 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Cormorant, MN, but most travelers stay overnight.
