Origin
Burnsville, MN
Morning in Burnsville on Tuesday
Local time
8:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Burnsville, MN to Minneapolis, 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
24m
Distance
16.4 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burnsville, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Burnsville to Minneapolis, you are looking at a quick 16.4-mile commute that typically takes about 21 minutes. This short journey within the Midwest is perfect for a single-day trip, as it requires no overnight stops to complete. With a fuel cost of only $2, it is an incredibly budget-friendly way to move between these two Minnesota cities. You will navigate via I-35W North, I-94 West, and 5th Avenue South to reach your destination. Because this trip is so brief, it offers maximum flexibility for your schedule, allowing you to head out whenever it suits your plans.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 13.5 mi | 17m |
| MN 65 | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Nicollet Avenue South | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 5th Avenue South | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| MN 13 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Washington Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 13.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burnsville, MN and Minneapolis, MN.
1
Start on Nicollet Avenue South
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Nicollet Avenue South
2
Turn left onto MN 13
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
MN 13
3
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 35W North: Minneapolis
Use the slight right lane.
4
Merge onto I 35W
13 mi
·
17 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto MN 65
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
MN 65
Toward I 94 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto MN 65
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
MN 65
Toward 5th Avenue South
7
Continue on 5th Avenue South
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
5th Avenue South
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Turn left onto CR 152
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Washington Avenue South
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Arrive at destination
CR 152
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 16.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 35W North: Minneapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 35W North: Minneapolis
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 35W
Merge onto I 35W
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
14.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
MN 65
Keep slight left at fork onto MN 65 toward I 94 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 West
5
15.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
MN 65
Keep slight left at fork onto MN 65 toward 5th Avenue South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward 5th Avenue South
4
16.2 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
CR 152 / Washington Avenue South
Turn left onto CR 152 / Washington Avenue South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.44 one way
$4.88 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.63 | $5.26 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.93 | $5.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.62 | $7.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Minneapolis, MN
Morning in Minneapolis on Tuesday
Local time
8:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°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
1 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
24m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a long-haul highway cruise. This route is characterized by its urban intensity, as you will spend zero percent of your time on long, uninterrupted highway stretches. In fact, your longest stretch on I-35W North is effectively zero miles before you begin transitioning through local navigation. The personality of this drive is practical and functional, requiring your full attention as you maneuver through city infrastructure. You will find that the road shifts quickly from suburban access points into the more dense, turn-oriented environment of the Minneapolis city grid.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and MN 65. You will hit about 5 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 16.4 miles you will encounter 5 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 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles (MN 65): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
975 ft
719 ft
Total Climb
206 ft
Total Descent
351 ft
Highest Point
975 ft
Elevation Range
256 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 Burnsville, MN to Minneapolis, MN, road signs begin pointing toward 5Th Avenue South along the way.
5Th Avenue South
15.3 mi in
|
~20m
|
via MN 65
About the Cities
Starting in Burnsville, MN
Full guide →Burnsville is a city in Minnesota.
Arriving in Minneapolis, MN
Full guide →Minneapolis is a city of about 430,000 people (2019) and the largest city in Minnesota. Along with neighboring Saint Paul, it forms the urban core of the Twin Cities region, the third largest metropolitan area in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit.
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 24m. Total distance: 16.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.5 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 Minneapolis, 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 1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles (MN 65): 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 Minneapolis, 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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