Origin
Clear Lake, MN
Morning in Clear Lake on Tuesday
Local time
7:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clear Lake, MN to 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
1h 18m
Distance
63.8 mi
103 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clear Lake, MN
Tom Fisk
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 63.8-mile drive from Clear Lake to Saint Paul, MN, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 1 hour and 18 minutes. You'll primarily navigate interstates, with I-94, I-694, and US-10 forming the backbone of your journey. Expect a highway-focused experience as you travel within the Midwest region. With an estimated fuel cost of around $9, this route is an economical option for a quick trip. It's a convenient connection between two points in Minnesota, perfect for a day trip without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 94 | 28 mi | 31m |
| I 694 | 11.7 mi | 12m |
| US 10 | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| Voyageur Highway | 5.5 mi | 6m |
| 165th Avenue Southeast | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Broadway Street East | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Park Boulevard Southeast | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| County Road 11 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 28 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clear Lake, MN and Saint Paul, MN.
1
Start on MN 24
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Center Street
2
Turn right onto US 10
11 mi
·
12 min
·
US 10
3
Turn right onto 165th Avenue Southeast
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
165th Avenue Southeast
4
Continue on Park Boulevard Southeast
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Boulevard Southeast
5
Continue on County Road 11
0.7 mi
·
57 sec
·
County Road 11
6
Turn right onto MN 25
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
State Highway 25
7
Continue on MN 25
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Pine Street
8
Turn left onto CR 75
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Broadway Street East
9
Turn right onto CR 18
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Fenning Avenue
10
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
11
Merge onto I 94
28 mi
·
31 min
·
I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 694
12 mi
·
12 min
·
I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto US 10
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Voyageur Highway
Exit 46
Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto US 10
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
US 10
Exit 107A
Toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th Street, Wacouta Street
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward 10th Street, Wacouta Street
16
Keep slight right at fork
409 ft
·
10 sec
Toward 10th Street
Use the slight right lane.
17
Continue on 10th Street East
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
10th Street East
18
Turn left onto Robert Street North
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Robert Street North
19
Turn right onto Kellogg Boulevard East
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Kellogg Boulevard East
20
Turn right onto Wabasha Street North
162 ft
·
5 sec
·
Wabasha Street North
21
Arrive at destination
Wabasha Street North
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.9 miles from Clear Lake, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 45.3 and 62.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
45.3 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
I 694
Keep slight left at fork onto I 694
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
57 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
US 10 / Voyageur Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 10 / Voyageur Highway toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul
9
62.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
US 10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 10 toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th Street, Wacouta Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 107A
Toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th...
6
62.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Take the exit toward 10th Street, Wacouta Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward 10th Street, Wacouta Street
8
62.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 10th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 10th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.49 one way
$18.99 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $10.23 | $20.46 |
| premium | $4.53 | $11.38 | $22.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.09 | $28.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.70 | $3.06 |
| Efficient EV | 16 | 0 | $5.58 | $2.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.5 | 0 | $8.93 | $4.08 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Saint Paul, MN
Morning in Saint Paul on Tuesday
Local time
7:05 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
21 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
1h 18m 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 79% of the journey taking place on interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 28 miles on I-94, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of the trip. Expect mostly high-speed driving as you traverse these major roadways. The character of the drive is predominantly that of efficient travel, connecting points A and B with minimal deviation from the main arteries.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and I 694. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 45.3 miles in near I 694.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.8 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 45.3 miles (I 694): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 57 miles (US 10 / Voyageur Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 62.5 miles (US 10): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 18m. Total distance: 63.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28 miles on I 94. 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 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: at 45.3 miles (I 694): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 57 miles (US 10 / Voyageur Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 62.5 miles (US 10): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Saint Paul, MN
More from Clear Lake, MN
More trips to Saint Paul, MN
Explore more options from Clear Lake, MN or browse trips ending in Saint Paul, MN.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.