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Trip from Clinton, MN to Ortonville, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed May 16, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

18m

Distance

12.2 mi

20 km

Drive Score

5/10

Practical drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 17m ★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m ★

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Clinton, MN, MN

Clinton, MN

Tom Fisk

Downtown Ortonville, MN, MN

Ortonville, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Clinton, MN to Ortonville, MN is 12.2 miles and takes about 18 minutes via US 12, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, connecting two points in Minnesota. It's primarily a surface road drive, making it a straightforward and quick transit. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick errand, a short scenic detour, or as part of a larger regional exploration without demanding significant travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
3rd Street 11.2 mi 16m
US 12 0.9 mi 1m
Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
2nd Street Southeast — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: 3rd Street — 11.2 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clinton, MN and Ortonville, MN.

1

Start on Main Street

33 ft · 6 sec · Main Street
2

Turn left onto US 75

11 mi · 16 min · 3rd Street
3

Turn right onto US 12

0.9 mi · 1 min · US 12
4

Arrive at destination

MN 7

Heads-up: tricky spots

2 of 2

2 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 75 / 3rd Street

Turn left onto US 75 / 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

3
11.2 mi into trip | ~16m in | US 12

Turn right onto US 12

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.05 one way

$4.10 round trip

$4.27/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.60 $2.21 $4.42
premium $5.04 $2.42 $4.84
diesel $5.64 $2.71 $5.42

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-05-11.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.7 0 $1.28 $0.59
Efficient EV 3.1 0 $1.07 $0.49
EV Truck/SUV 4.9 0 $1.71 $0.78

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 May 9, 2026

Origin

Clinton, MN

Late night in Clinton on Saturday

Local time

1:44 AM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Sunny

NNW 13 to 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued May 9 at 6:25AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued May 9 at 5:43AM CDT by NWS Duluth MN

Destination

Ortonville, MN

Late night in Ortonville on Saturday

Local time

1:44 AM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Sunny

NNW 17 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued May 9 at 6:25AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued May 9 at 5:43AM 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

18m 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?

You'll spend about 8% of this 12.2-mile drive on highways, meaning the majority is on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch is 11.2 miles on 3rd Street. Expect a mostly surface road experience once you leave the highway segments, transitioning from 3rd Street to US 12 and then Main Street. This suggests a route with fewer high-speed interchanges and more consistent, local road cruising.

Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
4 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.2 mi on 3rd Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 75 / 3rd Street.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Clinton, MN to Ortonville, MN is easy. At 18m with 8% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 75 / 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.2 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,180 ft 1,012 ft

Total Climb

90 ft

Total Descent

229 ft

Highest Point

1,180 ft

~6.1 mi in

Elevation Range

169 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Clinton, MN

Full guide →

Arriving in Ortonville, MN

Full guide →

Ortonville is in Southern Minnesota. It lies on Big Stone Lake, and is across the lake from Big Stone City, South Dakota.

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 18m. Total distance: 12.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (8%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.2 miles on 3rd Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 (US 75 / 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.2 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point.

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