Origin
Columbia Heights, MN
Late night in Columbia Heights on Sunday
Local time
3:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia Heights, MN to Apple Valley, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
24.8 mi
40 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbia Heights, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Apple Valley, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Columbia Heights to Apple Valley is 24.8 miles and takes about 38 minutes via Cedar Avenue South and I-35W, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Minnesota, traversing the Midwest region. It's a straightforward trip that mostly involves navigating surface roads with a brief highway segment. Given its short duration and minimal highway use, it's an ideal route for a quick errand or a simple connection between two points without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Avenue South | 11.6 mi | 14m |
| I 35W | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| Northeast University Avenue | 4.1 mi | 9m |
| Crosstown Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| University Avenue Northeast | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| County Road 42 | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Cedar Avenue South
— 11.6 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia Heights, MN and Apple Valley, MN.
1
Start on MN 47
58 ft
·
8 sec
·
University Avenue Northeast
2
Continue on MN 47
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
University Avenue Northeast
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on MN 47
4.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Northeast University Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 35W South
5
Merge onto I 35W
6.2 mi
·
8 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 11
Toward MN 62 East, MN 62 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward MN 62 East, MN 62 West, CR 35: Portland Avenue, Lyndale Avenue
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward MN 62 East, CR 35: Portland Avenue
Use the slight left lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward MN 62 East
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto MN 62
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Crosstown Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward MN 77 South
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto MN 77
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Cedar Avenue South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Arrive at destination
CR 42
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 10.9 and 12.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
10.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward MN 62 East, MN 62 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11
Toward MN 62 East, MN 62 West
6
11.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MN 62 East, MN 62 West, CR 35: Portland Avenue, Lyndale Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MN 62 East, MN 62 West, CR 35: Portland...
9
11.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MN 62 East, CR 35: Portland Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward MN 62 East, CR 35: Portland Avenue
8
11.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MN 62 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward MN 62 East
6
12.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward MN 77 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward MN 77 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.69 one way
$7.38 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $3.98 | $7.95 |
| premium | $4.53 | $4.42 | $8.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.48 | $10.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.47 | $1.59 |
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
Apple Valley, MN
Late night in Apple Valley on Sunday
Local time
3:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°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
19 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
38m 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?
You'll encounter mostly surface roads on this 24.8-mile trip, with about 25% of the route utilizing highways. The longest stretch without a significant turn is 11.6 miles on Cedar Avenue South, indicating a sustained period on this main artery before you merge onto I-35W. Expect a good number of exits and intersections as you navigate through developed areas.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.6 mi on Cedar Avenue South.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 10.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 24.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Columbia Heights, MN
Full guide →Columbia Heights and Fridley are suburbs of Minneapolis located in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota.
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 38m. Total distance: 24.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.6 miles on Cedar Avenue South. 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 Apple Valley, 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 10.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.5 miles: 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 Apple Valley, 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.
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