Origin
Columbus, MN
Night in Columbus on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbus, MN to Maple Grove, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
31.8 mi
51 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbus, MN
Tom Fisk
Maple Grove, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Columbus to Maple Grove is 31.8 miles and takes about 41 minutes via Lake Drive Northeast and I-35W South, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, making it a convenient option for a quick local excursion. It's primarily a surface road drive, so expect city traffic and intersections rather than open highway cruising. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a spontaneous trip or as part of a larger regional exploration within the Midwest.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 694 | 12.4 mi | 15m |
| I 35W | 9.3 mi | 10m |
| Lake Drive Northeast | 5.3 mi | 8m |
| Kettle River Boulevard Northeast | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| I 494 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Bass Lake Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 694
— 12.4 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbus, MN and Maple Grove, MN.
1
Start on CR 62
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Kettle River Boulevard Northeast
2
At end of road, turn right onto CH 23
5.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Lake Drive Northeast
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 35W South: Minneapolis
4
Merge onto I 35W
9.3 mi
·
10 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 26C
Toward I 694 West
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 694
12 mi
·
15 min
·
I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 494 South
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Continue on I 494
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 494
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 26
Toward CR 10: Bass Lake Road
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto CR 10
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Bass Lake Road
Use the right lane.
11
Arrive at destination
CR 10
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 7 and 31.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 35W
Merge onto I 35W
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
16.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward I 694 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 26C
Toward I 694 West
6
29.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward I 494 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward I 494 South
7
31 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward CR 10: Bass Lake Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 26
Toward CR 10: Bass Lake Road
6
31.3 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
CR 10 / Bass Lake Road
Turn right onto CR 10 / Bass Lake Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.04 one way
$10.07 round trip
$4.02/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.28 | $5.36 | $10.72 |
| premium | $4.85 | $6.07 | $12.14 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.01 | $14.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.34 | $1.53 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.78 | $1.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.04 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Maple Grove, MN
Night in Maple Grove on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
56°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
25 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
41m 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 31.8-mile route features 0% highway driving, meaning you'll be on surface roads for the entire duration. The drive will likely involve navigating through local traffic and intersections for the full 41 minutes. You can expect a consistent pace dictated by traffic signals and speed limits rather than high-speed highway travel.
72% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.4 mi on I 694.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 694 and I 35W. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7 miles in near I 35W.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 31.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
962 ft
847 ft
Total Climb
174 ft
Total Descent
139 ft
Highest Point
962 ft
~29.8 mi in
Elevation Range
114 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Columbus, MN
Full guide →Founded 2006
Columbus is a city in Minnesota. It is a northern suburb of the Twin Cities.
Arriving in Maple Grove, MN
Full guide →Founded 1858
Maple Grove is a suburban city in the Twin Cities 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 41m. Total distance: 31.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.4 miles on I 694. 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 Maple Grove, 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 7 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Maple Grove, 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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