Cross Lake to Saint Cloud is 86 miles and takes about 1 hour 52 minutes via US 10, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This journey stays within Minnesota, taking you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on well-maintained roads, making it a convenient option for a day trip or a quick leg of a longer journey. You'll find this route offers a practical way to travel between these two points without much fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
43 miles from Cross Lake, MN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 1m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 10
32.7 mi
37m
C. Elmer Anderson Memorial Highway
27.4 mi
32m
County Road 3
16.3 mi
23m
Riverside Drive
3.5 mi
8m
County Road 11
3.2 mi
4m
State Highway 210
0.9 mi
1m
East Saint Germain Street
0.7 mi
1m
West Washington Street
0.5 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 10
— 32.7 mi, about 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cross Lake, MN and Saint Cloud, MN.
1
Start on CH 3; IC C
3.2 mi·4 min·County Road 11
2
Keep slight right at fork onto CH 3; IC C
341 ft·5 sec·County Road 3
3
Enter roundabout onto CH 3; IC C
122 ft·2 sec·County Road 3
4
Continue on CH 3; IC C
10 mi·14 min·County Road 3
5
Enter roundabout onto CH 3; IC C
156 ft·4 sec·County Road 3
6
Continue on CH 3; IC C
5.8 mi·8 min·County Road 3
7
Turn right onto CR 49
444 ft·18 sec·Wise Road
8
Turn left onto CR 20
3.5 mi·8 min·Riverside Drive
9
Enter roundabout onto CR 20
148 ft·4 sec·Northwest 4th Street
10
Continue on CR 20
0.2 mi·34 sec·Northwest 4th Street
11
Turn right onto MN 210; MN 371 Business
0.5 mi·59 sec·West Washington Street
12
Continue on MN 210; MN 371 Business
0.9 mi·1 min·State Highway 210
13
Turn left onto MN 371
27 mi·32 min·C. Elmer Anderson Memorial Highway
14
Merge onto US 10
28 mi·32 min·US 10
Use the right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto US 10
4.3 mi·5 min·US 10
16
Turn right onto East Saint Germain Street
0.7 mi·1 min·East Saint Germain Street
17
Continue on Veterans Bridge
0.2 mi·23 sec·Veterans Bridge
18
Continue on 1st Street North
0.2 mi·29 sec·1st Street North
19
Continue on 2nd Street North
393 ft·13 sec·2nd Street North
20
Turn left onto 8th Avenue North
253 ft·16 sec·8th Avenue North
21
Turn left onto Courthouse Square
7 ft·0 sec·Courthouse Square
22
Arrive at destination
Courthouse Square
Trip Plan
Given this is a short 86-mile drive, you have plenty of flexibility for when to depart. Leaving Cross Lake in the morning should get you to Saint Cloud with ample time to spare. You won't need to plan for extensive stops, but keeping an eye on your fuel gauge is always wise, especially with a projected cost of $13. The longest uninterrupted stretch is over 30 miles, so consider a brief pause before or after that segment if you prefer to break up the driving. Ensure you have your preferred navigation ready for the transition onto county roads.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 43 miles from Cross Lake, MN, or about 1h 1m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 32.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 19 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 43 miles or 1h 1m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 35m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Cloud, MN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Cross Lake, MN so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Cross Lake, MN
This is one driving day of about 86 miles and 1h 52m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Cross Lake, MN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 10 for about 32.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.2 and 85.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
3.2 mi into trip|~4m in|CH 3; IC C / County Road 3
Keep slight right at fork onto CH 3; IC C / County Road 3
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
3.2 mi into trip|~4m in|CH 3; IC C / County Road 3
Enter roundabout onto CH 3; IC C / County Road 3
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
13.6 mi into trip|~19m in|CH 3; IC C / County Road 3
Enter roundabout onto CH 3; IC C / County Road 3
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
52.1 mi into trip|~1h 11m in|US 10
Merge onto US 10
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
85.9 mi into trip|~1h 52m in|8th Avenue North
Turn left onto 8th Avenue North
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.80 one way
$25.60 round trip
$3.78/gal25.4 MPG avg30 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.07
$13.79
$27.58
premium
$4.53
$15.34
$30.69
diesel
$5.61
$18.99
$37.98
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 30.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
25.8
0
$9.03
$4.13
Efficient EV
21.5
0
$7.52
$3.44
EV Truck/SUV
34.4
0
$12.04
$5.50
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Cross Lake, MN
Late night
in Cross Lake on Tuesday
Local time
3:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
25°F
Mostly Cloudy
NW 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Saint Cloud, MN
Late night
in Saint Cloud on Tuesday
Local time
3:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
27°F
Partly Cloudy
WNW 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
2 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 52m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive presents a mixed experience, with 39% of the journey utilizing highway travel. You'll encounter stretches on US 10, including the longest continuous segment of 32.7 miles, which should offer a consistent pace. The route also incorporates C. Elmer Anderson Memorial Highway and County Road 3, suggesting a transition from faster-paced roads to more localized county routes. Expect a varied driving feel, shifting between more open highway conditions and potentially slower, more winding county roads.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 32.7 mi on US 10.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 3.2 miles in near CH 3; IC C / County Road 3.
Driving Effort5/10
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 86 miles you will encounter 12 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 3.2 miles (CH 3; IC C / County Road 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.2 miles (CH 3; IC C / County Road 3): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 13.6 miles (CH 3; IC C / County Road 3): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Saint Cloud is a city in Central Minnesota with a population of 68,000 (2018). Although it may have few attractions to draw the tourist, it is a nexus of medical advances, particularly in orthopedics (St. Cloud Orthopedics Associates, for example). It is also a college town as it is home to St. Cloud State University and St Cloud Technical College. The College of St. Benedict and St. John's University are nearby.
Top landmarks
•Michael Majerus House — House in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
•Carter Block — building in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
•First National Bank — historic bank building in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 52m. Total distance: 86 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 32.7 miles on US 10. 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: at 3.2 miles (CH 3; IC C / County Road 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.2 miles (CH 3; IC C / County Road 3): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 13.6 miles (CH 3; IC C / County Road 3): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Saint Cloud, MN before heading back.
