Origin
Crystal, MN
Late night in Crystal on Tuesday
Local time
4:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Crystal, MN to Bloomington, 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
22m
Distance
16.9 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Crystal, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Crystal to Bloomington, you are looking at a quick 16.9-mile journey that typically takes about 19 minutes behind the wheel. This short trip stays entirely within the Midwest, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day excursion. You will navigate using a combination of MN 100 South, I-494 East, and I-35W South to reach your destination. Budgeting just $2 for fuel makes this a very economical transit between these two Minnesota cities. Because the duration is so brief, there is no need to worry about overnight accommodations or complicated logistics. It is a straightforward, functional drive that gets you where you need to go efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MN 100 | 11.9 mi | 14m |
| I 494 | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| I 35W | 1 mi | 1m |
| 42nd Avenue North | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
MN 100
— 11.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Crystal, MN and Bloomington, MN.
1
Start on CR 9
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
42nd Avenue North
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward MN 100 South
Use the right lane.
3
Merge onto MN 100
12 mi
·
14 min
·
MN 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 494; MN 5
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
this road
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
8
Merge onto I 35W
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35W
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto West 90th Street
207 ft
·
5 sec
·
West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
West 90th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 16.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward MN 100 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward MN 100 South
7
12.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
7
15 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
7
16.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward 90th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
7
16.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
West 90th Street
Turn left onto West 90th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.52 one way
$5.03 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.71 | $5.42 |
| premium | $4.53 | $3.02 | $6.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.73 | $7.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.77 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.37 | $1.08 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Bloomington, MN
Late night in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
4:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
22m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive as you transition between these suburban hubs. While the route utilizes major thoroughfares like I-494 and I-35W, it is not a monotonous interstate grind; rather, it requires frequent adjustments as you navigate the interchanges. With 0% of the drive classified as a long-haul highway stretch, the experience is defined by shorter bursts of travel and constant road switching. You will find that the personality of the road changes rapidly as you move from the local streets of Crystal onto the faster-paced highway segments. Stay alert, as the quick succession of turns means you will need to pay close attention to signage throughout the 19-minute transit.
89% 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: 11.9 mi on MN 100.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MN 100 and I 494. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in.
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 16.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bloomington, MN
Full guide →Founded 1843
Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP IATA) and home to the Mall of America, the United States' largest shopping mall. Bloomington has a population of 89,000 people (as of 2021). Bloomington was established as a post–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is served by two major freeways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494.
Top landmarks
- • Nickelodeon Universe — amusement park inside Mall of America
- • SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge — amusement ride
- • SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium
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 22m. Total distance: 16.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.9 miles on MN 100. 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 Bloomington, 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 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15 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 Bloomington, 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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