Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 13, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
25.9 mi
42 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Eagan, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Excelsior, MN
Tom Fisk
Eagan, MN to Excelsior, MN is 25.9 miles and takes about 36 minutes via I 494 and MN 5, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, connecting two points in the Midwest region. The route offers a mix of highway cruising and surface streets, making it a straightforward drive for a quick getaway or errand. Plan for a brief travel time that allows for easy scheduling.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 9.2 mi | 11m |
| MN 5 | 6.3 mi | 8m |
| Cedar Avenue | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| Diffley Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Powers Boulevard | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Mill Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Pilot Knob Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 21 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,277 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~298 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 34 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Eagan, MN and Excelsior, MN.
Start on CR 31
Turn left onto CR 30
Enter roundabout onto CR 30
Continue on CR 30
Take the ramp
Turn slight right
Merge onto MN 77
Take the exit
Merge onto I 494; MN 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
Take the exit onto MN 5
Keep slight right at fork onto MN 5
Turn right onto CR 17
Continue on CR 82
Turn left onto 2nd Street
Turn left onto Water Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 18.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Enter roundabout onto CR 30 / Diffley Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Merge onto MN 77 / Cedar Avenue
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit onto MN 5 toward MN 5 West, US 212 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto MN 5
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.23 one way
$8.46 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.46 | $4.55 | $9.10 |
| premium | $4.95 | $5.05 | $10.10 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $6.08 | $12.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.27 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Eagan on Sunday
Local time
2:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Excelsior on Sunday
Local time
2:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is about 60% highway, with the longest continuous stretch on I 494 measuring 9.2 miles. You'll transition from interstate driving to surface roads, indicated by the mixed highway and surface profile. Expect some merging and denser traffic as you approach your destination, typical for routes involving major arteries like I 494 and MN 5.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in near CR 30 / Diffley Road.
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 12 decision points packed into just 25.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles (CR 30 / Diffley Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.9 miles (MN 77 / Cedar Avenue): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
295 ft
Total Descent
297 ft
Highest Point
1,006 ft
~24 mi in
Elevation Range
276 ft
Founded 1860
Eagan is a city of 69,000 people (2021) in Minnesota on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. It is a suburb in the southern part of the Twin Cities region.
Founded 1877
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 25.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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