Origin
Eagan, MN
Night in Eagan on Thursday
Local time
9:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Eagan, MN to Faribault, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 11, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
40.4 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Eagan, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Faribault, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Eagan, MN to Faribault, MN is 40.4 miles and takes about 47 minutes via Diffley Road and I 35E South, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, moving you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's primarily a surface road drive, meaning you'll experience local traffic and potential stops along the way. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick, straightforward transit without the need for an overnight stay, making it easy to fit into a busy schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 35.5 mi | 38m |
| Lyndale Avenue North | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Diffley Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| 4th Street Northwest | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Highway 60 West | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| I 35 Business | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Shieldsville Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Pilot Knob Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 35.5 mi, about 38m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,701 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~162 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
22.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 34 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Eagan, MN and Faribault, MN.
1
Start on CR 31
222 ft
·
6 sec
·
Pilot Knob Road
2
Turn left onto CR 30
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Diffley Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 35E South
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 35E
35 mi
·
38 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
296 ft
·
3 sec
Toward MN 21
6
Continue on I 35 Business
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
I 35 Business
Toward MN 21, I 35 Business
7
Continue on MN 21; I 35 Business; I 35 Alternate
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Shieldsville Boulevard
8
Continue on I 35 Business; MN 21; I 35 Alternate
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Lyndale Avenue North
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn left onto MN 60
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Highway 60 West
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on MN 60
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
4th Street Northwest
11
Turn left
69 ft
·
5 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from Eagan, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 39.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 30 / Diffley Road
Turn left onto CR 30 / Diffley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward I 35E South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 35E South
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 35E
Merge onto I 35E
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
37.1 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward MN 21
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward MN 21
4
39.3 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
MN 60 / Highway 60 West
Turn left onto MN 60 / Highway 60 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.59 one way
$13.19 round trip
$4.15/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.46 | $7.10 | $14.19 |
| premium | $4.95 | $7.88 | $15.76 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $9.49 | $18.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Faribault, MN
Night in Faribault on Thursday
Local time
9:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°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
1 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
47m 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 40.4-mile drive features 0% highway, meaning your entire trip will be on surface roads. You'll navigate through local streets like Diffley Road before transitioning to I 35E South and then MN 21. Expect a consistent pace on surface roads, with frequent intersections and potential for slower speeds due to local traffic. The total duration is estimated at 47 minutes, so you'll be cruising through populated areas for the majority of the drive.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.5 mi on I 35E.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35E and Lyndale Avenue North. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 30 / Diffley Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 47m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 30 / Diffley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (I 35E): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,133 ft
939 ft
Total Climb
344 ft
Total Descent
300 ft
Highest Point
1,133 ft
~20.2 mi in
Elevation Range
194 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Eagan, MN
Full guide →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.
Arriving in Faribault, MN
Full guide →Founded 1855
Faribault (pronounced FAYR-boh) is a city in Southern Minnesota. It is the county seat of Rice County and located at the confluence of the Cannon and Straight rivers.
Top landmarks
- • Shattuck-Saint Mary's School — private secondary school in Faribault, Minnesota
- • Alexander Faribault House — Historic house in Faribault, Minnesota, United States
- • Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour — historic church in Minnesota, United States
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 47m. Total distance: 40.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 35.5 miles on I 35E. 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: near the start (CR 30 / Diffley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (I 35E): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Faribault, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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