Origin
Eagan, MN
Evening in Eagan on Wednesday
Local time
8:08 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Eagan, MN to Palmer, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 10, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
60.9 mi
98 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Eagan, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Palmer, MN
Gabriele Romano
Trip Overview
Eagan, MN to Palmer, MN is 60.9 miles and takes about 1h 13m via I 35E and State Highway 13, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward trip entirely within the Midwest region, specifically Minnesota. Expect a largely highway-based experience that makes for a quick transit between your starting and ending points. It’s a convenient option if you’re looking for a short, uncomplicated drive with minimal time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 37.7 mi | 40m |
| Morristown Boulevard | 7.8 mi | 9m |
| State Highway 13 | 5.5 mi | 7m |
| State Highway 60 | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| 410th Avenue | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Diffley Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Highway 60 West | 1 mi | 1m |
| Pilot Knob Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 37.7 mi, about 40m
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 Palmer, 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
38 mi
·
40 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 56
Toward MN 60
6
Keep slight left at fork
251 ft
·
8 sec
Exit 56
Toward MN 60 West
7
Turn left onto MN 60; I 35 ALT
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Highway 60 West
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Continue on MN 60; I 35 ALT
7.8 mi
·
9 min
·
Morristown Boulevard
9
Continue on MN 60
5.4 mi
·
6 min
·
State Highway 60
10
Turn left onto MN 13
5.5 mi
·
7 min
·
State Highway 13
11
Turn right onto CR 22
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
410th Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
CR 22
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.4 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 39.5 — 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.
5
39.3 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward MN 60
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 56
Toward MN 60
7
39.5 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MN 60 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 56
Toward MN 60 West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.94 one way
$19.88 round trip
$4.15/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.46 | $10.70 | $21.40 |
| premium | $4.95 | $11.88 | $23.75 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $14.31 | $28.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.3 | 0 | $6.39 | $2.92 |
| Efficient EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.33 | $2.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.4 | 0 | $8.53 | $3.90 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Palmer, MN
Evening in Palmer on Wednesday
Local time
8:08 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°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
1h 13m 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 drive is primarily on highways, with 81% of the 60.9 miles covered on high-speed roads like I 35E. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 37.7 miles on I 35E before transitioning to surface roads. The latter portion of the route, beginning around mile 51 (after leaving I 35E), will involve navigating local streets like Morristown Boulevard and State Highway 13 as you approach Palmer.
81% 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: 37.7 mi on I 35E.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35E and Morristown Boulevard. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 30 / Diffley Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 60.9 miles you will encounter 8 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: 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
1,157 ft
950 ft
Total Climb
330 ft
Total Descent
123 ft
Highest Point
1,157 ft
~60.9 mi in
Elevation Range
207 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 Palmer, MN
Full guide →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 1h 13m. Total distance: 60.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 37.7 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 Palmer, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Palmer, MN
Explore more options from Eagan, MN or browse trips ending in Palmer, MN.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.