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Trip from Eden Prairie, MN to Forest Lake, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

58m

Distance

47.4 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 54m ★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States

Eden Prairie, MN

Wikimedia Commons

city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States

Forest Lake, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Eden Prairie, MN to Forest Lake, MN is 47.4 miles and takes about 58m via I 35W and I 694, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Minnesota, moving from the Midwest region to the same region. It's a straightforward drive that primarily uses major interstate highways. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a same-day trip without needing to break up the drive. You'll find it an efficient way to get from one part of the Twin Cities metro area to another.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 35W 19.1 mi 20m
MN 100 13.2 mi 16m
I 694 5.3 mi 5m
US 212 4.4 mi 5m
Crosstown Highway 1.9 mi 2m
West Broadway Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Scenic Heights Road 0.5 mi 1m
Mitchell Road 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 35W — 19.1 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Eden Prairie, MN and Forest Lake, MN.

1

Start on Scenic Heights Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Scenic Heights Road
2

Turn left onto Mitchell Road

0.4 mi · 51 sec · Mitchell Road
3

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward US 212 East, MN 5 East Use the right lane.
4

Merge onto US 212; MN 5

4.4 mi · 5 min · US 212; MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Continue on MN 62

1.9 mi · 2 min · Crosstown Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 108B Toward MN 100 North Use the right lane.
7

Merge onto MN 100

13 mi · 16 min · MN 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward I 694 East
9

Merge onto I 694

5.3 mi · 5 min · I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 41B Toward I 35W North Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 35W

3.0 mi · 3 min · I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W

16 mi · 17 min · I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 131 Toward CR 2: Forest Lake Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight right at fork

173 ft · 6 sec
Toward CR 2 Use the right lane.
15

Turn right onto CH 2

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Broadway Avenue
Use the right lane.
16

Enter roundabout onto US 61

14 ft · 0 sec · Lake Street South
17

Continue on US 61

48 ft · 1 sec · Lake Street South
18

Arrive at destination

US 61

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Fridley, MN, MN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Fridley, MN

24 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

Saint Louis Park, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Fridley, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.7 miles from Eden Prairie, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 46.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward US 212 East, MN 5 East

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward US 212 East, MN 5 East
7
7.6 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward MN 100 North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 108B Toward MN 100 North
7
27 mi into trip | ~35m in

Take the exit toward I 35W North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 41B Toward I 35W North
7
46.3 mi into trip | ~56m in

Take the exit toward CR 2: Forest Lake

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 131 Toward CR 2: Forest Lake
8
46.5 mi into trip | ~56m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CR 2

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward CR 2

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.01 one way

$16.01 round trip

$4.29/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.77 $8.90 $17.80
premium $5.31 $9.90 $19.80
diesel $6.18 $11.54 $23.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.6 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.98 $2.28
Efficient EV 11.9 0 $4.15 $1.90
EV Truck/SUV 19 0 $6.64 $3.03

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 Oct 16, 2026

Origin

Eden Prairie, MN

Morning in Eden Prairie on Saturday

Local time

10:55 AM

CDT

Current temp

45°F

Rain Showers Likely

NNW 15 mph 67% chance Live forecast

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued October 16 at 3:47AM CDT until October 17 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 3:47AM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Destination

Forest Lake, MN

Morning in Forest Lake on Saturday

Local time

10:55 AM

CDT

Current temp

43°F

Rain Showers Likely

NW 15 mph 62% chance Live forecast

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued October 16 at 3:47AM CDT until October 17 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 3:47AM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

58m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is mostly highway, with 89% of the 47.4 miles on interstates. You'll experience a longest stretch of 19.1 miles on I 35W, offering a consistent cruising experience. The bulk of your travel will be on I 35W, MN 100, and I 694. Expect a high volume of exits and potential for urban merging traffic as you navigate the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.

89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.1 mi on I 35W.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and MN 100. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 14 decision points packed into just 47.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

913 ft 847 ft

Total Climb

134 ft

Total Descent

103 ft

Highest Point

913 ft

~30.5 mi in

Elevation Range

66 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Eden Prairie, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1858

Eden Prairie is a suburban city in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Arriving in Forest Lake, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1874

Forest Lake is a city in Minnesota.

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 58m. Total distance: 47.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

58m 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 19.1 miles on I 35W. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Forest Lake, 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 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 27 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 Forest Lake, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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