Elmdale to Buckman is 24.5 miles and takes about 41 minutes via Nature Road and MN 25, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, offering a straightforward drive through the Midwest. It's a convenient option if you're looking for a quick journey between these two points without a significant time commitment. The route is well-suited for a same-day excursion, allowing you to easily fit it into a larger travel plan or enjoy it as a standalone short drive.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Nature Road
14.6 mi
25m
MN 25
4.5 mi
5m
State Highway 238
4 mi
7m
West Centre Street
0.8 mi
2m
120th Avenue
0.5 mi
1m
93rd Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Nature Road
— 14.6 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmdale, MN and Buckman, MN.
1
Start on MN 238
4.0 mi·7 min·State Highway 238
2
Turn right onto CH 24
0.5 mi·1 min·120th Avenue
Use the right lane.
3
Turn left onto CH 26; IC F
5.4 mi·12 min·Nature Road
4
Continue on CH 26; IC F
0.8 mi·2 min·West Centre Street
5
Continue on CH 26; IC F
9.2 mi·12 min·Nature Road
6
Turn left onto MN 25
4.5 mi·5 min·MN 25
7
Turn right onto 93rd Street
85 ft·2 sec·93rd Street
8
Arrive at destination
93rd Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 4
4 decision points cluster between mile 4 and 24.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4 mi into trip|~7m in|CH 24 / 120th Avenue
Turn right onto CH 24 / 120th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
3
4.5 mi into trip|~8m in|CH 26; IC F / Nature Road
Turn left onto CH 26; IC F / Nature Road
Navigation decision point
3
20 mi into trip|~35m in|MN 25
Turn left onto MN 25
Navigation decision point
4
24.5 mi into trip|~41m in|93rd Street
Turn right onto 93rd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.68 one way
$7.36 round trip
$3.82/gal25.4 MPG avg9 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$3.97
$7.95
premium
$4.60
$4.44
$8.88
diesel
$4.80
$4.63
$9.25
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
7.4
0
$2.57
$1.18
Efficient EV
6.1
0
$2.14
$0.98
EV Truck/SUV
9.8
0
$3.43
$1.57
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Jul 14, 2026
Origin
Elmdale, MN
Afternoon
in Elmdale on Sunday
Local time
12:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Clear
SW 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 10:42PM CDT until July 14 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 10:42PM CDT until July 14 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
Destination
Buckman, MN
Afternoon
in Buckman on Sunday
Local time
12:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Clear
SW 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 10:42PM CDT until July 14 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 10:42PM CDT until July 14 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
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
41m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 35% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Nature Road, MN 25, and State Highway 238. The longest uninterrupted segment is 14.6 miles on Nature Road, so expect some continuous driving before transitions. The road conditions vary, providing a change of pace as you navigate between different types of thoroughfares. It's not a monotonous highway crawl, nor is it a constant winding backroad adventure.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.6 mi on Nature Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 4 miles in near CH 24 / 120th Avenue.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Elmdale, MN to Buckman, MN is easy. At 41m with 35% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles (CH 24 / 120th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles (CH 26; IC F / Nature Road): Navigation decision point; at 20 miles (MN 25): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 14.6 miles on Nature Road. 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: at 4 miles (CH 24 / 120th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles (CH 26; IC F / Nature Road): Navigation decision point; at 20 miles (MN 25): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Buckman, MN before heading back.
