Origin
Falcon Heights, MN
Morning in Falcon Heights on Sunday
Local time
9:18 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Falcon Heights, MN to Bloomington, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
18.4 mi
30 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Falcon Heights, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Falcon Heights, MN to Bloomington, MN is 18.4 miles and takes about 25 minutes via I 35W, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest and within Minnesota, offering a straightforward journey. It's primarily a highway-focused drive, making it a quick and efficient option for getting between these two points. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a connection to another longer trip without significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 15 mi | 20m |
| MN 36 | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Snelling Avenue North | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Larpenteur Avenue West | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 15 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Falcon Heights, MN and Bloomington, MN.
1
Start on CH 30
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Larpenteur Avenue West
2
Continue on CH 30
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Larpenteur Avenue West
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto MN 51
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Snelling Avenue North
4
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward MN 36 West: Minneapolis
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto MN 36
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
MN 36
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 35W
15 mi
·
20 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto West 90th Street
207 ft
·
5 sec
·
West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Arrive at destination
West 90th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 18.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward MN 36 West: Minneapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward MN 36 West: Minneapolis
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
MN 36
Merge onto MN 36
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 35W
Merge onto I 35W
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
18.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward 90th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
7
18.4 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
West 90th Street
Turn left onto West 90th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.74 one way
$5.48 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.95 | $5.90 |
| premium | $4.53 | $3.28 | $6.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.06 | $8.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.93 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Bloomington, MN
Morning in Bloomington on Sunday
Local time
9:18 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
25m 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 route is heavily highway-focused, with 89% of the drive on major roads. You'll spend a good portion of your time on I 35W, including one continuous stretch of about 15 miles. The primary roads involved are I 35W, MN 36, and Snelling Avenue North, indicating a blend of interstate speeds and arterial road driving. Expect a relatively fast-paced experience on this drive, with minimal slowdowns until you reach your destination.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and MN 36. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 18.4 miles you will encounter 7 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: at 1.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (MN 36): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bloomington, MN
Full guide →Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP IATA) and home to the Mall of America, the United States' largest shopping mall. Bloomington has a population of 89,000 people (as of 2021). Bloomington was established as a post–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is served by two major freeways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494.
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 25m. Total distance: 18.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m 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 15 miles on I 35W. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Bloomington, 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 1.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (MN 36): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (I 35W): 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 Bloomington, 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 EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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