Origin
Forest Lake, MN
Morning in Forest Lake on Tuesday
Local time
6:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Forest Lake, MN to Bloomington, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
39.9 mi
64 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Forest Lake, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Forest Lake, MN to Bloomington, MN is 39.9 miles and takes about 50 minutes via I 35W and I 35, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short Midwest trip stays within Minnesota, connecting two points in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Given its proximity and minimal travel time, this route is ideal for a quick commute, a day trip, or an easy leg of a larger journey. The majority of the drive is on highways, making it a straightforward and efficient connection between these two locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 34.3 mi | 41m |
| I 35 | 4 mi | 4m |
| West Broadway Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Lake Street South | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 34.3 mi, about 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forest Lake, MN and Bloomington, MN.
1
Start on US 61
273 ft
·
15 sec
·
Lake Street South
2
Continue on US 61
306 ft
·
8 sec
·
Lake Street South
3
Enter roundabout onto CH 2
194 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Broadway Avenue
4
Continue on CH 2
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Broadway Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 131
Toward CR 2: Forest Lake
6
Merge onto I 35
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W
34 mi
·
41 min
·
I 35W
Toward I 35W: Minneapolis
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto West 90th Street
207 ft
·
5 sec
·
West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Arrive at destination
West 90th Street
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 39.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.9 miles from Forest Lake, 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 0.1 and 39.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue
Enter roundabout onto CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward CR 2: Forest Lake
Navigation decision point
Exit 131
Toward CR 2: Forest Lake
7
5.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 35W
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W toward I 35W: Minneapolis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 35W: Minneapolis
7
39.6 mi into trip
|
~49m 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
39.9 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
West 90th Street
Turn left onto West 90th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.94 one way
$11.88 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $6.40 | $12.80 |
| premium | $4.53 | $7.12 | $14.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.81 | $17.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12 | 0 | $4.19 | $1.92 |
| Efficient EV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16 | 0 | $5.59 | $2.55 |
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
Bloomington, MN
Morning in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
6:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
50m 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 highway, with 96% of the 39.9 miles on major roads like I 35W and I 35. You'll experience a longest stretch of 34.3 miles on I 35W, which means extended cruising on the interstate. The transition to surface roads, like West Broadway Avenue, will occur towards the end of your trip. Expect a high volume of exits and merging traffic as you approach the Bloomington area.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34.3 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and I 35. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue.
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 50m 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: at 0.1 miles (CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Forest Lake, MN
Full guide →Forest Lake is a city in Minnesota.
Arriving in Bloomington, MN
Full guide →Founded 1843
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.
Top landmarks
- • Nickelodeon Universe — amusement park inside Mall of America
- • SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge — amusement ride
- • SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium
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 50m. Total distance: 39.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 34.3 miles on I 35W. 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 0.1 miles (CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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