Origin
Inver Grove Heights, MN
Morning in Inver Grove Heights on Sunday
Local time
9:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Inver Grove Heights, MN to Minneapolis, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
16.3 mi
26 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Inver Grove Heights, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
This short 16.3-mile drive from Inver Grove Heights to Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a straightforward trip that typically takes around 28 minutes. With a modest fuel cost estimate of $2, it's an easy addition to any itinerary within the Midwest region. The route primarily utilizes local roads, making it a more involved, turn-heavy experience rather than a simple highway cruise. Since it's so brief, this drive is perfectly suited for a single day trip, offering flexibility in your schedule. You won't need to worry about overnight stays or breaking up the journey, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hiawatha Avenue | 4.9 mi | 9m |
| MN 55 | 4 mi | 6m |
| 70th Street East | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| 70th Street West | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Floyd B. Olson Memorial Highway/Hiawatha Pioneer Trail/Crosstown Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Washington Avenue South | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South 3rd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South 7th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hiawatha Avenue
— 4.9 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Inver Grove Heights, MN and Minneapolis, MN.
1
Start on CH 26
24 ft
·
9 sec
·
70th Street East
2
Continue on CH 26
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
70th Street East
Use the straight lane.
3
Enter roundabout onto CH 26
126 ft
·
2 sec
·
70th Street West
4
Continue on CH 26
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
70th Street West
5
Enter roundabout onto CH 26
105 ft
·
2 sec
·
70th Street West
6
Continue on CH 26
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
70th Street West
7
Continue on CH 26
503 ft
·
11 sec
·
Lone Oak Road
8
Turn right onto MN 55; MN 149
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
MN 55; MN 149
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on MN 55; MN 62
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Floyd B. Olson Memorial Highway/Hiawatha Pioneer Trail/Crosstown Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit onto MN 55
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
MN 55
Exit 115
Toward MN 55 West: Minnehaha Avenue, Hiawatha Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto MN 55
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
MN 55
Toward MN 55 West: Hiawatha Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto MN 55
4.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Hiawatha Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on South 7th Street
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
South 7th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
Toward 3rd Street, Washington Avenue, University of Minnesota
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork
459 ft
·
7 sec
Toward 3rd Street, Washington Avenue, University of Minnesota, West Bank
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Toward 3rd Street
Use the slight left lane.
17
Continue on South 3rd Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
South 3rd Street
18
Turn right onto Chicago Avenue South
409 ft
·
16 sec
·
Chicago Avenue South
19
Turn left onto CR 152
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Avenue South
20
Arrive at destination
CR 152
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 9.3 and 15.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
9.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
MN 55
Take the exit onto MN 55 toward MN 55 West: Minnehaha Avenue, Hiawatha Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 115
Toward MN 55 West: Minnehaha Avenue, Hiawatha A...
8
9.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
MN 55
Keep slight right at fork onto MN 55 toward MN 55 West: Hiawatha Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward MN 55 West: Hiawatha Avenue
7
14.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward 3rd Street, Washington Avenue, University of Minnesota
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 3rd Street, Washington Avenue, Universit...
6
15.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward 3rd Street, Washington Avenue, University of Minnesota, West Bank
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward 3rd Street, Washington Avenue, Universit...
7
15.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward 3rd Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward 3rd Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.43 one way
$4.85 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.61 | $5.23 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.91 | $5.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.60 | $7.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 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 | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
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
Minneapolis, MN
Morning in Minneapolis on Sunday
Local time
9:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
30°F
Mostly Clear
NW 10 to 15 mph
0% chance
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
17 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
28m 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?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 16.3-mile journey between Inver Grove Heights and Minneapolis. Only about 25% of this route involves highway driving, meaning you'll navigate more city streets and intersections. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.9 miles along Hiawatha Avenue. This profile suggests a drive where you'll be actively steering and adjusting speed frequently, rather than cruising on open highway. The roads like MN 55 and 70th Street East will likely present a more varied driving experience with traffic lights and local activity.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.9 mi on Hiawatha Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.3 miles in near MN 55.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 11 decision points packed into just 16.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.3 miles (MN 55): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.4 miles (MN 55): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Inver Grove Heights, MN and Minneapolis, MN, road signs point toward University Of Minnesota and Bank.
University Of Minnesota
14.8 mi in
|
~24m
Bank
15.2 mi in
|
~25m
About the Cities
Arriving in Minneapolis, MN
Full guide →Minneapolis is a city of about 430,000 people (2019) and the largest city in Minnesota. Along with neighboring Saint Paul, it forms the urban core of the Twin Cities region, the third largest metropolitan area in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit.
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 28m. Total distance: 16.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.9 miles on Hiawatha Avenue. 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 Minneapolis, 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 9.3 miles (MN 55): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.4 miles (MN 55): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Minneapolis, 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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