Origin
Lake Elmo, MN
Late night in Lake Elmo on Friday
Local time
3:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Elmo, MN to Lakeville, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
39.5 mi
64 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Elmo, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Lakeville, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lake Elmo, MN to Lakeville, MN is 39.5 miles and takes about 53 minutes via Stillwater Boulevard North and I-694 South, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip within the Midwest region, staying entirely within Minnesota. You'll primarily be on surface roads for most of this drive, making it a less highway-intensive option. It's ideal for a quick, easy transit between these two points without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 13.7 mi | 14m |
| I 494 | 12.2 mi | 15m |
| I 694 | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Stillwater Boulevard North | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Kenwood Trail /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| 34th Street North | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Kenwood Trail | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| 202nd Street West / Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 13.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Elmo, MN and Lakeville, MN.
1
Start on CH 17
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Elmo Avenue North
2
At end of road, turn left onto CH 14; CH 17
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Stillwater Boulevard North
3
Enter roundabout onto CH 14
146 ft
·
3 sec
·
34th Street North
4
Continue on CH 14
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
34th Street North
5
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 694 South
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 694
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 494
8.5 mi
·
10 min
·
I 494
Use the straight lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 70
Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Albert Lea, Saint Paul
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 35E
14 mi
·
14 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 85
Toward CR 5, CR 50
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto CR 5
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Kenwood Trail
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Enter roundabout onto CR 5
127 ft
·
2 sec
·
Kenwood Trail /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
15
Continue on CR 5
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Kenwood Trail /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
16
Continue on CR 5
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Kenwood Trai/Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
17
Continue on CR 50
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
202nd Street West / Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Enter roundabout onto Holyoke Avenue
12 ft
·
0 sec
·
Holyoke Avenue
19
Continue on Holyoke Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Holyoke Avenue
20
Turn left onto 207th Street West
22 ft
·
0 sec
·
207th Street West
Use the left lane.
21
Arrive at destination
207th Street West
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 39.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.8 miles from Lake Elmo, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 34.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Turn left toward I 694 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 694 South
6
16.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 494
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
20.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Albert Lea, Saint Paul
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 70
Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Albert Lea, Sa...
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
8
34.8 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward CR 5, CR 50
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 85
Toward CR 5, CR 50
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.25 one way
$12.51 round trip
$4.02/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.28 | $6.66 | $13.32 |
| premium | $4.85 | $7.54 | $15.08 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.71 | $17.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.15 | $1.90 |
| Efficient EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.46 | $1.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.53 | $2.53 |
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
Lakeville, MN
Late night in Lakeville on Friday
Local time
3:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°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
1 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
53m 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 entirely on surface roads, meaning you won't encounter any highway cruising. You'll navigate through local streets for the full 39.5 miles, with the longest stretch between traffic signals or intersections being undefined. Expect to encounter numerous intersections and traffic lights as you make your way through developed areas.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.7 mi on I 35E.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35E and I 494. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.5 miles in.
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 13 decision points packed into just 39.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles (I 494): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,066 ft
734 ft
Total Climb
589 ft
Total Descent
530 ft
Highest Point
1,066 ft
~5.6 mi in
Elevation Range
332 ft
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 Lake Elmo, MN and Lakeville, MN, road signs point toward Saint Paul, Cr 5 and Cr 50.
Saint Paul
20.1 mi in
|
~27m
Cr 5
34.8 mi in
|
~44m
Cr 50
34.8 mi in
|
~44m
About the Cities
Starting in Lake Elmo, MN
Full guide →Founded 1852
Arriving in Lakeville, MN
Full guide →Founded 1850
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 53m. Total distance: 39.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.7 miles on I 35E. 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 Lakeville, 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 4.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles (I 494): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.1 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 Lakeville, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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