Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
40.3 mi
65 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakeville, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Mahtomedi, MN
Boris Hamer
Lakeville to Mahtomedi is 40.3 miles and takes about 55 minutes via I-494/I-35E/I-694, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip entirely within Minnesota, connecting two points in the Midwest region. You'll be spending most of your time on major interstates, making it a quick transit rather than a scenic expedition. Consider this route when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently without much fuss.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 12.1 mi | 15m |
| I 35E | 10.9 mi | 11m |
| I 694 | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| I 35 | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| Kenwood Trail /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Hilton Trail North | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Kenwood Trail | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Warner Avenue North | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,136 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~180 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
23×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 88 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Lakeville, MN and Mahtomedi, MN.
Start on 207th Street West
Turn right onto Holyoke Avenue
Enter roundabout onto CR 50
Continue on CR 50
Continue on CR 5
Continue on CR 5
Enter roundabout onto CR 5
Continue on CR 5
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 35
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 494
Continue on I 694
Take the exit
Merge onto MN 36
Take the exit
Turn left onto CH 29
Continue on CH 29
Enter roundabout onto CH 29
Continue on CH 29
Turn left onto CH 12
Turn right onto Warner Avenue North
Turn right onto Juniper Street
Turn left onto Griffin Avenue
Arrive at destination
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.
A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from Lakeville, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 37.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 35 North
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward I 494 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MN 36 East: Stillwater
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CH 29: Hilton Trail
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$6.78 one way
$13.57 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.75 | $7.53 | $15.06 |
| premium | $5.29 | $8.39 | $16.77 |
| diesel | $6.18 | $9.81 | $19.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.64 | $2.58 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Lakeville on Sunday
Local time
9:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Sunny
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 4 at 12:56PM CDT until October 5 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
Destination
Night in Mahtomedi on Sunday
Local time
9:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Sunny
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 4 at 12:56PM CDT until October 5 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is predominantly highway, with 77% of the 40.3 miles on interstates. You'll experience a longest stretch of 12.1 miles on I-494. Expect to encounter frequent exits and merging traffic as you navigate these busy thoroughfares. The final portion will transition off the interstate onto surface roads as you approach your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and I 35E. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.5 miles in.
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 20 decision points packed into just 40.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
466 ft
Total Descent
443 ft
Highest Point
1,044 ft
~31.7 mi in
Elevation Range
297 ft
Founded 1850
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 40.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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