Origin
Le Center, MN
Morning in Le Center on Tuesday
Local time
8:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Le Center, MN to Saint Paul, 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
1h 25m
Distance
63.8 mi
103 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 19m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Le Center, MN
Rafael Minguet Delgado
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Le Center, MN to Saint Paul, MN is 63.8 miles and takes about 1h 25m via I 35E, I 35, and 320th Street, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Minnesota, making it a straightforward domestic journey. The drive offers a mixed experience, transitioning from local roads to interstate highways. It's a short enough distance for a single-day trip, ideal if you're looking for a quick transit between these two points without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 14.8 mi | 17m |
| I 35 | 11.2 mi | 12m |
| 320th Street | 7.9 mi | 10m |
| 30th Street West | 5.1 mi | 7m |
| 70th Street West | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| State Highway 19 | 4 mi | 5m |
| 211th Avenue | 3 mi | 4m |
| Shepard Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 14.8 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Le Center, MN and Saint Paul, MN.
1
Start on South Waterville Avenue
30 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Waterville Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 39
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
East Minnesota Street
3
Turn left onto CR 11
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Cordova Avenue
4
Continue on CR 11
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
County Road 11
5
Turn right onto CR 32
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
360th Street
6
Continue on CR 32
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
County Road 32
7
Turn right onto CR 26
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lexington Road
8
Turn left onto CR 32
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
211th Avenue
9
Turn right onto CR 28
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
320th Street
10
Enter roundabout
115 ft
·
1 sec
11
Continue
486 ft
·
13 sec
12
Continue on CR 28
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
320th Street
13
Continue on CR 2
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
70th Street West
14
Turn left onto MN 19
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
State Highway 19
15
Enter roundabout onto CR 86
20 ft
·
1 sec
·
30th Street West
16
Continue on CR 86
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
30th Street West
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn left onto CR 91
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Natchez Avenue
18
Enter roundabout onto CR 2
21 ft
·
0 sec
·
260th Street East
19
Continue on CR 2
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
260th Street East
Use the left lane.
20
Continue on CR 2; I 35 ALT
449 ft
·
12 sec
·
Deuce Road
21
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis, Saint Paul
22
Merge onto I 35
11 mi
·
12 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
15 mi
·
17 min
·
I 35E
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
24
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 103A
Toward Shepard Road
Use the slight right lane.
25
Keep slight right at fork
501 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Shepard Road, Great River Road Minnesota
Use the right lane.
26
Merge onto Shepard Road
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Shepard Road
27
Turn left onto Eagle Parkway
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Eagle Parkway
Use the straight lane.
28
Turn right onto Exchange Street South
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Exchange Street South
Use the right lane.
29
Turn straight onto Kellogg Boulevard West
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Kellogg Boulevard West
30
Turn left onto Wabasha Street North
214 ft
·
9 sec
·
Wabasha Street North
Use the left lane.
31
Arrive at destination
Wabasha Street North
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.9 miles from Le Center, 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 225 decision points cluster between mile 33.6 and 63.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
33.6 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 North: Minneapolis, Saint Paul
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis, Saint Paul
6
45.1 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
59.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
Take the exit toward Shepard Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 103A
Toward Shepard Road
9
60.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Shepard Road, Great River Road Minnesota
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward Shepard Road, Great River Road Minnesota
7
63.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
|
Wabasha Street North
Turn left onto Wabasha Street North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.49 one way
$18.99 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $10.23 | $20.46 |
| premium | $4.53 | $11.38 | $22.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.09 | $28.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.70 | $3.06 |
| Efficient EV | 16 | 0 | $5.58 | $2.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.5 | 0 | $8.93 | $4.08 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Saint Paul, MN
Morning in Saint Paul on Tuesday
Local time
8:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°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
1h 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 drive features a mixed profile, with 47% of the journey on highways. You'll experience stretches on major interstates like I 35E and I 35, offering faster travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch spans 14.8 miles on I 35E, allowing for a consistent pace. The route begins on local roads, such as 320th Street, before merging onto the interstate system, providing a varied driving experience that changes as you get closer to the Twin Cities.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
31 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.8 mi on I 35E.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 33.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.8 miles you will encounter 22 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 33.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.1 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 59.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
On the drive from Le Center, MN to Saint Paul, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Great River Road Minnesota along the way.
Great River Road Minnesota
60.1 mi in
|
~1h 17m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 25m. Total distance: 63.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.8 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 Saint Paul, 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 33.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.1 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 59.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Saint Paul, 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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