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Trip from Maple Grove, MN to Forest Lake, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

35.6 mi

57 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States

Maple Grove, MN

Wikimedia Commons

city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States

Forest Lake, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Maple Grove to Forest Lake is 35.6 miles and takes about 42 minutes via I 35W, I 694, and I 94, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, connecting two points in the Midwest region. The route is almost entirely on major highways, making it a straightforward and quick drive. It's a good option for a quick errand, a short commute, or as a segment of a larger trip through the area.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 35W 19.1 mi 20m
I 694 6.5 mi 7m
I 94 6.3 mi 7m
I 494 1 mi 1m
West Broadway Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Bass Lake Road 0.6 mi 1m
Lake Street South <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 35W — 19.1 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Maple Grove, MN and Forest Lake, MN.

1

Start on CR 10

0.6 mi · 1 min · Bass Lake Road
2

Turn left

316 ft · 9 sec
Toward I 494 North Use the left lane.
3

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 494 North
4

Merge onto I 494

1.0 mi · 1 min · I 494
5

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 94 East, I 694 East Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 94; I 694

6.3 mi · 7 min · I 94; I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 694

6.5 mi · 7 min · I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 41B Toward I 35W North Use the straight / right lanes.
9

Merge onto I 35W

3.0 mi · 3 min · I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W

16 mi · 17 min · I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 131 Toward CR 2: Forest Lake Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork

173 ft · 6 sec
Toward CR 2 Use the right lane.
13

Turn right onto CH 2

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Broadway Avenue
Use the right lane.
14

Enter roundabout onto US 61

14 ft · 0 sec · Lake Street South
15

Continue on US 61

48 ft · 1 sec · Lake Street South
16

Arrive at destination

US 61

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 34.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in

Turn left toward I 494 North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 494 North
8
2 mi into trip | ~3m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 94 East, I 694 East

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 94 East, I 694 East
7
15.3 mi into trip | ~19m in

Take the exit toward I 35W North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 41B Toward I 35W North
7
34.5 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward CR 2: Forest Lake

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 131 Toward CR 2: Forest Lake
8
34.8 mi into trip | ~40m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CR 2

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward CR 2

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.30 one way

$10.60 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $5.71 $11.42
premium $4.53 $6.35 $12.70
diesel $5.61 $7.86 $15.72

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.7 0 $3.74 $1.71
Efficient EV 8.9 0 $3.11 $1.42
EV Truck/SUV 14.2 0 $4.98 $2.28

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Maple Grove, MN

Morning in Maple Grove on Tuesday

Local time

6:45 AM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Partly Sunny

S 15 to 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 20 at 2:17PM CDT until April 20 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 20 at 1:47PM CDT until April 20 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN

Destination

Forest Lake, MN

Morning in Forest Lake on Tuesday

Local time

6:45 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

6 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

42m 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?

This drive is predominantly highway, with 92% of the 35.6 miles on major interstates. You'll experience a longest stretch of 19.1 miles on I 35W before you encounter surface roads. Expect a consistent flow of traffic with numerous exits as you navigate the interstate system. The majority of your travel will be on these high-speed roadways.

92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.1 mi on I 35W.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and I 694. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 35.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Maple Grove, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1858

Maple Grove is a suburban city in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Arriving in Forest Lake, MN

Full guide →

Forest Lake is a city in Minnesota.

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 42m. Total distance: 35.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19.1 miles on I 35W. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Forest Lake, 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 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.3 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 Forest Lake, 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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