Origin
Maple Grove, MN
Morning in Maple Grove on Saturday
Local time
7:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Maple Grove, MN to Lester Prairie, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
59m
Distance
42.4 mi
68 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Maple Grove, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Lester Prairie, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Maple Grove, MN to Lester Prairie, MN is 42.4 miles and takes about 59 minutes via MN 7 and I-494, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Minnesota's Midwest region, offering a straightforward trip between two points. Given its short duration and highway focus, it's a practical choice for a quick commute or an easy day trip. You'll spend most of your time on well-maintained roads, making it a low-stress option.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MN 7 | 16.4 mi | 21m |
| Minnesota State Highway 7 | 13.2 mi | 18m |
| I 494 | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| County Highway 9 | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Central Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Bass Lake Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Juniper Street South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 1st Avenue South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
MN 7
— 16.4 mi, about 21m
Traffic on I-494
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,224 veh/hr typical · worst 3,798
Quietest
2 AM
~77 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
41.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 84 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Maple Grove, MN and Lester Prairie, MN.
1
Start on CR 10
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Bass Lake Road
2
Take the ramp
293 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 494 South
Use the right lane.
3
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 494 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Merge onto I 494
9.3 mi
·
11 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Turn straight onto MN 7
13 mi
·
18 min
·
Minnesota State Highway 7
7
Enter roundabout onto MN 7
132 ft
·
2 sec
·
MN 7
8
Continue on MN 7
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
MN 7
9
Enter roundabout onto MN 7
151 ft
·
2 sec
·
MN 7
10
Continue on MN 7
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
MN 7
11
Enter roundabout onto MN 7
163 ft
·
2 sec
·
MN 7
12
Continue on MN 7
8.0 mi
·
10 min
·
MN 7
13
Turn left onto CR 9
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
County Highway 9
14
Turn right onto CR 23
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
15
Turn left onto Juniper Street South
277 ft
·
17 sec
·
Juniper Street South
16
Turn left onto 1st Avenue South
90 ft
·
3 sec
·
1st Avenue South
17
Arrive at destination
1st Avenue South
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.2 miles from Maple Grove, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 23.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 494 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 494 South
8
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 494 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 494 South
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 494
Merge onto I 494
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
10.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward MN 7 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
4
23.8 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
MN 7
Enter roundabout onto MN 7
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.71 one way
$13.43 round trip
$4.02/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.28 | $7.15 | $14.30 |
| premium | $4.85 | $8.09 | $16.19 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.35 | $18.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.04 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.71 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Lester Prairie, MN
Morning in Lester Prairie on Saturday
Local time
7:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Shorewood, MN
21 mi in
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
59m 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 primarily on highways, with 95% of the 42.4 miles on routes like MN 7 and I-494. You'll experience a long stretch of 16.4 miles on MN 7 before reaching your destination. Expect mostly highway cruising with a limited number of surface road transitions. The high highway share means you'll likely encounter steady traffic flow and fewer stops.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.4 mi on MN 7.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MN 7 and Minnesota State Highway 7. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 42.4 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (I 494): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,030 ft
945 ft
Total Climb
159 ft
Total Descent
123 ft
Highest Point
1,030 ft
~27.3 mi in
Elevation Range
85 ft
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 Lester Prairie, MN
Full guide →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 59m. Total distance: 42.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.4 miles on MN 7. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (I 494): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lester Prairie, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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