Origin
Maple Grove, MN
Late night in Maple Grove on Tuesday
Local time
4:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Maple Grove, MN to Waconia, 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
43m
Distance
29.8 mi
48 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
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.
Maple Grove, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Waconia, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Maple Grove to Waconia is 29.8 miles and takes about 43m via I 494 and MN-7, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a quick trip through the Midwest, specifically within Minnesota. Expect a highway-focused drive that's easy to navigate, making it a straightforward journey for a single day. It's a practical option if you're looking for a short excursion without a significant time commitment. Plan for this to be a very manageable drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 9.3 mi | 11m |
| Minnesota State Highway 7 | 6.6 mi | 9m |
| Arboretum Boulevard | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| State Highway 5 | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Hazeltine Boulevard | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Main Street East | 1 mi | 2m |
| Bass Lake Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 9.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Maple Grove, MN and Waconia, 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
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Minnesota State Highway 7
7
Turn left onto MN 41
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Hazeltine Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn right onto MN 5
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on MN 5
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Arboretum Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on MN 5
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
State Highway 5
11
Turn right onto CR 59
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street East
12
Turn right onto North Olive Street
210 ft
·
11 sec
·
North Olive Street
13
Turn right
175 ft
·
14 sec
14
Turn right
50 ft
·
3 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 19.4 — 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
6
19.4 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
MN 5 / Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway
Turn right onto MN 5 / Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.43 one way
$8.87 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.78 | $9.56 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.32 | $10.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.58 | $13.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Waconia, MN
Late night in Waconia on Tuesday
Local time
4:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
40°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
17 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
43m 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 route is predominantly highway-focused, with 63% of the drive utilizing major roadways like I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7. You'll experience stretches of faster driving, including a continuous 9.3 miles on I 494. While the majority is on highways, the inclusion of Arboretum Boulevard suggests a transition to a more local road feel as you approach your destination. The personality is one of efficient travel, minimizing time on slower roads. It's a drive that prioritizes getting you there smoothly.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.3 mi on I 494.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 29.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
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.
About the Cities
Starting in Maple Grove, MN
Full guide →Founded 1858
Maple Grove is a suburban city in the Twin Cities of 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 43m. Total distance: 29.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.3 miles on I 494. 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 Waconia, 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 0.5 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 Waconia, 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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