Origin
Maple Lake, MN
Morning in Maple Lake on Sunday
Local time
7:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Maple Lake, MN to Saint Cloud, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 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 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Maple Lake, MN
Tom Fisk
Saint Cloud, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Maple Lake to Saint Cloud is 29.1 miles and takes about 48 minutes via State Highway 24 and I 94, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest, specifically Minnesota, making it a convenient local excursion. The drive primarily utilizes state highways and interstate sections, offering a straightforward connection between these two points. Given its minimal duration, it's an ideal option for a quick getaway or an easy leg of a longer Minnesota adventure.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 24 | 9.9 mi | 17m |
| I 94 | 6.8 mi | 7m |
| Marie Street | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Roosevelt Road | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| County Road 6 Northwest | 2.6 mi | 6m |
| 9th Avenue South | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| 11th Avenue South | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 10th Avenue South | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Highway 24
— 9.9 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Maple Lake, MN and Saint Cloud, MN.
1
Start on CR 7
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Oak Avenue South
2
Turn left onto MN 55
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Marie Street
3
Turn right onto CR 6
2.6 mi
·
6 min
·
County Road 6 Northwest
4
At end of road, turn right onto MN 24
9.9 mi
·
17 min
·
State Highway 24
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Merge onto I 94
6.8 mi
·
7 min
·
I 94
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 171
Toward CR 7, CR 75: Saint Augusta, Saint Cloud
8
Keep slight right at fork
521 ft
·
12 sec
9
Turn straight onto CR 75
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Roosevelt Road
10
Turn right onto 22nd Street South
127 ft
·
7 sec
·
22nd Street South
11
Turn left onto 11th Avenue South
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
11th Avenue South
12
Turn right onto 15th Street South
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
15th Street South
13
At end of road, turn left onto 9th Avenue South
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
9th Avenue South
14
Continue on 10th Avenue South
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
10th Avenue South
15
Turn right onto 1st Street North
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
1st Street North
16
At end of road, turn left onto Courthouse Square
270 ft
·
11 sec
·
Courthouse Square
17
Arrive at destination
Courthouse Square
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 6.6 and 29 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
MN 24 / State Highway 24
At end of road, turn right onto MN 24 / State Highway 24
Navigation decision point
6
16.5 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
23.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward CR 7, CR 75: Saint Augusta, Saint Cloud
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 171
Toward CR 7, CR 75: Saint Augusta, Saint Cloud
5
28.9 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
1st Street North
Turn right onto 1st Street North
Navigation decision point
6
29 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
Courthouse Square
At end of road, turn left onto Courthouse Square
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.33 one way
$8.66 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.67 | $9.33 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.19 | $10.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.42 | $12.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 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 | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
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
Saint Cloud, MN
Morning in Saint Cloud on Sunday
Local time
7:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°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
23 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
48m 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?
You'll spend about 57% of this drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 9.9 miles on State Highway 24. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface roads, with the transition likely occurring as you approach Saint Cloud. The interstate portion will feel like typical, faster-paced travel with more merging.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on State Highway 24.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 6.6 miles in near MN 24 / State Highway 24.
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 29.1 miles you will encounter 13 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 6.6 miles (MN 24 / State Highway 24): Navigation decision point; at 16.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 23.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Maple Lake, MN and Saint Cloud, MN, road signs point toward Cr 7 and Cr 75: Saint Augusta.
Cr 7
23.6 mi in
|
~37m
Cr 75: Saint Augusta
23.6 mi in
|
~37m
About the Cities
Arriving in Saint Cloud, MN
Full guide →Saint Cloud is a city in Central Minnesota with a population of 68,000 (2018). Although it may have few attractions to draw the tourist, it is a nexus of medical advances, particularly in orthopedics (St. Cloud Orthopedics Associates, for example). It is also a college town as it is home to St. Cloud State University and St Cloud Technical College. The College of St. Benedict and St. John's University are nearby.
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 48m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.9 miles on State Highway 24. 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 6.6 miles (MN 24 / State Highway 24): Navigation decision point; at 16.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 23.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Saint Cloud, 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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