Origin
Minneapolis, MN
Morning in Minneapolis on Tuesday
Local time
7:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Minneapolis, MN to Burnsville, 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
24m
Distance
16.8 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burnsville, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 16.8-mile drive from Minneapolis to Burnsville, Minnesota, is easily manageable in about 24 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route is heavily highway-focused, with an 88% highway share, and is estimated to cost around $3 in fuel. You'll primarily be on I 35W, with portions of Nicollet Avenue South and 3rd Avenue South. Given its brevity and straightforward nature, this trip doesn't require an overnight stay and offers a simple, direct connection within the Midwest region. It's a practical choice for a quick transit between these two Minnesota locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 13.8 mi | 17m |
| Nicollet Avenue South | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 3rd Avenue South | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| MN 13 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| MN 65 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South 10th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Washington Avenue South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 13.8 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Minneapolis, MN and Burnsville, MN.
1
Start on CR 152
63 ft
·
9 sec
·
Washington Avenue South
2
Turn left onto 3rd Avenue South
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
3rd Avenue South
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto South 10th Street
406 ft
·
16 sec
·
South 10th Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I-35W South
5
Continue on MN 65
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
MN 65
6
Merge onto I 35W
14 mi
·
17 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 3A
Toward MN 13 North
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Merge onto MN 13
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
MN 13
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Nicollet Avenue South
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Nicollet Avenue South
10
Continue on Nicollet Avenue South
289 ft
·
13 sec
·
Nicollet Avenue South
11
Arrive at destination
Nicollet Avenue South
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
3rd Avenue South
Turn left onto 3rd Avenue South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I-35W South
Navigation decision point
Toward I-35W South
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 35W
Merge onto I 35W
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
15.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward MN 13 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 3A
Toward MN 13 North
5
15.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
MN 13
Merge onto MN 13
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.50 one way
$5.00 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.69 | $5.39 |
| premium | $4.53 | $3.00 | $6.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Burnsville, MN
Morning in Burnsville on Tuesday
Local time
7:43 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
1 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
24m 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?
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this route, with 88% of the journey taking place on high-speed roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.8 miles on I 35W, indicating a consistent flow for much of the trip. While the majority is interstate driving, you will also navigate sections of Nicollet Avenue South and 3rd Avenue South, which may offer a slight change in pace. Overall, the drive is characterized by its efficiency and directness, minimizing complex maneuvers and focusing on covering distance.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.8 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and Nicollet Avenue South. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 3rd Avenue South.
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 16.8 miles you will encounter 6 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: near the start (3rd Avenue South): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 35W): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Minneapolis, MN
Full guide →Minneapolis is a city of about 430,000 people (2019) and the largest city in Minnesota. Along with neighboring Saint Paul, it forms the urban core of the Twin Cities region, the third largest metropolitan area in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit.
Arriving in Burnsville, MN
Full guide →Burnsville 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 24m. Total distance: 16.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.8 miles on I 35W. 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: near the start (3rd Avenue South): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 35W): 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 Burnsville, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Burnsville, MN
More trips to Burnsville, MN
Explore more options from Minneapolis, MN or browse trips ending in Burnsville, MN.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.