Origin
Minneapolis, MN
Morning in Minneapolis on Tuesday
Local time
8:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Minneapolis, MN to Carver, 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
41m
Distance
29 mi
47 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carver, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Minneapolis, MN to Carver, MN is 29 miles and takes about 41 minutes via US 212, MN 100, and I 394, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically Minnesota, making it a very straightforward and quick transit. You'll be on mostly highway for this drive, so expect efficient travel. It's a good option if you're looking for a simple, direct route without much fuss, perfect for a same-day excursion or an easy leg of a longer trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 212 | 12.5 mi | 14m |
| MN 100 | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| I 394 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| North Chestnut Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Crosstown Highway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Old Carver Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Chaska Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Washington Avenue South | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US 212
— 12.5 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Minneapolis, MN and Carver, MN.
1
Start on CR 152
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Avenue South
2
Turn left onto North 1st Avenue
426 ft
·
18 sec
·
North 1st Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto North 3rd Street
418 ft
·
16 sec
·
North 3rd Street
4
Turn straight onto I 394
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
I 394
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
Exit 5B-A
Toward MN 100 South, MN 100 North: Park Place-Xenia
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward MN 100 South: Park Place-Xenia
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Toward MN 100 South
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
402 ft
·
9 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward MN 100 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward MN 100 South
Use the slight left lane.
11
Merge onto MN 100
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
MN 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward MN 62 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto MN 62
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Crosstown Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit onto US 212
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
US 212
Exit 106A
Toward US 212
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto US 212
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
US 212
Use the slight left lane.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward MN 41: Chestnut Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn left onto MN 41
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Chestnut Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Enter roundabout onto MN 41
160 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Chestnut Street
19
Continue on MN 41
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Chestnut Street
20
Turn right onto CR 61
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
West 6th Street
Use the right lane.
21
Continue on CR 61
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Chaska Boulevard
22
Turn left onto CR 40
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Carver Road
Use the left lane.
23
Continue on CR 40
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
4th Street East
24
Arrive at destination
4th Street West
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 3.8 and 5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
3.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward MN 100 South, MN 100 North: Park Place-Xenia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5B-A
Toward MN 100 South, MN 100 North: Park Place-X...
7
4.3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MN 100 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward MN 100 South
7
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MN 100 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MN 100 South
7
5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MN 100 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward MN 100 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.32 one way
$8.63 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.65 | $9.30 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.17 | $10.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.40 | $12.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 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 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.06 | $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
Carver, MN
Morning in Carver on Tuesday
Local time
8:47 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
41m 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 predominantly highway, with 71% of the 29 miles on major roads like US 212, MN 100, and I 394. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 12.5 miles on US 212. You'll encounter urban merging as you transition between these highways, especially around Minneapolis. The highway portion will feel efficient, with fewer intersections and higher speed limits before you reach Carver.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.5 mi on US 212.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 212 and MN 100. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.8 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 19 decision points packed into just 29 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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 41m. Total distance: 29 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.5 miles on US 212. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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 Carver, 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 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Carver, 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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