Origin
Minneapolis, MN
Late night in Minneapolis on Tuesday
Local time
5:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Minneapolis, MN to Saint Francis, 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
50m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Francis, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Minneapolis to Saint Francis is 34.3 miles and takes about 50 minutes via Rum River Boulevard and MN 47, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Minnesota, moving you from the greater Minneapolis area into a more suburban and then rural setting. It's a straightforward trip for anyone needing to get from point A to point B without much fuss. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick errand, a visit to friends, or as part of a larger regional exploration. You'll likely find it a convenient way to navigate between these two communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Rum River Boulevard | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| MN 47 | 6 mi | 6m |
| I 94 | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| MN 252 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| 7th Avenue | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| MN-610 | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Roanoke Street Northwest | 2 mi | 2m |
| Bunker Lake Boulevard Northwest | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Rum River Boulevard
— 6.2 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Minneapolis, MN and Saint Francis, 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
Take the ramp
1.8 mi
·
3 min
Toward I 94 West
5
Merge onto I 94
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
319 ft
·
7 sec
Exit 225
Toward MN 252, I 694 East
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward MN 252 North
8
Continue on MN 252
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
MN 252
Use the left lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward MN 610 East
10
Merge onto MN 610
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
MN-610
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 11B
Toward US 10 West, MN 47 North
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Merge onto MN 47
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
MN 47
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward CR 9: Round Lake Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto CR 9
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Round Lake Boulevard Northwest
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto CR 116
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Bunker Lake Boulevard Northwest
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto CR 7
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
7th Avenue
17
Continue on CR 7
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
165th Avenue Northwest
18
Continue on CR 7
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Roanoke Street Northwest
19
Continue on CR 7
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Rum River Boulevard
20
Enter roundabout onto CR 7
153 ft
·
2 sec
·
Rum River Boulevard
21
Continue on CR 7
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Rum River Boulevard
22
Continue on CR 24
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Ambassador Boulevard Northwest
23
Turn right onto CR 24
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Bridge Street Northwest
24
Arrive at destination
CR 24
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.2 miles from Minneapolis, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 20 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North 1st Avenue
Turn left onto North 1st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward MN 252, I 694 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 225
Toward MN 252, I 694 East
8
13.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward US 10 West, MN 47 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 11B
Toward US 10 West, MN 47 North
6
19.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward CR 9: Round Lake Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CR 9: Round Lake Boulevard
6
20 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
CR 9 / Round Lake Boulevard Northwest
Turn right onto CR 9 / Round Lake Boulevard Northwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.10 one way
$10.21 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
| premium | $4.53 | $6.12 | $12.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.57 | $15.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Saint Francis, MN
Late night in Saint Francis on Tuesday
Local time
5:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°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
2 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
50m 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?
About 45% of this 34.3-mile drive is on the highway, meaning you'll spend a significant portion on surface streets. The longest stretch without a major change is 6.2 miles along Rum River Boulevard. Expect to transition from highway cruising to navigating through town and suburban areas. The frequent exits and intersections on the highway sections will require your attention as you merge on and off.
45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.2 mi on Rum River Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near North 1st Avenue.
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 16 decision points packed into just 34.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 50m. Total distance: 34.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.2 miles on Rum River Boulevard. 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 Saint Francis, 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 0.4 miles (North 1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Saint Francis, 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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