Minneapolis, MN to Shieldsville, MN is 54.1 miles and takes about 1h 5m via I 35W and State Highway 21, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Minnesota, making it a straightforward local drive. You'll spend most of your time on major roadways, so expect a generally efficient trip. It's a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in a single day, offering flexibility for when you want to depart or if you decide to make an impromptu stop.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 35W
45.6 mi
51m
State Highway 21
5.7 mi
7m
Shieldsville Boulevard
0.9 mi
1m
3rd Avenue South
0.6 mi
2m
MN 65
0.5 mi
<1m
I 35 Business
0.2 mi
<1m
153rd Street West
0.2 mi
<1m
South 10th Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 45.6 mi, about 51m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 60 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,040 veh/hr typical
· worst 4,740
Quietest
2 AM
~239 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 82 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Minneapolis, MN and Shieldsville, 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
46 mi·51 min·I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
296 ft·3 sec
Toward MN 21
8
Continue on I 35 Business
0.2 mi·25 sec·I 35 Business
Toward MN 21, I 35 Business
9
At end of road, turn left onto MN 21; I 35 ALT
0.9 mi·1 min·Shieldsville Boulevard
10
Continue on MN 21
5.7 mi·7 min·State Highway 21
11
Turn left onto 153rd Street West
0.2 mi·40 sec·153rd Street West
12
At end of road, turn left onto CR 10
39 ft·1 sec·Geneva Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
CR 10
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 27.1 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 54.1 — 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.
4
0.6 mi into trip|~2m in|South 10th Street
Turn left onto South 10th Street
Navigation decision point
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.
5
54.1 mi into trip|~1h 5m in|CR 10 / Geneva Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto CR 10 / Geneva Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.57 one way
$17.13 round trip
$4.02/gal25.4 MPG avg19 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.28
$9.12
$18.24
premium
$4.85
$10.33
$20.65
diesel
$5.60
$11.93
$23.85
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
16.2
0
$5.68
$2.60
Efficient EV
13.5
0
$4.73
$2.16
EV Truck/SUV
21.6
0
$7.57
$3.46
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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.
Forecast as of Aug 9, 2026
Origin
Minneapolis, MN
Evening
in Minneapolis on Monday
Local time
6:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSE 0 to 10 mph57% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued August 9 at 2:31AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued August 9 at 2:29AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Destination
Shieldsville, MN
Evening
in Shieldsville on Monday
Local time
6:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 5 to 10 mph66% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued August 9 at 2:31AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued August 9 at 2:29AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
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
4 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
1h 5m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is primarily highway, with 96% of the route on major roads. You'll experience a long stretch of 45.6 miles on I 35W, which means consistent, faster-paced driving. After leaving the interstate, you'll transition to State Highway 21 and then Shieldsville Boulevard, marking the shift to surface roads for the final portion of your trip. Expect a fair number of exits on the interstate section before the scenery changes to more rural cruising.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 45.6 mi on I 35W.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and State Highway 21. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 3rd Avenue South.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 5m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (3rd Avenue South): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (South 10th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point.
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.
Top landmarks
•Minneapolis Institute of Art — art museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota
•Walker Art Center — contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
•Weisman Art Museum — art museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota
The longest stretch is about 45.6 miles on I 35W. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas 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.
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 0.6 miles (South 10th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Shieldsville, MN before heading back.
