Minneapolis to Waverly is 37.8 miles and takes about 52 minutes via US 12, I 394, and Babcock Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick getaway or a simple transfer. You'll spend most of your time on major roads, making it a straightforward drive.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 12
19.7 mi
26m
I 394
9.4 mi
12m
Babcock Boulevard
6.1 mi
8m
Nelson Boulevard
1.1 mi
2m
60th Street Southeast
0.7 mi
<1m
Washington Avenue South
0.4 mi
1m
Pacific Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
North 1st Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 12
— 19.7 mi, about 26m
Traffic on I-394
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,756 veh/hr typical
Quietest
3 AM
~157 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
30.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 31 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 Waverly, 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
9.4 mi·12 min·I 394
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto US 12
12 mi·15 min·US 12
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Enter roundabout onto US 12
135 ft·1 sec·Babcock Boulevard
7
Continue on US 12
2.0 mi·2 min·Babcock Boulevard
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 12
4.1 mi·5 min·Babcock Boulevard
9
Continue on US 12
3.6 mi·5 min·US 12
10
Continue on US 12
0.2 mi·19 sec·60th Street Southeast
11
Continue on US 12
0.6 mi·51 sec·US 12
12
Turn slight right onto US 12; MN 25
0.5 mi·39 sec·60th Street Southeast
13
Merge onto US 12; MN 25
1.3 mi·1 min·US 12; MN 25
14
Continue on US 12; MN 25
1.1 mi·2 min·Nelson Boulevard
15
Continue on US 12
1.9 mi·2 min·US 12
16
Continue on US 12
0.3 mi·35 sec·Pacific Avenue
17
Turn right onto South 4th Street
337 ft·16 sec·South 4th Street
18
Turn right onto CR 9
155 ft·4 sec·Atlantic Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
CR 9
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 18.9 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 37.7 — 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.
4
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|North 3rd Street
Turn right onto North 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
6
9.9 mi into trip|~13m in|US 12
Keep slight left at fork onto US 12
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
22.2 mi into trip|~29m in|US 12 / Babcock Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto US 12 / Babcock Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
37.7 mi into trip|~52m in|South 4th Street
Turn right onto South 4th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.36 one way
$12.72 round trip
$4.27/gal25.4 MPG avg13 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$6.85
$13.70
premium
$5.04
$7.49
$14.99
diesel
$5.64
$8.39
$16.78
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-05-11.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
11.3
0
$3.97
$1.81
Efficient EV
9.5
0
$3.31
$1.51
EV Truck/SUV
15.1
0
$5.29
$2.42
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 May 15, 2026
Origin
Minneapolis, MN
Night
in Minneapolis on Friday
Local time
11:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
89°F
Sunny
WSW 10 to 15 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued May 15 at 9:03AM CDT until May 15 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Aberdeen SD
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued May 15 at 3:38AM CDT until May 15 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
Destination
Waverly, MN
Night
in Waverly on Friday
Local time
11:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Sunny
WSW 10 to 15 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued May 15 at 9:03AM CDT until May 15 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Aberdeen SD
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued May 15 at 3:38AM CDT until May 15 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
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
3 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
52m 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 route is predominantly highway driving, with 77% of the trip on major roads. Your longest continuous stretch on a highway will be 19.7 miles on US 12. You'll experience about 38 miles of highway cruising before transitioning to surface roads for the final segment into Waverly. Expect a pattern of merging and exiting common to interstate travel for the majority of the drive.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.7 mi on US 12.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 12 and I 394. 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 Effort7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 37.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (North 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 9.9 miles (US 12): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 37.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.7 miles on US 12. 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 Waverly, 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 0.5 miles (North 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 9.9 miles (US 12): 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 Waverly, MN before heading back.
