Origin
Minnetonka Mills, MN
Morning in Minnetonka Mills on Tuesday
Local time
6:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Minnetonka Mills, MN to Chaska, 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
18 mi
29 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Minnetonka Mills, MN
Tom Fisk
Chaska, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Minnetonka Mills to Chaska is 18 miles and takes about 24 minutes via US 212, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota, moving from one Midwest locale to another. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on major roads, making it a simple option for a quick hop between towns. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a day trip with plenty of flexibility for departure times.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 212 | 9 mi | 10m |
| I 494 | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| North Chestnut Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Minnetonka Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| McGinty Road West | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Shady Oak Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 6th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 212
— 9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Minnetonka Mills, MN and Chaska, MN.
1
Start on CR 61
320 ft
·
16 sec
·
Shady Oak Road
2
Turn left onto CR 5; CR 61
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Minnetonka Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn right onto CR 16
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
McGinty Road West
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 494 South
5
Merge onto I 494
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 11C
Toward MN 5 West, US 212 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto US 212; MN 5
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
US 212; MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto US 212
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
US 212
Use the slight left lane.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward MN 41: Chestnut Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto MN 41
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Chestnut Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Enter roundabout onto MN 41
160 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Chestnut Street
12
Continue on MN 41
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Chestnut Street
13
Turn right onto CR 61
53 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 6th Street
Use the right lane.
14
Arrive at destination
CR 61
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 15.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 5; CR 61 / Minnetonka Boulevard
Turn left onto CR 5; CR 61 / Minnetonka Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 494 South
Navigation decision point
Toward I 494 South
8
6.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward MN 5 West, US 212 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11C
Toward MN 5 West, US 212 West
6
7.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 212
Keep slight left at fork onto US 212
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
6
15.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward MN 41: Chestnut Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MN 41: Chestnut Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.68 one way
$5.36 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.89 | $5.77 |
| premium | $4.53 | $3.21 | $6.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 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 | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
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
Chaska, MN
Morning in Chaska on Tuesday
Local time
6:15 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 warmer 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?
This drive is predominantly on highways, with 79% of the 18 miles taking place on major roads like US 212 and I 494. You'll experience a longest stretch of 9 miles on US 212 before transitioning to surface streets like North Chestnut Street. Expect a relatively continuous flow of traffic with frequent exits common on the highway portions.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9 mi on US 212.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 212 and I 494. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR 5; CR 61 / Minnetonka Boulevard.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 18 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CR 5; CR 61 / Minnetonka Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Chaska, MN
Full guide →The Twin Cities of Minnesota constitute the political, cultural, and economic capital of the Upper Midwest, and along with the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit metropolitan areas, the core of the North Coast region of the United States. The name "Twin Cities" comes from the region's two core cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, which border each other, share many of the same political, educational, and cultural institutions - and are thus considered to be "twins". There are multiple "tiers" or "rings" of suburbs extending out from these core cities, some reaching as far as Wisconsin.
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: 18 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 (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9 miles on US 212. 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 Chaska, 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 0.1 miles (CR 5; CR 61 / Minnetonka Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 6.3 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 Chaska, 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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