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Trip from Montrose, MN to Maple Grove, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

45m

Distance

32.4 mi

52 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 41m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Montrose, MN, MN

Montrose, MN

Tom Fisk

city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States

Maple Grove, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 32.4-mile drive from Montrose, MN to Maple Grove, MN is easily completed in about 45 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll navigate a mix of local roads and interstate highways, with approximately 38% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this short hop is around $5, suggesting a budget-friendly excursion. Given its proximity within the Midwest region, this route is ideal for a quick errand, a visit to a neighboring town, or as part of a larger regional exploration. There are no recommended overnight stops, so you can plan for a flexible departure and return.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Babcock Boulevard 13.2 mi 17m
I 494 6.4 mi 7m
US 12 6 mi 8m
Babcock Boulevard West 3.9 mi 5m
Bass Lake Road 0.6 mi 1m
Nelson Boulevard 0.5 mi <1m
60th Street Southeast 0.2 mi <1m
Buffalo Avenue South <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Babcock Boulevard — 13.2 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Montrose, MN and Maple Grove, MN.

1

Start on CR 12

23 ft · 7 sec · Buffalo Avenue South
2

Turn left onto US 12; MN 25

0.5 mi · 52 sec · Nelson Boulevard
3

Continue on US 12; MN 25

2.4 mi · 3 min · US 12; MN 25
4

Continue on US 12

0.2 mi · 19 sec · 60th Street Southeast
5

Continue on US 12

3.6 mi · 5 min · US 12
6

Continue on US 12

3.9 mi · 5 min · Babcock Boulevard West
7

Enter roundabout onto US 12

140 ft · 1 sec · Babcock Boulevard
8

Continue on US 12

2.1 mi · 2 min · Babcock Boulevard
9

Enter roundabout onto US 12

140 ft · 1 sec · Babcock Boulevard
10

Continue on US 12

11 mi · 14 min · Babcock Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 1A-B Toward I 494: Carlson Parkway, Linner Road Use the slight right lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Toward I 494 Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 394 East, I 494 North Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 33 sec
Toward I 494 North Use the right lane.
15

Merge onto I 494

6.4 mi · 7 min · I 494
Use the straight / right lanes.
16

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 26 Toward CR 10: Bass Lake Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Turn left onto CR 10

0.6 mi · 1 min · Bass Lake Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
18

Arrive at destination

CR 10

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Medina, MN, MN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Medina, MN

16 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

Plymouth, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 32 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Medina, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.2 miles from Montrose, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 23.9 and 31.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
23.9 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward I 494: Carlson Parkway, Linner Road

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 1A-B Toward I 494: Carlson Parkway, Linner Road
7
24.2 mi into trip | ~33m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 494

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 494
8
24.5 mi into trip | ~34m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 394 East, I 494 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 394 East, I 494 North
7
24.9 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward I 494 North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 494 North
7
31.5 mi into trip | ~43m in

Take the exit toward CR 10: Bass Lake Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 26 Toward CR 10: Bass Lake Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.82 one way

$9.64 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $5.20 $10.39
premium $4.53 $5.78 $11.56
diesel $5.61 $7.15 $14.31

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.7 0 $3.40 $1.56
Efficient EV 8.1 0 $2.83 $1.30
EV Truck/SUV 13 0 $4.54 $2.07

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Montrose, MN

Late night in Montrose on Tuesday

Local time

3:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Maple Grove, MN

Late night in Maple Grove on Tuesday

Local time

3:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Partly Sunny

S 15 to 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

57°F

Medina, MN

16 mi in

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

7 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

45m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a mixed driving experience on this route. You'll encounter stretches on Babcock Boulevard, US 12, and I-494, with about 38% of the total distance on highway. The longest continuous stretch you'll cover is 13.2 miles on Babcock Boulevard, offering a more consistent pace before transitioning to other road types. The profile is described as a 'Mixed drive,' indicating a blend of faster highway travel and potentially slower, more varied conditions on local roads. This means you'll experience shifts in speed and scenery as you progress towards Maple Grove.

38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.2 mi on Babcock Boulevard.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 23.9 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 11 decision points packed into just 32.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

About the Cities

Arriving in Maple Grove, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1858

Maple Grove is a suburban city in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

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 45m. Total distance: 32.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.2 miles on Babcock 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 Maple Grove, 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 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Maple Grove, 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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