Origin
Pine City, MN
Late night in Pine City on Sunday
Local time
3:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pine City, MN to Blaine, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
56.1 mi
90 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pine City, MN
Tom Fisk
Blaine, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Pine City to Blaine, you are in for a straightforward 59.5-mile journey across Minnesota. Clocking in at approximately 55 minutes, this trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You will navigate primarily via 3rd Avenue Southeast, Main Street South, and Hillside Avenue Southwest rather than the typical interstate system. With a modest fuel budget of about $8, this drive is an efficient way to transition between these two Midwest locations. Because the entire route remains within the same state, the cultural and regional transition is subtle, making this a reliable and predictable commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 41.9 mi | 44m |
| I 35W | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| 109th Avenue Northeast | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Hillside Avenue Southwest | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Central Avenue Northeast | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Main Street South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Lexington Avenue Northeast | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Avenue Southeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 41.9 mi, about 44m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pine City, MN and Blaine, MN.
1
Start on Railroad Street Southeast
212 ft
·
14 sec
·
Railroad Street Southeast
2
Turn left onto CR 8
414 ft
·
18 sec
·
3rd Avenue Southeast
3
Turn left onto I 35 BUS; CR 61
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
Main Street South
4
Turn right onto I 35 BUS; CR 7
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Hillside Avenue Southwest
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 35 South: Saint Paul, Minneapolis
6
Merge onto I 35
42 mi
·
44 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
I 35W
Toward I 35W: Minneapolis
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 33
Toward CR 17: Lexington Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto CR 17
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
Lexington Avenue Northeast
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto 109th Avenue Northeast
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
109th Avenue Northeast
11
Turn left onto MN 65
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue Northeast
12
Turn left onto MN 65
103 ft
·
10 sec
·
Central Avenue Northeast
13
Arrive at destination
MN 65
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.1 miles from Pine City, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 51.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast
Turn left onto CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast
Navigation decision point
6
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 South: Saint Paul, Minneapolis
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 35 South: Saint Paul, Minneapolis
7
43.5 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
I 35W
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W toward I 35W: Minneapolis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 35W: Minneapolis
7
51.3 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward CR 17: Lexington Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 33
Toward CR 17: Lexington Avenue
6
51.5 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
CR 17 / Lexington Avenue Northeast
Turn right onto CR 17 / Lexington Avenue Northeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.35 one way
$16.70 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $9.00 | $17.99 |
| premium | $4.53 | $10.01 | $20.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.39 | $24.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.89 | $2.69 |
| Efficient EV | 14 | 0 | $4.91 | $2.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.4 | 0 | $7.85 | $3.59 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Blaine, MN
Late night in Blaine on Sunday
Local time
3:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
42°F
Wyoming, MN
28 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 5m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike the monotonous grind of a major interstate, this route features zero highway miles, meaning you will be navigating surface streets for the duration of the 59.5-mile trip. Because there are no long stretches—your longest segment is 0 miles on 3rd Avenue Southeast—the pace remains consistent but requires constant engagement with local road conditions. You will find that the personality of the drive is defined by these technical, maneuver-focused segments. It is a practical, hands-on driving experience that keeps you moving through local terrain rather than cruising at high speeds.
89% 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: 41.9 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and I 35W. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.1 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 43.5 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Pine City, MN
Full guide →Pine City is a city in east central Minnesota with the tagline "North. Nice and close." The Pine City zip code (55063), which is a more accurate reflection of the size of the town, has a population of approximately 10,000 people and even more native pine trees. It's an easy day trip from the Twin Cities to Pine City, the largest city in, and county seat of Pine County.
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 1h 5m. Total distance: 56.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 41.9 miles on I 35. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 43.5 miles (I 35W): 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 Blaine, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Blaine, MN
More trips to Blaine, MN
Explore more options from Pine City, MN or browse trips ending in Blaine, MN.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.