Origin
Pine City, MN
Late night in Pine City on Sunday
Local time
3:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pine City, MN to Finlayson, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
30.5 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pine City, MN
Tom Fisk
Finlayson, MN
Efrem Efre
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick excursion through the heart of the Midwest, the 30.5-mile journey from Pine City to Finlayson is a straightforward option. You can expect to spend about 31 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal choice for a simple day trip that requires no overnight stay. Navigating the route is uncomplicated, relying on local roads like 3rd Avenue Southeast, Main Street South, and Highway 61 rather than major interstates. With a fuel budget of just $4, this trip is highly economical for those wanting a short, low-stress drive. Whether you are running errands or just exploring Minnesota, this connection provides a reliable path between these two points.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 23.8 mi | 25m |
| State Highway 18 | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Main Street South | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Veterans' Evergreen Memorial Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Henriette Road Northwest | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| County Highway 61 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Avenue Southeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Railroad Street Southeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 23.8 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pine City, MN and Finlayson, MN.
1
Start on Railroad Street Southeast
212 ft
·
14 sec
·
Railroad Street Southeast
2
Turn left onto CR 8
414 ft
·
15 sec
·
3rd Avenue Southeast
3
Turn right onto I 35 BUS; CR 61
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street South
4
Continue on I 35 BUS; CR 61
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
County Highway 61
5
Turn left onto I 35 BUS; CR 11
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Henriette Road Northwest
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 35 North: Duluth
7
Merge onto I 35
24 mi
·
25 min
·
I 35
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Toward MN 18, MN 23 East: Finlayson, Askov
9
Turn left onto MN 23
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Veterans' Evergreen Memorial Drive
10
At end of road, turn right onto MN 18; CR 61
209 ft
·
4 sec
·
County Highway 61
11
Continue on MN 18; CR 61
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
State Highway 18
12
Continue on MN 18
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
State Highway 18
13
Turn left onto CR 60
83 ft
·
2 sec
·
Front Street
14
Arrive at destination
CR 60
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.6 — 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
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 35 BUS; CR 11 / Henriette Road Northwest
Turn left onto I 35 BUS; CR 11 / Henriette Road Northwest
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 North: Duluth
Navigation decision point
Toward I 35 North: Duluth
5
25.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward MN 18, MN 23 East: Finlayson, Askov
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MN 18, MN 23 East: Finlayson, Askov
5
26.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
MN 18; CR 61 / County Highway 61
At end of road, turn right onto MN 18; CR 61 / County Highway 61
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.54 one way
$9.08 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.89 | $9.78 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.44 | $10.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.73 | $13.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 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 | 9.2 | 0 | $3.20 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.27 | $1.95 |
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.
Destination
Finlayson, MN
Late night in Finlayson on Sunday
Local time
3:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
37°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
29 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
38m 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 keeps you engaged throughout the entire 30.5-mile stretch. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route features zero highway miles, meaning you will stay on surface roads the whole time. You will not find any long, uninterrupted highway stretches here, as the longest segment occurs on 3rd Avenue Southeast. The road demands your attention as you transition through various local roads, offering a tactile driving experience. It is a practical, functional drive that favors local navigation over high-speed transit.
92% 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: 23.8 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and State Highway 18. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 38m drive. You will face about 9 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 (CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 35 BUS; CR 11 / Henriette Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Pine City, MN to Finlayson, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Askov along the way.
Askov
25.8 mi in
|
~29m
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 38m. Total distance: 30.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.8 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 1.5 miles (I 35 BUS; CR 11 / Henriette Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Finlayson, 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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