If you are looking for a quick transition between Pine City and Hinckley, this 14.2-mile journey is an efficient way to travel through the Minnesota Midwest. Expect to spend only about 16 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal trip to complete in a single day. You will not need to worry about extensive planning or overnight stops, as the distance is short enough to handle in one go. Budgeting roughly $2 for fuel will cover your transit costs comfortably. Since this is a straightforward local connection, you have plenty of flexibility to fit it into a larger itinerary or tackle it as a standalone errand. It is a practical, no-fuss drive that gets you from point A to point B without any unnecessary complexity.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 35
11.3 mi
12m
Main Street South
1.1 mi
2m
Fire Monument Road
0.6 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
— 11.3 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pine City, MN and Hinckley, 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
11 mi·12 min·I 35
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi·35 sec
Toward MN 48, CR 61: Hinckley
9
Turn left onto MN 48
0.6 mi·1 min·Fire Monument Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
At end of road, turn right onto CR 61
53 ft·1 sec·County Highway 61
11
Arrive at destination
CR 61
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.5 — 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
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
13.3 mi into trip|~16m in
Take the exit toward MN 48, CR 61: Hinckley
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MN 48, CR 61: Hinckley
6
13.5 mi into trip|~16m in|MN 48 / Fire Monument Road
Turn left onto MN 48 / Fire Monument Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.13 one way
$4.27 round trip
$3.82/gal25.4 MPG avg5 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$2.30
$4.61
premium
$4.60
$2.57
$5.14
diesel
$4.80
$2.68
$5.36
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging
· 0 stops
· 60% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
4.3
0
$1.49
$0.68
Efficient EV
3.6
0
$1.24
$0.57
EV Truck/SUV
5.7
0
$1.99
$0.91
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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 Jul 13, 2026
Origin
Pine City, MN
Afternoon
in Pine City on Sunday
Local time
12:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
96°F
Sunny
SW 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 1:40PM CDT until July 14 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 1:40PM CDT until July 13 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
Destination
Hinckley, MN
Afternoon
in Hinckley on Sunday
Local time
12:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
94°F
Sunny
SW 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 1:40PM CDT until July 14 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 13 at 1:40PM CDT until July 13 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
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
2 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
17m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local experience rather than a high-speed interstate cruise on this route. You will navigate using 3rd Avenue Southeast, Main Street South, and Highway 61 to complete the connection. Because the highway share is 0%, you should prepare for a slower pace that keeps you engaged with local roads. There is no long, monotonous stretch here, as the longest segment on 3rd Avenue Southeast is essentially negligible. The road personality remains consistent throughout the 14.2-mile trip, requiring your full attention as you move between towns.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.3 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and Main Street South. 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 Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 8 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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,032 ft949 ft
Total Climb
88 ft
Total Descent
6 ft
Highest Point
1,032 ft
~14.2 mi in
Elevation Range
83 ft
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 Hinckley, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 61: Hinckley along the way.
Cr 61: Hinckley
13.3 mi in|~16m
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
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.
The longest stretch is about 11.3 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 Hinckley, MN before heading back.
