Origin
Pine City, MN
Late night in Pine City on Tuesday
Local time
3:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
14.2 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pine City, MN
Tom Fisk
Hinckley, MN
Tom Fisk
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.
| 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 |
Step-by-step road directions between Pine City, MN and Hinckley, MN.
Start on Railroad Street Southeast
Turn left onto CR 8
Turn right onto I 35 BUS; CR 61
Continue on I 35 BUS; CR 61
Turn left onto I 35 BUS; CR 11
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 35
Take the exit
Turn left onto MN 48
At end of road, turn right onto CR 61
Arrive at destination
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.
Turn left onto CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto I 35 BUS; CR 11 / Henriette Road Northwest
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp toward I 35 North: Duluth
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward MN 48, CR 61: Hinckley
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto MN 48 / Fire Monument Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.11 one way
$4.23 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.28 | $4.55 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.53 | $5.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.14 | $6.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Pine City on Tuesday
Local time
3:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Hinckley on Tuesday
Local time
3:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Founded 1881
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 14.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Straightforward navigation.
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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