Skip to main content

Trip from Pine City, MN to Hinckley, MN

Pin this trip

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

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 16m ★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m

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

Downtown Pine City, MN, MN

Pine City, MN

Tom Fisk

Downtown Hinckley, MN, MN

Hinckley, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

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

$2.11 one way

$4.23 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 21, 2026

Origin

Pine City, MN

Late night in Pine City on Tuesday

Local time

3:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Hinckley, MN

Late night in Hinckley on Tuesday

Local time

3:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

36°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

21 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

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 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 Effort 4/10

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.

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

About the Cities

Starting in Pine City, MN

Full guide →

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).

Who Is This Route For?

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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

Explore More

Explore more options from Pine City, MN or browse trips ending in Hinckley, MN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.