Origin
Pine City, MN
Late night in Pine City on Sunday
Local time
5:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pine City, MN to Saint Paul, 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 19m
Distance
65.1 mi
105 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pine City, MN
Tom Fisk
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Pine City to Saint Paul, you are in for a straightforward 64.4-mile journey through the heart of the Midwest. Expect the drive to take roughly 1 hour and 2 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of approximately $9, this route is an economical choice for commuters or weekend travelers. Because the trip is relatively short, there is no need to worry about overnight lodging, allowing you to easily complete the loop in one go. You will navigate primarily through local roads, providing a different pace compared to typical interstate travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 41.9 mi | 44m |
| I 35E | 17 mi | 19m |
| Centerville Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Hillside Avenue Southwest | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Main Street South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Robert Street North | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| County Road E | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Kellogg Boulevard East | 0.2 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 Saint Paul, 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 left at fork onto I 35E
9.9 mi
·
10 min
·
I 35E
Toward Saint Paul
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 117
Toward CR 96
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto CH 96
492 ft
·
12 sec
·
CH 96
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto CH 59
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Centerville Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto CH 15
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
County Road E
Use the straight lane.
12
Take the ramp
226 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 35E South: Saint Paul
Use the right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 35E South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 35E
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
I 35E
Toward I 35E South, US 10 East: St Paul
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto US 10
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
US 10
Exit 107A
Toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th Street, Wacouta Street
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward 10th Street, Wacouta Street
18
Keep slight right at fork
409 ft
·
10 sec
Toward 10th Street
Use the slight right lane.
19
Continue on 10th Street East
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
10th Street East
20
Turn left onto Robert Street North
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Robert Street North
21
Turn right onto Kellogg Boulevard East
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Kellogg Boulevard East
22
Turn right onto Wabasha Street North
162 ft
·
5 sec
·
Wabasha Street North
23
Arrive at destination
Wabasha Street North
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.6 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 205 decision points cluster between mile 43.5 and 64.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
43.5 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E toward Saint Paul
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward Saint Paul
8
56.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35E South
8
58.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E South, US 10 East: St Paul
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35E South, US 10 East: St Paul
9
63.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
US 10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 10 toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th Street, Wacouta Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 107A
Toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th...
8
64.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 10th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 10th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.69 one way
$19.38 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $10.44 | $20.88 |
| premium | $4.53 | $11.62 | $23.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.37 | $28.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.5 | 0 | $6.84 | $3.12 |
| Efficient EV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.70 | $2.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26 | 0 | $9.11 | $4.17 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Saint Paul, MN
Late night in Saint Paul on Sunday
Local time
5:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 19m 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?
Forget the monotony of the interstate; this route features 0% highway driving, offering a much more hands-on experience behind the wheel. You will navigate a turn-heavy local drive using 3rd Avenue Southeast, Main Street South, and Hillside Avenue Southwest. Because there are no long highway stretches, your longest uninterrupted run on 3rd Avenue Southeast is essentially zero miles, requiring you to stay alert and engaged with the road. The character of this trip is defined by its local nature, favoring constant adjustments and attention rather than high-speed cruising.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 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?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and I 35E. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 43.5 miles in near I 35E.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 65.1 miles you will encounter 20 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: at 43.5 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 56.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 58.4 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Saint Paul, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 96 along the way.
Cr 96
53.3 mi in
|
~58m
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 19m. Total distance: 65.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). 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.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Saint Paul, MN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: at 43.5 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 56.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 58.4 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Saint Paul, 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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