Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
12.2 mi
20 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.
Plymouth, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Excelsior, MN
Tom Fisk
The drive from Plymouth, MN to Excelsior, MN covers 12.2 miles and takes about 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 494, Minnesota State Highway 7, 2nd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.4 miles on I 494. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.99 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Minnesota State Highway 7 | 5.1 mi | 7m |
| 2nd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| MN 55 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Water Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,224 veh/hr typical · worst 3,798
Quietest
2 AM
~77 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
41.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 84 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Plymouth, MN and Excelsior, MN.
Start on MN 55
Turn sharp left
Merge onto I 494
Take the exit
Turn straight onto MN 7
Turn slight right
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on CR 82
Turn left onto Water Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 12.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn sharp left toward I 494 South
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 494
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MN 7 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Turn left onto Water Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$1.99 one way
$3.98 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.46 | $2.14 | $4.29 |
| premium | $4.95 | $2.38 | $4.76 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $2.87 | $5.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.28 | $0.59 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.07 | $0.49 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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 Plymouth on Saturday
Local time
12:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Excelsior on Saturday
Local time
12:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
12.2 mi in 18m, mostly highway — 5.4 mi of that is on I 494.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7. You will hit about 5 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 12.2 miles you will encounter 5 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 0.2 miles: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (I 494): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
220 ft
Total Descent
251 ft
Highest Point
1,052 ft
~7 mi in
Elevation Range
157 ft
Founded 1852
Plymouth is a city located in the heart of Minnesota. This city is a place that has a good solid community and friendly people. Plymouth has a lot to offer both its residents and its travelers. They are known for having affordable housing, low crime rates and most importantly an active outdoor culture. Plymouth was also Money Magazine's best place to live in 2008. If Plymouth was ranked as the number one place to live, it must be a really great place to travel to as well.
Founded 1877
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 12.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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