Origin
Plymouth, MN
Morning in Plymouth on Sunday
Local time
10:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plymouth, MN to French Lake, 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 1m
Distance
42.4 mi
68 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Plymouth, MN
Wikimedia Commons
French Lake, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Plymouth, MN to French Lake, MN is 42.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 1 minute via MN 55 and County Road 37 Northwest, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Minnesota, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. Most of the drive is on highways, making it a straightforward trip. It’s a short enough route that you can easily complete it in a single day, giving you flexibility for when you want to depart and how you want to spend your time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MN 55 | 33.6 mi | 49m |
| County Road 37 Northwest | 8.7 mi | 12m |
| County Road 3 Northwest | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
MN 55
— 33.6 mi, about 49m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plymouth, MN and French Lake, MN.
1
Start on MN 55
20 mi
·
29 min
·
MN 55
Use the left lane.
2
Continue on MN 55
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
MN 55
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on MN 55
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
MN 55
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on MN 55; CR 35
8.6 mi
·
12 min
·
MN 55; CR 35
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn left onto CR 37
8.7 mi
·
12 min
·
County Road 37 Northwest
6
Turn left onto CR 3
117 ft
·
2 sec
·
County Road 3 Northwest
7
Arrive at destination
CR 3
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.2 miles from Plymouth, 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
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 42.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MN 55
Depart onto MN 55
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
33.6 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
CR 37 / County Road 37 Northwest
Turn left onto CR 37 / County Road 37 Northwest
Navigation decision point
3
42.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
CR 3 / County Road 3 Northwest
Turn left onto CR 3 / County Road 3 Northwest
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.31 one way
$12.62 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $6.80 | $13.60 |
| premium | $4.53 | $7.57 | $15.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.36 | $18.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.04 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.71 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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
French Lake, MN
Morning in French Lake on Sunday
Local time
10:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
46°F
Delano, MN
21 mi in
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
24 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 1m 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?
This drive is mostly highway, with 79% of the 42.4 miles on main roads. You'll experience a longest stretch of 33.6 miles on MN 55 before transitioning to county roads. Expect typical highway cruising for the majority of the trip, with a shift to more rural-feeling roads as you approach French Lake. The density of exits will likely decrease significantly after you leave MN 55.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33.6 mi on MN 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MN 55 and County Road 37 Northwest. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MN 55.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Plymouth, MN to French Lake, MN is easy. At 1h 1m with 79% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MN 55): Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 miles (CR 37 / County Road 37 Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 42.4 miles (CR 3 / County Road 3 Northwest): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Plymouth, MN
Full guide →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.
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 1m. Total distance: 42.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 33.6 miles on MN 55. 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 (MN 55): Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 miles (CR 37 / County Road 37 Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 42.4 miles (CR 3 / County Road 3 Northwest): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at French Lake, 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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