Origin
Richfield, MN
Late night in Richfield on Sunday
Local time
2:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richfield, 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
20m
Distance
12.2 mi
20 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 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richfield, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 12.2-mile trip from Richfield, MN to Saint Paul, MN is designed for a single day, taking about 20 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate local roads like Shepard Road and East 66th Street, with a short stint on Crosstown Highway. Given the minimal distance and duration, an overnight split is unnecessary. The estimated fuel cost is a modest $2, making it an economical option for getting between these two Midwest hubs. This drive offers a straightforward way to cover the short distance between these Minnesota cities without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Shepard Road | 5.1 mi | 8m |
| Crosstown Highway | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| East 66th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Portland Avenue South | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| MN 5 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West 66th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Kellogg Boulevard West | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Exchange Street South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Shepard Road
— 5.1 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richfield, MN and Saint Paul, MN.
1
Start on CR 53
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
West 66th Street
2
Enter roundabout onto CR 53
111 ft
·
2 sec
·
East 66th Street
3
Continue on CR 53
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 66th Street
4
Enter roundabout onto CR 35
212 ft
·
5 sec
·
Portland Avenue South
5
Continue on CR 35
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Portland Avenue South
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward MN 62 East
7
Merge onto MN 62
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Crosstown Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 116C
Toward MN 5 East: Saint Paul
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Merge onto MN 5
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
MN 5
10
Take the exit
197 ft
·
4 sec
Toward Edgcumbe Road, Shepard Road, River Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
223 ft
·
5 sec
Toward Shepard Road, River Boulevard
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Gannon Road
285 ft
·
7 sec
·
Gannon Road
13
Turn left onto Shepard Road
5.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Shepard Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Turn left onto Eagle Parkway
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Eagle Parkway
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn right onto Exchange Street South
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Exchange Street South
Use the right lane.
16
Turn straight onto Kellogg Boulevard West
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Kellogg Boulevard West
17
Turn left onto Wabasha Street North
214 ft
·
9 sec
·
Wabasha Street North
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
Wabasha Street North
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 5.7 and 12.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
5.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward MN 5 East: Saint Paul
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 116C
Toward MN 5 East: Saint Paul
7
6.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward Edgcumbe Road, Shepard Road, River Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Edgcumbe Road, Shepard Road, River Boule...
9
6.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Shepard Road, River Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Shepard Road, River Boulevard
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Eagle Parkway
Turn left onto Eagle Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Wabasha Street North
Turn left onto Wabasha Street North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.82 one way
$3.63 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $1.96 | $3.91 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.18 | $4.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.69 | $5.39 |
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, 2026-04-13.
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Saint Paul, MN
Late night in Saint Paul on Sunday
Local time
2:50 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
19 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
20m 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 drive for most of this 12.2-mile journey. With only a 6% highway share, you'll be on city streets and local routes for the majority of the 20-minute trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.1 miles along Shepard Road. This profile suggests a route that requires your attention to traffic signals and local road conditions rather than high-speed highway cruising. The drive feels more like navigating through neighborhoods and commercial areas than a typical interstate experience.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on Shepard Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 12.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 12.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 miles on Shepard Road. 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 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.3 miles: 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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