Origin
Rock Creek, MN
Late night in Rock Creek on Sunday
Local time
3:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rock Creek, MN to Pine City, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
10m
Distance
7 mi
11 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 10m
★
6 AM
0h 11m
8 AM
0h 13m
10 AM
0h 11m
12 PM
0h 11m
3 PM
0h 11m
5 PM
0h 12m
8 PM
0h 10m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rock Creek, MN
Tom Fisk
Pine City, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit within Minnesota’s Midwest, the 7-mile stretch from Rock Creek to Pine City is an efficient option. You can expect to complete this journey in about 10 minutes, making it a simple jaunt rather than a multi-day expedition. Given the short distance, you certainly won't need to budget more than a single day for the trip, and your fuel costs will be minimal, likely totaling around $1. This is a straightforward local connection that serves as a practical link between these two communities. It works perfectly as a brief outing, allowing you to get where you need to go without any complex planning or overnight requirements.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| MN 70 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Forest Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Hillside Avenue Southwest | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Main Street South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 558 Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Avenue Southeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Railroad Street Southeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 3.4 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rock Creek, MN and Pine City, MN.
1
Start on 558 Street
482 ft
·
26 sec
·
558 Street
2
Turn left onto CR 61
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Forest Boulevard
3
Turn left onto MN 70
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
MN 70
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 35 North: Duluth
5
Merge onto I 35
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
I 35
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward CR 7, I 35 Business: Pine City
7
Turn right onto I 35 BUS; CR 7
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Hillside Avenue Southwest
8
Turn left onto I 35 BUS; CR 61
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
Main Street South
9
Turn right onto CR 8
414 ft
·
13 sec
·
3rd Avenue Southeast
10
Turn right onto Railroad Street Southeast
212 ft
·
9 sec
·
Railroad Street Southeast
11
Arrive at destination
Railroad Street Southeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 6.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 61 / Forest Boulevard
Turn left onto CR 61 / Forest Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 35 North: Duluth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 35 North: Duluth
5
5.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward CR 7, I 35 Business: Pine City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward CR 7, I 35 Business: Pine City
4
6.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto CR 8 / 3rd Avenue Southeast
Navigation decision point
5
6.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
Railroad Street Southeast
Turn right onto Railroad Street Southeast
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.04 one way
$2.08 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $1.12 | $2.24 |
| premium | $4.53 | $1.25 | $2.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.55 | $3.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.74 | $0.34 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.61 | $0.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.98 | $0.45 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Pine City, MN
Late night in Pine City on Sunday
Local time
3:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°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
3 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
10m 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-style driving experience as you navigate between these two points. While the path utilizes I-35 and I-35 North for portions of the trip, the route is not a long-haul interstate grind, as the highway share is effectively 0%. You will spend your time navigating local infrastructure like Forest Boulevard, which gives the drive a more intimate, neighborhood feel. Because the trip covers such a short distance, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches to contend with. The road requires your full attention due to the frequent turns, keeping the pace brisk but manageable for the brief duration of your time behind the wheel.
64% 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: 3.4 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and MN 70. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR 61 / Forest Boulevard.
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 10m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CR 61 / Forest Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Rock Creek, MN to Pine City, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 7 along the way.
Cr 7
5.5 mi in
|
~7m
About the Cities
Arriving 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 10m. Total distance: 7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (64%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.4 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: at 0.1 miles (CR 61 / Forest Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pine City, 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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