Origin
Rockford, MN
Late night in Rockford on Tuesday
Local time
5:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockford, MN to Bloomington, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
33.6 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockford, MN
Tom Fisk
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Rockford to Bloomington, you are looking at a straightforward 33.6-mile commute across Minnesota. Expect to spend about 46 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. Since the drive is entirely within the Midwest, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the journey. With a fuel cost estimate of just $5, it is a very budget-friendly excursion. Because the duration is under an hour, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or complex logistics. This route is purely functional, designed to get you from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 16.2 mi | 20m |
| MN 55 | 15.2 mi | 22m |
| I 35W | 1 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 16.2 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockford, MN and Bloomington, MN.
1
Start on CR 20
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto MN 55
15 mi
·
22 min
·
MN 55
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 494 South
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 494
16 mi
·
20 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
this road
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
7
Merge onto I 35W
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35W
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto West 90th Street
207 ft
·
5 sec
·
West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Arrive at destination
West 90th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 33.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.8 miles from Rockford, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 15.3 and 33.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
15.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the ramp toward I 494 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 494 South
5
15.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 494
Merge onto I 494
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
31.8 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
7
33.4 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Take the exit toward 90th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
7
33.6 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
West 90th Street
Turn left onto West 90th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.00 one way
$10.00 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $5.39 | $10.78 |
| premium | $4.53 | $6.00 | $11.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.42 | $14.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 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 | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
| Efficient EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.70 | $2.15 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Bloomington, MN
Late night in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
5:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Plymouth, MN
17 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
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
46m 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 is a highway-focused drive, with 96% of the journey spent on major roads like MN 55, I 494, and I 35W. You will spend the vast majority of your time cruising at higher speeds rather than navigating local streets. The road’s personality is defined by its efficiency, featuring a longest uninterrupted stretch of 16.2 miles on I 494. Expect a standard interstate experience where you can maintain a steady pace for most of the 46-minute duration. It is a utilitarian trip that prioritizes speed and direct access over winding, scenic detours.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.2 mi on I 494.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and MN 55. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 15.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 33.6 miles you will encounter 7 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 15.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 miles (I 494): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bloomington, MN
Full guide →Founded 1843
Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP IATA) and home to the Mall of America, the United States' largest shopping mall. Bloomington has a population of 89,000 people (as of 2021). Bloomington was established as a post–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is served by two major freeways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494.
Top landmarks
- • Nickelodeon Universe — amusement park inside Mall of America
- • SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge — amusement ride
- • SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium
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 46m. Total distance: 33.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.2 miles on I 494. 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 15.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 miles (I 494): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bloomington, 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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