Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 10, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
46.4 mi
75 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rush City, MN
Tom Fisk
Blaine, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Rush City, MN to Blaine, MN is 46.4 miles and takes about 55m via I 35, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Midwest region and the state of Minnesota. It's a straightforward trip, primarily on the highway, making it ideal for a quick commute or an easy leg of a longer journey. You won't encounter significant changes in scenery or terrain, keeping the focus on getting from point A to point B efficiently.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 32.3 mi | 34m |
| I 35W | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| 109th Avenue Northeast | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| West 4th Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Central Avenue Northeast | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Lexington Avenue Northeast | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Rush Lake Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Eliot Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~2,068 veh/hr typical · worst 2,574
Quietest
1 AM
~82 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
25.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 86 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Rush City, MN and Blaine, MN.
Start on South Eliot Avenue
Turn right onto West 4th Street
Continue on Rush Lake Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 35
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W
Take the exit
Turn right onto CR 17
Turn left onto 109th Avenue Northeast
Turn left onto MN 65
Turn left onto MN 65
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 23.2 miles from Rush City, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 41.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 35 South: Saint Paul, Minneapolis
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W toward I 35W: Minneapolis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CR 17: Lexington Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto CR 17 / Lexington Avenue Northeast
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$7.57 one way
$15.15 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.46 | $8.15 | $16.30 |
| premium | $4.95 | $9.05 | $18.10 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $10.90 | $21.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
| Efficient EV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.06 | $1.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.50 | $2.97 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Evening in Rush City on Wednesday
Local time
7:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Evening in Blaine on Wednesday
Local time
7:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Partly Cloudy
50°F
Columbus, MN
23 mi in
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
This drive is predominantly on highways, with 86% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 32.3 miles on I 35, offering consistent cruising. The highway portion concludes around the 39.7-mile mark, transitioning to surface streets like 109th Avenue Northeast for the final stretch into Blaine. Expect a relatively high number of exits and merges as you approach the Minneapolis metropolitan area.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and I 35W. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 55m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.5 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.8 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
40 ft
Total Descent
55 ft
Highest Point
927 ft
~3.6 mi in
Elevation Range
32 ft
Founded 1877
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 46.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Straightforward navigation.
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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