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Trip from Saint Cloud, MN to Anoka, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 2m

Distance

48.6 mi

78 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 58m ★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city on tripoint of Benton, Sherburne and Stearns Counties in Minnesota, United States

Saint Cloud, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Anoka, MN, MN

Anoka, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

This 48.6-mile drive from Saint Cloud, MN to Anoka, MN is a straightforward, one-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 2 minutes. You'll primarily travel on US-10 E, Voyageur Highway, and West Main Street, with a significant portion on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $7, making it an economical option. This route stays within the Midwest region, offering a familiar drive through Minnesota. Given its short distance and duration, it's perfectly suited for a single-day excursion without needing an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US-10 E 26.6 mi 32m
Voyageur Highway 19.7 mi 24m
West Main Street 0.9 mi 1m
East Saint Germain Street 0.7 mi 1m
1st Street North 0.2 mi <1m
Veterans Bridge 0.2 mi <1m
2nd Street North <0.1 mi <1m
8th Avenue North <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US-10 E — 26.6 mi, about 32m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Saint Cloud, MN and Anoka, MN.

1

Start on Courthouse Square

7 ft · 2 sec · Courthouse Square
2

Turn right onto 8th Avenue North

253 ft · 13 sec · 8th Avenue North
3

Turn right onto 2nd Street North

393 ft · 9 sec · 2nd Street North
4

Continue on 1st Street North

0.2 mi · 27 sec · 1st Street North
5

Continue on Veterans Bridge

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Veterans Bridge
6

Continue on East Saint Germain Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Saint Germain Street
7

Turn right onto US 10

27 mi · 32 min · US-10 E
8

Continue on US 10

20 mi · 24 min · Voyageur Highway
Use the left lane.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Exit 224A Toward Main Street, Greenhaven Road Use the slight right lane.
10

Keep slight left at fork

139 ft · 3 sec
Toward Main Street, Greenhaven Road
11

Enter roundabout onto West Main Street

97 ft · 1 sec · West Main Street
12

Continue on West Main Street

0.9 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
13

Turn right onto 3rd Avenue

77 ft · 3 sec · 3rd Avenue
14

Arrive at destination

3rd Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Otsego, MN, MN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Otsego, MN

24 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

Becker, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Monticello, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.3 miles from Saint Cloud, 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 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 47.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | 8th Avenue North

Turn right onto 8th Avenue North

Navigation decision point

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | 2nd Street North

Turn right onto 2nd Street North

Navigation decision point

8
47.5 mi into trip | ~1h in

Take the exit toward Main Street, Greenhaven Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 224A Toward Main Street, Greenhaven Road
7
47.7 mi into trip | ~1h in

Keep slight left at fork toward Main Street, Greenhaven Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Main Street, Greenhaven Road
5
47.7 mi into trip | ~1h in | West Main Street

Enter roundabout onto West Main Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.30 one way

$14.60 round trip

$3.82/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.12 $7.88 $15.76
premium $4.60 $8.80 $17.61
diesel $4.80 $9.18 $18.35

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.6 0 $5.10 $2.33
Efficient EV 12.2 0 $4.25 $1.94
EV Truck/SUV 19.4 0 $6.80 $3.11

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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.

Forecast as of Jul 14, 2026

Origin

Saint Cloud, MN

Evening in Saint Cloud on Sunday

Local time

6:40 PM

CDT

Current temp

94°F

Sunny

WSW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:00PM CDT until July 15 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:00PM CDT until July 14 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

Destination

Anoka, MN

Evening in Anoka on Sunday

Local time

6:40 PM

CDT

Current temp

95°F

Sunny

WSW 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:00PM CDT until July 15 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:00PM CDT until July 14 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

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

1h 2m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a mixed drive experience on this route, with 55% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 26.6 miles along US-10 E, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. As you progress, the road will transition, likely moving from more open highway driving to potentially more local road sections as you approach Anoka. This blend means you'll experience both faster travel and more community-focused stretches behind the wheel.

55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.6 mi on US-10 E.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 8th Avenue North.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 2m 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: near the start (8th Avenue North): Navigation decision point; near the start (2nd Street North): Navigation decision point; at 47.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,037 ft 864 ft

Total Climb

15 ft

Total Descent

175 ft

Highest Point

1,037 ft

Elevation Range

173 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Saint Cloud, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1856

Saint Cloud is a city in Central Minnesota with a population of 68,000 (2018). Although it may have few attractions to draw the tourist, it is a nexus of medical advances, particularly in orthopedics (St. Cloud Orthopedics Associates, for example). It is also a college town as it is home to St. Cloud State University and St Cloud Technical College. The College of St. Benedict and St. John's University are nearby.

Top landmarks

  • • Michael Majerus House — House in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
  • • Carter Block — building in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
  • • First National Bank — historic bank building in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States

Arriving in Anoka, MN

Full guide →

Founded 1844

Anoka is a city in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Anoka County and known as the Halloween Capital of the World.

Top landmarks

  • • Anoka–Champlin Mississippi River Bridge — Highway bridge across the Mississippi River between Anoka, Minnesota and Champli...

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 2m. Total distance: 48.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (55%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 26.6 miles on US-10 E. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 (8th Avenue North): Navigation decision point; near the start (2nd Street North): Navigation decision point; at 47.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Anoka, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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