Saint Cloud to Little Canada is 71 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via I 94, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Midwest region and entirely within Minnesota. It's a straightforward, mostly highway trip that's ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll spend the majority of your time on major interstates, making it a quick connection between these two Minnesota points. Given its short duration, it's perfect for a day trip or a quick move.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 94
52.3 mi
57m
I 694
11.7 mi
12m
Roosevelt Road
3.9 mi
6m
Voyageur Highway
0.8 mi
<1m
Washington Memorial Drive
0.7 mi
1m
West Saint Germain Street
0.5 mi
1m
Centerville Road
0.3 mi
<1m
Little Canada Road East
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 52.3 mi, about 57m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,434 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,965
Quietest
2 AM
~208 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 47 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Cloud, MN and Little Canada, MN.
1
Start on Courthouse Square
270 ft·13 sec·Courthouse Square
2
Turn right onto 1st Street North
215 ft·14 sec·1st Street North
3
Turn left onto 9th Avenue North
399 ft·13 sec·9th Avenue North
4
Turn right onto West Saint Germain Street
0.5 mi·1 min·West Saint Germain Street
5
Turn left onto Washington Memorial Drive
0.7 mi·1 min·Washington Memorial Drive
6
Turn left onto CR 75
3.9 mi·6 min·Roosevelt Road
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·49 sec
8
Merge onto I 94
52 mi·57 min·I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 694
12 mi·12 min·I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 10
0.8 mi·50 sec·Voyageur Highway
Exit 46Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St PaulUse the slight right lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi·41 sec
Exit 112Toward Little Canada RoadUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn left onto CH 21
0.1 mi·23 sec·Little Canada Road East
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto CH 19
0.3 mi·42 sec·Centerville Road
14
Turn right onto Labore Road
58 ft·1 sec·Labore Road
15
Arrive at destination
Labore Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 35.5 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 70.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|1st Street North
Turn right onto 1st Street North
Navigation decision point
6
57.9 mi into trip|~1h 8m in|I 694
Keep slight left at fork onto I 694
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
69.6 mi into trip|~1h 21m in|US 10 / Voyageur Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 10 / Voyageur Highway toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul
7
70.3 mi into trip|~1h 22m in
Take the exit toward Little Canada Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 112
Toward Little Canada Road
6
70.6 mi into trip|~1h 22m in|CH 21 / Little Canada Road East
Turn left onto CH 21 / Little Canada Road East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.66 one way
$21.33 round trip
$3.82/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$11.51
$23.03
premium
$4.60
$12.86
$25.72
diesel
$4.80
$13.41
$26.81
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.3
0
$7.46
$3.41
Efficient EV
17.8
0
$6.21
$2.84
EV Truck/SUV
28.4
0
$9.94
$4.54
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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 Jun 28, 2026
Origin
Saint Cloud, MN
Afternoon
in Saint Cloud on Sunday
Local time
12:40 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Cloudy
SE 10 to 15 mph9% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued June 28 at 12:44AM CDT until June 30 at 12:00AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued June 28 at 12:34AM CDT until June 30 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
Destination
Little Canada, MN
Afternoon
in Little Canada on Sunday
Local time
12:40 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Mostly Cloudy
SE 10 to 15 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued June 28 at 12:44AM CDT until June 30 at 12:00AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued June 28 at 12:34AM CDT until June 30 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
88°F
Corcoran, MN
36 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
1h 24m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 90% highway, meaning you'll be on major interstates for most of the 71 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 52.3 miles, all on I 94. You'll notice a high density of exits and merging traffic as you approach the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Roosevelt Road will be your main surface road segment, transitioning from highway cruising to more local traffic patterns.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 52.3 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and I 694. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 1st Street North.
Driving Effort6/10
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 71 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.1 miles (1st Street North): Navigation decision point; at 57.9 miles (I 694): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 69.6 miles (US 10 / Voyageur Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 71 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 52.3 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 9 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.
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 Little Canada, 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 0.1 miles (1st Street North): Navigation decision point; at 57.9 miles (I 694): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 69.6 miles (US 10 / Voyageur Highway): 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 Little Canada, MN before heading back.