Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Saint Cloud, MN to Medina, MN

Pin this trip

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

Drive Time

1h 16m

Distance

57.7 mi

93 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 10m ★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m

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 Medina, MN, MN

Medina, MN

El Puerto de Santa María

Trip Overview

Saint Cloud, MN to Medina, MN is 57.7 miles and takes about 1h 16m via I 94, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip entirely within Minnesota's Midwest region. Given the brief duration, it's ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing plenty of time to enjoy your destination. You'll primarily be on interstate highways, making for a predictable and efficient drive.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 94 39.6 mi 42m
Brockton Lane North 4.8 mi 7m
Roosevelt Road 3.9 mi 6m
Hamel Road 2.2 mi 5m
Troy Lane North 1.8 mi 2m
County Road 101 1.7 mi 2m
MN 55 0.9 mi 1m
Washington Memorial Drive 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 94 — 39.6 mi, about 42m

Traffic on I-94

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~1,710 veh/hr typical · worst 2,691

Quietest

2 AM

~131 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

13.1×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 80 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 Medina, 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

40 mi · 42 min · I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Exit 210 Toward Dayton Parkway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

172 ft · 6 sec
Toward Dayton Parkway Use the right lane.
11

Turn right onto Dayton Parkway

0.4 mi · 46 sec · Dayton Parkway
12

Turn left onto CR 101

2.8 mi · 4 min · Brockton Lane North
13

Continue on CR 101

0.4 mi · 38 sec · County Road 101
14

Continue on CR 101

1.8 mi · 2 min · Troy Lane North
Use the left / straight lanes.
15

Continue on CR 101

0.7 mi · 1 min · County Road 101
Use the straight lane.
16

Continue on CR 101

2.0 mi · 3 min · Brockton Lane North
Use the straight lane.
17

Continue on CR 101

0.6 mi · 56 sec · County Road 101
18

Turn right onto MN 55

0.9 mi · 1 min · MN 55
19

Turn left onto CR 115

0.2 mi · 46 sec · Pinto Drive
20

At end of road, turn right onto CR 115

2.2 mi · 5 min · Hamel Road
21

Turn left onto Willow Drive

496 ft · 21 sec · Willow Drive
22

Arrive at destination

Willow Drive

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Monticello, MN, MN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Monticello, MN

29 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

Annandale, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Monticello, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.9 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 45.6 — 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

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | 9th Avenue North

Turn left onto 9th Avenue North

Navigation decision point

5
5.7 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 94

Merge onto I 94

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
45.3 mi into trip | ~53m in

Take the exit toward Dayton Parkway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 210 Toward Dayton Parkway
8
45.6 mi into trip | ~54m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Dayton Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward Dayton Parkway

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.71 one way

$19.42 round trip

$4.28/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.75 $10.78 $21.56
premium $5.29 $12.01 $24.01
diesel $6.18 $14.04 $28.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.2 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.3 0 $6.06 $2.77
Efficient EV 14.4 0 $5.05 $2.31
EV Truck/SUV 23.1 0 $8.08 $3.69

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 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 Oct 15, 2026

Origin

Saint Cloud, MN

Evening in Saint Cloud on Sunday

Local time

8:58 PM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Light Rain Likely

WNW 0 to 10 mph 67% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 2:36AM CDT until October 16 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 2:36AM CDT until October 16 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

Destination

Medina, MN

Evening in Medina on Sunday

Local time

8:58 PM

CDT

Current temp

49°F

Light Rain

NW 5 to 10 mph 100% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 2:36AM CDT until October 16 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued October 15 at 2:36AM CDT until October 16 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 16m 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?

This route is mostly highway, with 71% of the drive on interstates and major roads. You'll experience a long stretch of 39.6 miles on I 94, which offers consistent cruising. After leaving the interstate, expect surface roads for the remaining portion of your trip. The density of exits on the interstate suggests frequent opportunities for services or diversions if needed.

71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 39.6 mi on I 94.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and Brockton Lane North. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 1st Street North.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57.7 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.1 miles (9th Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (I 94): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,049 ft 914 ft

Total Climb

192 ft

Total Descent

180 ft

Highest Point

1,049 ft

~57.7 mi in

Elevation Range

135 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
  • • Foley–Brower–Bohmer House — House in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
  • • John N. Bensen House — house in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States

Arriving in Medina, MN

Full guide →

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 16m. Total distance: 57.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 39.6 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 8 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 Medina, 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 0.1 miles (9th Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (I 94): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Medina, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

More from Saint Cloud, MN

Rushford, MN 205.5 mi · 4h 5m Winona, MN 184.1 mi · 3h 56m Olmsted County, MN 160 mi · 3h 19m Shieldsville, MN 118.7 mi · 2h 20m Wheatland, MN 101.6 mi · 2h 13m Vermillion, MN 98.2 mi · 1h 57m
Escape planner: Saint Cloud, MN Scenic drives in MN

Explore more options from Saint Cloud, MN or browse trips ending in Medina, MN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.