Saint Cloud to Shafer is 77.8 miles and takes about 1h 46m via Highway 95, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region, traversing the state of Minnesota for its entirety. You'll primarily be on state highways, making for a straightforward drive. With only a single day recommended, this route is ideal for a quick excursion or a scenic detour.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
38.9 miles from Saint Cloud, MN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 51m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Highway 95 Northeast
23.2 mi
29m
Highway 95 Northwest
12.9 mi
16m
State Highway 95
12.5 mi
16m
Lincoln Road
7.1 mi
9m
3rd Street Southeast
5.3 mi
7m
Lake Boulevard
5.3 mi
6m
Lincoln Trail
3.2 mi
5m
1st Avenue West
2.8 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
Highway 95 Northeast
— 23.2 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Cloud, MN and Shafer, 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
0.1 mi·21 sec·1st Street North
5
Turn right onto 5th Avenue North
0.2 mi·39 sec·5th Avenue North
6
Turn left onto MN 23
0.2 mi·31 sec·2nd Street South
7
Continue on MN 23
0.2 mi·21 sec·Granite City Crossing
8
Continue on MN 23
5.3 mi·7 min·3rd Street Southeast
9
Turn right onto MN 95
0.6 mi·48 sec·15th Street Northeast
10
Continue on MN 95
14 mi·16 min·Highway 95 Northeast
11
Continue on MN 95
7.7 mi·9 min·State Highway 95
12
Enter roundabout onto MN 95
120 ft·2 sec·State Highway 95
13
Continue on MN 95
1.2 mi·2 min·State Highway 95
14
Enter roundabout onto MN 95
112 ft·2 sec·State Highway 95
15
Continue on MN 95
3.5 mi·4 min·State Highway 95
16
Continue on MN 95
5.9 mi·7 min·Highway 95 Northwest
17
Enter roundabout onto MN 95
135 ft·2 sec·Highway 95 Northwest
18
Continue on MN 95
6.9 mi·8 min·Highway 95 Northwest
19
Continue on MN 95
2.8 mi·5 min·1st Avenue West
20
Continue on MN 95
9.6 mi·12 min·Highway 95 Northeast
21
Continue on MN 95
1.9 mi·3 min·Saint Croix Trail
Use the straight lane.
22
Continue on MN 95
0.8 mi·1 min·Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
23
Continue on MN 95
0.3 mi·30 sec·Saint Croix Trail
24
Enter roundabout
21 ft·0 sec
25
Continue
0.2 mi·25 sec
26
Continue on this road
0.1 mi·12 sec·this road
27
Continue on Hemingway Avenue
0.3 mi·30 sec·Hemingway Avenue
28
Turn left onto CR 14
3.2 mi·5 min·Lincoln Trail
29
Continue on CR 14
7.1 mi·9 min·Lincoln Road
30
Turn left onto US 8
3.2 mi·3 min·Lake Boulevard
31
Enter roundabout onto US 8
133 ft·1 sec·Lake Boulevard
32
Continue on US 8
2.1 mi·2 min·Lake Boulevard
33
Turn left onto Redfield Boulevard
0.2 mi·35 sec·Redfield Boulevard
34
Turn straight onto CR 21
484 ft·14 sec·Redwing Avenue
35
Turn right onto 303rd Street
50 ft·2 sec·303rd Street
36
Arrive at destination
303rd Street
Trip Plan
Leaving Saint Cloud in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight for the 1h 46m drive. Since this is a shorter trip, you won't need to plan for extensive stops, but keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially before heading into stretches where services might be less frequent. The estimated fuel cost is around $12. You can comfortably complete this route in a single day, offering flexibility in your departure time. A good tip for this route is to check local traffic conditions on Highway 95 before you depart, as it can see moderate use.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 38.9 miles from Saint Cloud, MN, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 23.2 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 17 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 38.9 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Shafer, MN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Saint Cloud, MN so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Saint Cloud, MN
This is one driving day of about 77.8 miles and 1h 46m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Saint Cloud, MN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Highway 95 Northeast for about 23.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 61.2 — 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
5
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|5th Avenue North
Turn right onto 5th Avenue North
Navigation decision point
5
38.7 mi into trip|~51m in|MN 95 / Highway 95 Northwest
Enter roundabout onto MN 95 / Highway 95 Northwest
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
61.2 mi into trip|~1h 23m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.09 one way
$26.19 round trip
$4.28/gal25.4 MPG avg27 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.75
$14.54
$29.07
premium
$5.29
$16.19
$32.38
diesel
$6.18
$18.93
$37.86
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 27.2 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
23.3
0
$8.17
$3.73
Efficient EV
19.5
0
$6.81
$3.11
EV Truck/SUV
31.1
0
$10.89
$4.98
Gas CO2
27 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Forecast as of Oct 13, 2026
Origin
Saint Cloud, MN
Evening
in Saint Cloud on Sunday
Local time
8:58 PM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Cloudy
NW 5 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Shafer, MN
Evening
in Shafer on Sunday
Local time
8:58 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Cloudy
NW 5 mph4% chanceLive forecast
73°F
Cambridge, MN
39 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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 46m 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 drive is mostly highway, with 62% of the total distance covered on main roads. You'll experience a longest stretch of 23.2 miles on Highway 95 Northeast. Expect a significant portion of your travel to be on surface roads, transitioning from highway cruising to more localized routes. The road conditions are generally consistent throughout.
62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
36 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.2 mi on Highway 95 Northeast.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Highway 95 Northeast and Highway 95 Northwest. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 8th Avenue North.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 46m drive. You will face about 14 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 0.3 miles (5th Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
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
The longest stretch is about 23.2 miles on Highway 95 Northeast. 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 0.3 miles (5th Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Shafer, MN before heading back.
