Saint Cloud to Tonka Bay is 70.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 27 minutes via I-94, I-494, and MN-7, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Minnesota, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, making for a fairly straightforward drive. Plan for a quick trip that gets you to your destination without much fuss, ideal for a single-day excursion.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 94
45.4 mi
48m
I 494
11.1 mi
13m
Minnesota State Highway 7
5.9 mi
8m
Roosevelt Road
3.9 mi
6m
Washington Memorial Drive
0.7 mi
1m
Smithtown Road
0.6 mi
1m
Manitou Road
0.6 mi
1m
West Saint Germain Street
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 45.4 mi, about 48m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 19 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,094 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,644
Quietest
2 AM
~163 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
19×
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 Tonka Bay, 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
45 mi·48 min·I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·31 sec
Exit 216Toward I 494 SouthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 494
11 mi·13 min·I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 16BToward MN 7 WestUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto MN 7
5.9 mi·8 min·Minnesota State Highway 7
13
Turn right onto CR 19
0.5 mi·58 sec·Oak Street
14
Continue on CR 19
0.6 mi·1 min·Smithtown Road
15
Turn straight onto CR 19
0.6 mi·1 min·Manitou Road
Use the straight lane.
16
Arrive at destination
CR 19
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 35.4 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 62.6 — 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
51.1 mi into trip|~1h in
Take the exit toward I 494 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 216
Toward I 494 South
7
62.6 mi into trip|~1h 14m in
Take the exit toward MN 7 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.89 one way
$23.79 round trip
$4.27/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$12.81
$25.62
premium
$5.04
$14.02
$28.04
diesel
$5.64
$15.70
$31.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-05-11.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.2
0
$7.42
$3.39
Efficient EV
17.7
0
$6.19
$2.83
EV Truck/SUV
28.3
0
$9.90
$4.52
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 May 10, 2026
Origin
Saint Cloud, MN
Late night
in Saint Cloud on Saturday
Local time
1:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Sunny
NNW 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 10 at 5:26AM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued May 10 at 3:37AM CDT until May 10 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
Destination
Tonka Bay, MN
Late night
in Tonka Bay on Saturday
Local time
1:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
10 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 27m 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 predominantly highway driving, with 88% of the 70.7 miles on interstates. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 45.4 miles along I-94. You can expect a highway feel for the majority of your trip, transitioning to surface roads as you approach Tonka Bay. Keep an eye out for the dense exits and merging traffic typical of interstate travel in this region.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 45.4 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and I 494. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 1st Street North.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 27m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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.
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
The longest stretch is about 45.4 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.
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 Tonka Bay, MN before heading back.
