Origin
Saint Paul, MN
Late night in Saint Paul on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 34m
Distance
129 mi
208 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$20
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Crow Wing, MN
Gundula Vogel
The drive from Saint Paul, MN to Crow Wing, MN covers 129 miles and takes about 2h 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 10, MN 371, I-94 W for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 73.3 miles on US 10. At current regular gas prices, budget about $20.43 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
64.5 miles from Saint Paul, MN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 19m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 10 | 73.3 mi | 1h 27m |
| MN 371 | 21.6 mi | 24m |
| I-94 W | 17.1 mi | 18m |
| I 94 | 6 mi | 6m |
| I 35E | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| 165th Avenue Southeast | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Park Boulevard Southeast | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Pine Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 54 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,601 veh/hr typical · worst 5,350
Quietest
2 AM
~275 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 99 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Paul, MN and Crow Wing, MN.
Start on Wabasha Street North
Turn right onto MN 5
Turn left onto Robert Street North
Turn right onto 11th Street East
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on I 35E
Keep slight right at fork onto US 10
Continue on US 10
Continue on I 94
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
Take the exit
Turn right onto MN 25
Continue on MN 25
Turn left onto County Road 11
Continue on Park Boulevard Southeast
Continue on 165th Avenue Southeast
Turn left onto US 10
Keep slight right at fork onto MN 371
Arrive at destination
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.
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 28 miles or 36m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 64.5 miles or 1h 19m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 8m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Crow Wing, MN than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Saint Paul, MN so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Saint Paul, MN
This is one driving day of about 129 miles and 2h 34m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
65 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.
A short stop after about 28 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 64.5 miles from Saint Paul, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before US 10 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 73.3 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 6.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto MN 5 / 7th Street East
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Robert Street North
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E North, US 10 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto US 10 toward US 10 West, I 694 West, I 694 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Continue onto US 10 toward I 694 West, US 10 West
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$20.43 one way
$40.85 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.28 | $21.75 | $43.50 |
| premium | $4.85 | $24.62 | $49.24 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $28.44 | $56.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 45.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 38.7 | 0 | $13.55 | $6.19 |
| Efficient EV | 32.3 | 0 | $11.29 | $5.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 51.6 | 0 | $18.06 | $8.26 |
Gas CO2
45 kg
EV CO2
15 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Saint Paul on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Crow Wing on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
55°F
Albertville, MN
65 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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
129 mi in 2h 34m, mostly highway — 73.3 mi of that is on US 10.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 10 and MN 371. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near MN 5 / 7th Street East.
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 129 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.3 miles (MN 5 / 7th Street East): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Robert Street North): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
544 ft
Total Descent
136 ft
Highest Point
1,196 ft
~129 mi in
Elevation Range
407 ft
Founded 1854
Saint Paul (or St. Paul) is the capital city and the second largest city of the US state of Minnesota. Along with the slightly larger Minneapolis it forms the urban core of the Twin Cities region, the third largest metropolis in the Midwest.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 34m. Total distance: 129 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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