Origin
Saint Paul, MN
Late night in Saint Paul on Sunday
Local time
4:55 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Paul, MN to Forest Lake, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
25.9 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Forest Lake, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Saint Paul to Forest Lake is 25.9 miles and takes about 32 minutes via I 35E, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Minnesota's Midwest region, making it a straightforward drive. Given its highway-focused profile and brief duration, it's ideal for a quick local excursion or a segment of a longer journey. You'll find yourself on major roadways for almost the entire distance, so plan for typical interstate conditions.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 22.2 mi | 24m |
| West Broadway Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| I 694 | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Wabasha Street North | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| US 10 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 7th Street East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Robert Street North | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 11th Street East | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 22.2 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Paul, MN and Forest Lake, MN.
1
Start on Wabasha Street North
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Wabasha Street North
2
Turn right onto MN 5
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
7th Street East
3
Turn left onto Robert Street North
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Robert Street North
4
Turn right onto 11th Street East
451 ft
·
17 sec
·
11th Street East
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 35E North, US 10 West
6
Continue on I 35E
4.9 mi
·
6 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto US 10
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
US 10
Exit 113-114
Toward US 10 West, I 694 West, I 694 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 114
Toward I 35E North, I 694 East
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 694
0.8 mi
·
59 sec
·
I 694
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E
17 mi
·
18 min
·
I 35E
Toward I 35E North: Duluth
Use the slight left lane.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 131
Toward CR 2: Forest Lake
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
173 ft
·
6 sec
Toward CR 2
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right onto CH 2
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Broadway Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Enter roundabout onto US 61
14 ft
·
0 sec
·
Lake Street South
15
Continue on US 61
48 ft
·
1 sec
·
Lake Street South
16
Arrive at destination
US 61
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 25.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E North, US 10 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 35E North, US 10 West
9
5.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 10
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 113-114
Toward US 10 West, I 694 West, I 694 East
8
6.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 35E North, I 694 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 114
Toward I 35E North, I 694 East
7
7.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E North: Duluth
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 35E North: Duluth
8
25.1 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CR 2
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CR 2
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.85 one way
$7.71 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.15 | $8.31 |
| premium | $4.53 | $4.62 | $9.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.72 | $11.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.27 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Forest Lake, MN
Late night in Forest Lake on Sunday
Local time
4:55 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°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
4 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
32m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused drive for this route, with 90% of the journey on major roads like I 35E and I 694. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 22.2 miles on I 35E, offering a consistent pace. While the primary roads are interstates, you'll also briefly use West Broadway Avenue. This means you'll be navigating familiar highway driving conditions for the majority of your travel time.
90% 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: 22.2 mi on I 35E.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35E and West Broadway Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 25.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.9 miles (US 10): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 25.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m 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 22.2 miles on I 35E. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Forest Lake, 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 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.9 miles (US 10): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Forest Lake, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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