Origin
Saint Paul Park, MN
Late night in Saint Paul Park on Tuesday
Local time
5:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Paul Park, MN to Minnetonka, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
32.6 mi
53 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Paul Park, MN
Adriaan Greyling
Minnetonka, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Saint Paul Park, MN to Minnetonka, MN is 32.6 miles and takes about 43 minutes via I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Midwest region and the state of Minnesota. Expect a straightforward trip that primarily uses major roadways, making it a quick and easy option for getting across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It's a practical choice if you're looking for minimal travel time and straightforward navigation.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 25.8 mi | 32m |
| Minnesota State Highway 7 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| US 10 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Summit Avenue | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| County Road 101 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 9th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 25.8 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Paul Park, MN and Minnetonka, MN.
1
Start on 9th Avenue
35 ft
·
3 sec
·
9th Avenue
2
Turn right onto Summit Avenue
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Summit Avenue
3
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward US 10 West, US 61 North
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto US 10; US 61
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
US 10; US 61
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 130A
Toward I 494 West, I 494 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 494 West
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 494
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
I 494
Use the straight lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
18 mi
·
22 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Use the right lane.
11
Merge onto MN 7
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Minnesota State Highway 7
12
Turn left onto CR 101
239 ft
·
10 sec
·
County Road 101
Use the left lane.
13
Arrive at destination
CR 101
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 29.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward US 10 West, US 61 North
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward US 10 West, US 61 North
8
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward I 494 West, I 494 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 130A
Toward I 494 West, I 494 East
7
3.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 494 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 494 West
6
7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 494
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
29.7 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward MN 7 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.85 one way
$9.70 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $5.23 | $10.46 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.82 | $11.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.20 | $14.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.42 | $1.56 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.85 | $1.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13 | 0 | $4.56 | $2.09 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Minnetonka, MN
Late night in Minnetonka on Tuesday
Local time
5:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°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
15 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
43m 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?
This route is 93% highway, so you'll be on major roads for almost the entire 32.6 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 25.8 miles on I 494. Expect a mostly highway experience until the final few miles, where you'll transition to surface streets for the last bit of the trip. You'll notice frequent exits and merging traffic typical of urban interstate driving.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.8 mi on I 494.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 11 decision points packed into just 32.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 32.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.8 miles on I 494. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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 Minnetonka, 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 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Minnetonka, 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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