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Trip from Sunrise, MN to North Branch, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

17m

Distance

8 mi

13 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 16m ★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m ★

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Sunrise, MN, MN

Sunrise, MN

Tom Fisk

Downtown North Branch, MN, MN

North Branch, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Sunrise, MN to North Branch, MN is 8 miles and takes about 17 minutes via Saint Croix Trail, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Minnesota and the Midwest region, offering a straightforward local connection. It's more of a quick transit between two points than a destination drive, perfect for when you need to get from one place to the other with minimal fuss. Consider this an easy hop rather than an epic journey, ideal for a quick errand or connecting to another regional route.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Saint Croix Trail 3.7 mi 6m
Wilcox Road 3 mi 7m
Keystone Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Main Street 0.5 mi <1m
Mill Street 0.2 mi <1m
River Road <0.1 mi <1m
Forest Boulevard <0.1 mi

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Saint Croix Trail — 3.7 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sunrise, MN and North Branch, MN.

1

Start on River Road

287 ft · 12 sec · River Road
2

Continue on Mill Street

0.2 mi · 50 sec · Mill Street
3

Turn right onto Wilcox Road

3.0 mi · 7 min · Wilcox Road
4

Turn left onto CR 67

0.6 mi · 1 min · Keystone Avenue
5

Turn slight right onto MN 95

3.4 mi · 5 min · Saint Croix Trail
6

Enter roundabout onto MN 95

107 ft · 2 sec · Saint Croix Trail
7

Continue on MN 95

0.3 mi · 30 sec · Saint Croix Trail
8

Continue on MN 95

0.5 mi · 56 sec · Main Street
9

Turn left onto CR 30

36 ft · 0 sec · Forest Boulevard
10

Arrive at destination

CR 30

Heads-up: tricky spots

4 of 4

4 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Wilcox Road

Turn right onto Wilcox Road

Navigation decision point

4
3.3 mi into trip | ~8m in | CR 67 / Keystone Avenue

Turn left onto CR 67 / Keystone Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
7.2 mi into trip | ~15m in | MN 95 / Saint Croix Trail

Enter roundabout onto MN 95 / Saint Croix Trail

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

3
8 mi into trip | ~17m in | CR 30 / Forest Boulevard

Turn left onto CR 30 / Forest Boulevard

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.19 one way

$2.38 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $1.28 $2.57
premium $4.53 $1.43 $2.85
diesel $5.61 $1.77 $3.53

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.4 0 $0.84 $0.38
Efficient EV 2 0 $0.70 $0.32
EV Truck/SUV 3.2 0 $1.12 $0.51

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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 Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Sunrise, MN

Morning in Sunrise on Tuesday

Local time

6:47 AM

CDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Branch, MN

Morning in North Branch on Tuesday

Local time

6:47 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

19 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

17m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this 8-mile route, with 0% of it being highway. Your longest stretch without a turn will be 3.7 miles along Saint Croix Trail. This means you'll be navigating a series of roads like Saint Croix Trail, Wilcox Road, and Keystone Avenue, requiring your attention for frequent changes in direction. The character is distinctly local, giving you a feel for the immediate area rather than a long-distance travel experience.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.7 mi on Saint Croix Trail.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Wilcox Road.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Wilcox Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (CR 67 / Keystone Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.2 miles (MN 95 / Saint Croix Trail): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

17m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.7 miles on Saint Croix Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 0.3 miles (Wilcox Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (CR 67 / Keystone Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.2 miles (MN 95 / Saint Croix Trail): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at North Branch, 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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Explore more options from Sunrise, MN or browse trips ending in North Branch, MN.

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