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Trip from West Co on Rapids, MN to Mendota Heights, MN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed May 16, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

31.3 mi

50 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown West Co on Rapids, MN, MN

West Co on Rapids, MN

Tom Fisk

Downtown Mendota Heights, MN, MN

Mendota Heights, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

West Coon Rapids, MN to Mendota Heights, MN is 31.3 miles and takes about 42m via I 694 and I 35E, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Minnesota. It's a relatively short drive that primarily uses interstate highways, making it a straightforward option for connecting two points. You'll spend most of your time on well-maintained roads, so it's a practical choice for getting from point A to point B efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 694 10.1 mi 10m
I 35E 6.9 mi 10m
Voyageur Highway 5.5 mi 6m
MN 252 3.4 mi 4m
Noble Parkway 1.9 mi 3m
West River Road 0.9 mi 1m
MN-610 0.6 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 694 — 10.1 mi, about 10m

Traffic on I-35

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 18 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~5,508 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~287 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

19.2×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 48 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 West Co on Rapids, MN and Mendota Heights, MN.

1

Start on CR 12

0.9 mi · 1 min · West River Road
2

Continue on CR 12

1.9 mi · 3 min · Noble Parkway
Use the straight lane.
3

Turn left

0.4 mi · 59 sec
Toward MN 610 East Use the left lane.
4

Merge onto MN 610

0.6 mi · 42 sec · MN-610
5

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 9 Toward MN 252 South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on MN 252

3.4 mi · 4 min · MN 252
Use the left lane.
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward I 94 West, I 694 Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 694 East
9

Merge onto I 694

10 mi · 10 min · I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto US 10

5.5 mi · 6 min · Voyageur Highway
Exit 46 Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul Use the slight right lane.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E

0.7 mi · 48 sec · I 35E
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12

Take the exit onto I 35E

6.2 mi · 9 min · I 35E
Exit 241C Toward I 35E South Use the slight left lane.
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 47 sec
Exit 101A Toward MN 62 East Use the straight / right lanes.
14

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.9 and 24.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
2.9 mi into trip | ~5m in

Turn left toward MN 610 East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward MN 610 East
7
3.9 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the exit toward MN 252 South

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 9 Toward MN 252 South
8
7.9 mi into trip | ~12m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 94 West, I 694

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 94 West, I 694
9
18.5 mi into trip | ~24m in | US 10 / Voyageur Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto US 10 / Voyageur Highway toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 46 Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul
7
24.7 mi into trip | ~31m in | I 35E

Take the exit onto I 35E toward I 35E South

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 241C Toward I 35E South

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.27 one way

$10.53 round trip

$4.27/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.60 $5.67 $11.34
premium $5.04 $6.21 $12.41
diesel $5.64 $6.95 $13.90

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-05-11.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.4 0 $3.29 $1.50
Efficient EV 7.8 0 $2.74 $1.25
EV Truck/SUV 12.5 0 $4.38 $2.00

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.

Forecast as of May 15, 2026

Origin

West Co on Rapids, MN

Late night in West Co on Rapids on Saturday

Local time

1:14 AM

CDT

Current temp

88°F

Sunny

WSW 10 to 15 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued May 15 at 11:47AM CDT until May 15 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued May 15 at 11:27AM CDT until May 15 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

Destination

Mendota Heights, MN

Late night in Mendota Heights on Saturday

Local time

1:14 AM

CDT

Current temp

89°F

Sunny

WSW 10 to 15 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued May 15 at 11:47AM CDT until May 15 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued May 15 at 11:27AM CDT until May 15 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

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

1 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

42m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is mostly highway, with 73% of the drive on interstates like I 694 and I 35E. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 10.1 miles on I 694. After leaving the main interstates, you'll transition to Voyageur Highway, which will likely involve more local traffic and potentially more frequent exits as you approach your destination. Expect a good amount of merging traffic as you navigate the interstate system.

73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on I 694.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 694 and I 35E. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.9 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 10 decision points packed into just 31.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

984 ft 745 ft

Total Climb

422 ft

Total Descent

378 ft

Highest Point

984 ft

~11.2 mi in

Elevation Range

239 ft

About the Cities

Arriving in Mendota Heights, MN

Full guide →

Top landmarks

  • • Mendota Bridge — bridge in Mendota Heights and Fort Snelling, Minnesota

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 31.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on I 694. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 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.

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 Mendota Heights, 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 2.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Mendota Heights, 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, 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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