Origin
West Saint Paul, MN
Morning in West Saint Paul on Sunday
Local time
6:29 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Saint Paul, MN to Bloomington, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
14.1 mi
23 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Saint Paul, MN
Thomas Parker
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 14.1-mile drive from West Saint Paul to Bloomington, Minnesota, is easily manageable in about 20 minutes. Designed as a single-day trip, you won't need to worry about overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is a budget-friendly $2. You'll primarily be navigating major roadways, making it a straightforward trip within the Midwest region. This route is ideal for a quick commute or an easy hop between nearby Twin Cities suburbs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 7.3 mi | 9m |
| Dodd Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| I 35W | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| I 35E | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| MN 62 | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Smith Avenue South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 7.3 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Saint Paul, MN and Bloomington, MN.
1
Start on this road
217 ft
·
17 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right
66 ft
·
7 sec
3
Turn right onto Smith Avenue South
97 ft
·
10 sec
·
Smith Avenue South
4
Turn left onto MN 149
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Dodd Road
5
Turn right onto MN 62
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
MN 62
Use the right lane.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 35E
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35E
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 99B
Toward I 494 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 494
7.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 35W
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35W
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn left onto West 90th Street
207 ft
·
5 sec
·
West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Arrive at destination
West 90th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 3.4 and 14 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
7
4.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward I 494 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 99B
Toward I 494 West
7
12.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
7
13.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward 90th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
7
14 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
West 90th Street
Turn left onto West 90th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.10 one way
$4.20 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.26 | $4.52 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.52 | $5.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.11 | $6.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Bloomington, MN
Morning in Bloomington on Sunday
Local time
6:29 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
20m 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 experience for the majority of this 14.1-mile journey. With 72% of the drive on highways, you'll encounter stretches of faster-paced travel. The longest uninterrupted segment is 7.3 miles on I-494, offering a consistent cruising experience. You'll primarily use I-494 and I-35W, with a brief portion on Dodd Road, providing a mix of interstate speeds and a slightly more local feel as you transition.
72% 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: 7.3 mi on I 494.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and Dodd Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bloomington, MN
Full guide →Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP IATA) and home to the Mall of America, the United States' largest shopping mall. Bloomington has a population of 89,000 people (as of 2021). Bloomington was established as a post–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is served by two major freeways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494.
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 20m. Total distance: 14.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.3 miles on I 494. 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 Bloomington, 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 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bloomington, 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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