Origin
Apple Valley, MN
Morning in Apple Valley on Saturday
Local time
10:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
13.1 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Apple Valley, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Credit River, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN is 13.1 miles and takes about 19m via Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway and I 35, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Midwest region, specifically in Minnesota. It's a very short trip, ideal for a quick excursion or a way to connect two nearby points without a significant time commitment. Given its brief duration, this route offers a lot of flexibility for when you choose to depart and whether you need to plan for stops.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 13.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (16%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a route with a "Turn-heavy local drive" profile, featuring a highway share of only 16%. You'll navigate a mix of roads, including stretches on Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway, I 35, and Texas Avenue. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.3 miles on Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway. This suggests a driving experience that requires frequent attention to navigation and potentially more frequent turns than a straightforward highway journey.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 2.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 early in the drive near CR 23 / Cedar Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 23 / Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (CR 46 / 160th Street West): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 23 / Cedar Avenue
Turn left onto CR 23 / Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 46 / 160th Street West
Turn right onto CR 46 / 160th Street West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
4.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 South
Navigation decision point
Toward I 35 South
7
6.7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward CR 60: 185th Street West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 84
Toward CR 60: 185th Street West
4
13 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
CR 27 / Texas Avenue
Enter roundabout onto CR 27 / Texas Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 60: 185Th Street West along the way.
Cr 60: 185Th Street West
6.7 mi in
|
~10m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| I 35 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Texas Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| 160th Street West | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| 162nd Street West | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| 185th Street West /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| 185th Street East /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Cedar Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
— 2.3 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apple Valley, MN and Credit River, MN.
1
Start on CR 42
35 ft
·
6 sec
·
County Road 42
2
Turn left onto CR 23
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Cedar Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto CR 46
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
160th Street West
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on CR 46
0.6 mi
·
55 sec
·
Isleton Way
5
Continue on CR 46
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
162nd Street West
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 35 South
7
Merge onto I 35
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 35
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 84
Toward CR 60: 185th Street West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto CR 60
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
185th Street West /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
10
Continue on CR 21
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
185th Street East /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
11
Continue on CR 21
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
12
Turn left onto CR 27
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Texas Avenue
13
Enter roundabout onto CR 27
314 ft
·
4 sec
·
Texas Avenue
14
Continue on CR 27
37 ft
·
0 sec
·
Texas Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
CR 27
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.95 one way
$3.90 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.10 | $4.20 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.34 | $4.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.89 | $5.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 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 | 3.9 | 0 | $1.38 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.83 | $0.84 |
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
Credit River, MN
Morning in Credit River on Saturday
Local time
10:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°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
20 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
19m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN covers 13.1 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Cleary Lake Avenue /Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway, I 35, Texas Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.5 miles from Apple Valley, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.95 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 23 / Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (CR 46 / 160th Street West): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Navigation decision point.
On the drive from Apple Valley, MN to Credit River, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 60: 185Th Street West along the way.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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