Origin
Apple Valley, MN
Morning in Apple Valley on Friday
Local time
11:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Apple Valley, MN to Mounds View, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
31.7 mi
51 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
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.
Apple Valley, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Mounds View, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
The drive from Apple Valley, MN to Mounds View, MN covers 31.7 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 35W, Cedar Avenue, Crosstown Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.9 miles on I 35W. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 31.7 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 (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Apple Valley, MN to Mounds View, MN covers 31.7 miles and takes about 42m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 35W is the longest continuous segment at about 15.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 23 / Cedar Avenue.
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 31.7 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: near the start (CR 23 / Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 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 right onto CR 23 / Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
11.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward MN 62 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward MN 62 West
7
13.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 35W North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35W North
7
23.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward MN 36
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 22B
Toward MN 36
7
30 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward CH 10: Mounds View Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 28B
Toward CH 10: Mounds View Boulevard
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 15.9 mi | 20m |
| Cedar Avenue | 11.8 mi | 14m |
| Crosstown Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Mounds View Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| County Road 42 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 15.9 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apple Valley, MN and Mounds View, MN.
1
Start on CR 42
35 ft
·
6 sec
·
County Road 42
2
Turn right onto CR 23
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Cedar Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward MN 62 West
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto MN 62
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Crosstown Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 35W North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 35W
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 22B
Toward MN 36
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 35W
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
I 35W
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 28B
Toward CH 10: Mounds View Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on CH 10
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Mounds View Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13
Arrive at destination
CH 10
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.72 one way
$9.44 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $5.08 | $10.17 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.66 | $11.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.00 | $14.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 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 | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
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
Mounds View, MN
Morning in Mounds View on Friday
Local time
11:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°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
42m 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 Mounds View, MN covers 31.7 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 35W, Cedar Avenue, Crosstown Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.8 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 $4.72 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 short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 31.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 23 / Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Apple Valley, MN to Mounds View, MN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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