Origin
Bloomington, MN
Morning in Bloomington on Friday
Local time
7:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bloomington, MN to Big Lake, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
51.2 mi
82 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Big Lake, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward drive from Bloomington, MN to Big Lake, MN covers 51.2 miles and is estimated to take about 1 hour and 5 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day trip, so no need to plan for an overnight stay. The journey is primarily highway-focused, utilizing I-94, I-494, and State Highway 25. With an estimated fuel cost of $8, this is an economical option for getting between these two Midwest locations. The overall feel of the drive is practical and efficient, designed for making good time.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 51.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 51.2-mile trip, with 94% of the route being on major highways like I-94 and I-494. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 22.6 miles on I-94, allowing for a consistent pace. As you transition towards State Highway 25, the character might subtly shift, but the drive remains predominantly on well-maintained, high-speed roads. This route is built for efficiency, offering a smooth journey with minimal fuss.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 94 is the longest continuous segment at about 22.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and I 494. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.2 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 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
Take the ramp toward I 35W North
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 35W North
8
1.1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 8B-C
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
8
23.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 94 West: Saint Cloud
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 27
Toward I 94 West: Saint Cloud
8
51.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
US 10; MN 25 / Jefferson Boulevard
Turn uturn onto US 10; MN 25 / Jefferson Boulevard
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 94 | 22.6 mi | 24m |
| I 494 | 21.7 mi | 27m |
| State Highway 25 | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| I 35W | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Pine Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Jefferson Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 22.6 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bloomington, MN and Big Lake, MN.
1
Start on West 90th Street
163 ft
·
10 sec
·
West 90th Street
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 35W North
3
Merge onto I 35W
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 8B-C
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
6
Merge onto I 494; MN 5
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
16 mi
·
19 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 27
Toward I 94 West: Saint Cloud
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 94
17 mi
·
18 min
·
I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
I 94
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
12
Turn right onto MN 25
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Pine Street
13
Continue on MN 25
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
State Highway 25
14
Turn left onto US 10; MN 25
266 ft
·
43 sec
·
Jefferson Boulevard
15
Turn uturn onto US 10; MN 25
125 ft
·
3 sec
·
Jefferson Boulevard
16
Arrive at destination
US 10; MN 25
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 25.6 mi from Bloomington, MN · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.6 miles from Bloomington, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Big Lake, MN
The final approach into Big Lake, MN usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.62 one way
$15.24 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $8.21 | $16.42 |
| premium | $4.53 | $9.14 | $18.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.30 | $22.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.38 | $2.46 |
| Efficient EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.48 | $2.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.5 | 0 | $7.17 | $3.28 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Big Lake, MN
Morning in Big Lake on Friday
Local time
7:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°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
5 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
1h 5m 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 Bloomington, MN to Big Lake, MN covers 51.2 miles and takes about 1h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 94, I 494, State Highway 25. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 25.6 miles from Bloomington, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.62 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.2 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Bloomington, MN to Big Lake, MN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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