Skip to main content

Trip from Brooklyn Park, 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

41m

Distance

30.9 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 38m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m

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

suburb city of Minneapolis, located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States

Brooklyn Park, MN

Wikimedia Commons

city in Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States

Big Lake, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 30.9-mile drive from Brooklyn Park, MN, to Big Lake, MN, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 41 minutes. It's a short hop through the Midwest, staying within Minnesota the entire time. With a projected fuel cost of $5, this trip is quite budget-friendly. The route predominantly utilizes major highways, making it a convenient option for a quick excursion or a segment of a larger journey. You'll find this drive to be practical and efficient, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 30.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a highway-focused experience for this journey, with 76% of the drive on main roads like I-94 W and County Road 81. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.6 miles on I-94 W, offering a consistent pace. While primarily highway, the route does incorporate county roads, providing a slight shift in scenery and speed as you progress. This isn't a winding, scenic byway, but rather a functional drive designed for efficient travel between these two Minnesota locations.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I-94 W is the longest continuous segment at about 12.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I-94 W and I 94. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 30.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 6.2 miles (MN 610 / MN-610): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard

Turn right onto CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
5.9 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the exit toward MN 610 West

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward MN 610 West
5
6.2 mi into trip | ~10m in | MN 610 / MN-610

Merge onto MN 610 / MN-610

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
8.3 mi into trip | ~12m in | I 94 / I-94 W

Merge onto I 94 / I-94 W

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
30.9 mi into trip | ~41m 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 W 12.6 mi 13m
I 94 6 mi 6m
County Road 81 3.3 mi 5m
State Highway 25 2.8 mi 5m
MN-610 2.1 mi 2m
Brooklyn Boulevard 1.4 mi 2m
Bottineau Boulevard 1.2 mi 1m
Pine Street 0.8 mi 2m
Longest stretch: I-94 W — 12.6 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Brooklyn Park, MN and Big Lake, MN.

1

Start on CR 14

34 ft · 5 sec · Zane Avenue North
2

Turn left onto CR 152

1.4 mi · 2 min · Brooklyn Boulevard
3

Turn right onto CR 81

1.2 mi · 1 min · Bottineau Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4

Continue on CR 81

3.3 mi · 5 min · County Road 81
5

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward MN 610 West
6

Merge onto MN 610

2.1 mi · 2 min · MN-610
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 94

13 mi · 13 min · I-94 W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94

6.0 mi · 6 min · I 94
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
10

Turn right onto MN 25

0.8 mi · 2 min · Pine Street
11

Continue on MN 25

2.8 mi · 5 min · State Highway 25
12

Turn left onto US 10; MN 25

266 ft · 43 sec · Jefferson Boulevard
13

Turn uturn onto US 10; MN 25

125 ft · 3 sec · Jefferson Boulevard
14

Arrive at destination

US 10; MN 25

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.60 one way

$9.20 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $4.95 $9.91
premium $4.53 $5.51 $11.03
diesel $5.61 $6.82 $13.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 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 9.3 0 $3.24 $1.48
Efficient EV 7.7 0 $2.70 $1.24
EV Truck/SUV 12.4 0 $4.33 $1.98

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 Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Brooklyn Park, MN

Morning in Brooklyn Park on Friday

Local time

11:35 AM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Big Lake, MN

Morning in Big Lake on Friday

Local time

11:35 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

4 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

41m 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 Brooklyn Park, MN to Big Lake, MN covers 30.9 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I-94 W, I 94, County Road 81. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 15.5 miles from Brooklyn Park, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.60 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 9 decision points packed into just 30.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (CR 81 / Bottineau Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 6.2 miles (MN 610 / MN-610): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Brooklyn Park, MN to Big Lake, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Brooklyn Park, MN or browse trips ending in Big Lake, MN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.