Origin
Burnsville, MN
Evening in Burnsville on Friday
Local time
7:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Burnsville, MN to Saint Paul, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
18 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burnsville, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Burnsville, MN to Saint Paul, MN covers 18 miles and takes about 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 35E, Shepard Road, Cliff Road East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9 miles on I 35E. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 18 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 27m highway drive covering 18 miles, with most of the trip on I 35E and Shepard Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 9 miles on I 35E.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 35E is the longest continuous segment at about 9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35E and Shepard Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 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 10 decision points packed into just 18 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
4.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Turn left toward I 35E North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 35E North
7
14 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Shepard Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 103A
Toward Shepard Road
9
14.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Shepard Road, Great River Road Minnesota
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward Shepard Road, Great River Road Minnesota
6
17.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Eagle Parkway
Turn left onto Eagle Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
18 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Wabasha Street North
Turn left onto Wabasha Street North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 Burnsville, MN to Saint Paul, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Great River Road Minnesota along the way.
Great River Road Minnesota
14.3 mi in
|
~20m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 9 mi | 10m |
| Shepard Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Cliff Road East | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| MN 13 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Nicollet Avenue South | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Kellogg Boulevard West | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Exchange Street South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Eagle Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burnsville, MN and Saint Paul, MN.
1
Start on Nicollet Avenue South
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Nicollet Avenue South
2
Turn right onto MN 13
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
MN 13
3
Turn right onto CR 32
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Cliff Road East
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 35E North
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Merge onto I 35E
9.0 mi
·
10 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 103A
Toward Shepard Road
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
501 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Shepard Road, Great River Road Minnesota
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto Shepard Road
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Shepard Road
9
Turn left onto Eagle Parkway
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Eagle Parkway
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn right onto Exchange Street South
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Exchange Street South
Use the right lane.
11
Turn straight onto Kellogg Boulevard West
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Kellogg Boulevard West
12
Turn left onto Wabasha Street North
214 ft
·
9 sec
·
Wabasha Street North
Use the left lane.
13
Arrive at destination
Wabasha Street North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.68 one way
$5.36 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.89 | $5.77 |
| premium | $4.53 | $3.21 | $6.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Saint Paul, MN
Evening in Saint Paul on Friday
Local time
7:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
27m 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 Burnsville, MN to Saint Paul, MN covers 18 miles and takes about 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 35E, Shepard Road, Cliff Road East. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9 miles from Burnsville, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.68 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 18 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Burnsville, MN to Saint Paul, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Great River Road Minnesota 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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