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Trip from Burnsville, MN to Oak Park Heights, MN

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

51m

Distance

37.5 mi

60 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 48m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

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

city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States

Burnsville, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Oak Park Heights, MN, MN

Oak Park Heights, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Burnsville, MN to Oak Park Heights, MN covers 37.5 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 494, MN 36, I 694 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.1 miles on I 494. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.58 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 494 12.1 mi 15m
MN 36 7.4 mi 9m
I 694 5.4 mi 6m
I 35E 5 mi 5m
Cliff Road East 2.1 mi 3m
MN 13 2 mi 2m
60th Street North (South Frontage Road) 0.6 mi 1m
Nicollet Avenue South 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 494 — 12.1 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Burnsville, MN and Oak Park Heights, 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

5.0 mi · 5 min · I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Exit 99A-B Toward I 494 West, I 494 East
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 99A Toward I 494 East Use the slight right lane.
8

Merge onto I 494

12 mi · 15 min · I 494
Use the straight / right lanes.
9

Continue on I 694

5.4 mi · 6 min · I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 52B Toward MN 36 East: Stillwater Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto MN 36

7.4 mi · 9 min · MN 36
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn right onto CH 24

0.1 mi · 20 sec · Osgood Avenue North
13

Turn left onto CH 26

0.1 mi · 19 sec · 59th Street North
14

Continue on CH 26

0.6 mi · 1 min · 60th Street North (South Frontage Road)
15

Turn right onto Penrose Avenue North

0.2 mi · 54 sec · Penrose Avenue North
16

Turn left onto 57th Street North

72 ft · 4 sec · 57th Street North
17

Turn right

45 ft · 3 sec
18

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown South Saint Paul, MN, MN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

South Saint Paul, MN

19 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

Bayport, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 37.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

South Saint Paul, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.7 miles from Burnsville, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 28.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
2.6 mi into trip | ~4m in | CR 32 / Cliff Road East

Turn right onto CR 32 / Cliff Road East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
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
6
10.1 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward I 494 West, I 494 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 99A-B Toward I 494 West, I 494 East
8
10.3 mi into trip | ~14m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 494 East

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 99A Toward I 494 East
7
28.5 mi into trip | ~38m in

Take the exit toward MN 36 East: Stillwater

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 52B Toward MN 36 East: Stillwater

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.58 one way

$11.16 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $6.01 $12.03
premium $4.53 $6.69 $13.38
diesel $5.61 $8.28 $16.56

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.3 0 $3.94 $1.80
Efficient EV 9.4 0 $3.28 $1.50
EV Truck/SUV 15 0 $5.25 $2.40

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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

Burnsville, MN

Afternoon in Burnsville on Saturday

Local time

12:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Oak Park Heights, MN

Afternoon in Oak Park Heights on Saturday

Local time

12:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

45°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

2 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

51m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

37.5 mi in 51m, mostly highway — 12.1 mi of that is on I 494.

85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.1 mi on I 494.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and MN 36. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near CR 32 / Cliff Road East.

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 14 decision points packed into just 37.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (CR 32 / Cliff Road East): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 37.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.1 miles on I 494. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Oak Park Heights, MN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (CR 32 / Cliff Road East): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Oak Park Heights, MN before heading back.

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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