Origin
Burnsville, MN
Morning in Burnsville on Saturday
Local time
10:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Burnsville, MN to South 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
26m
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 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burnsville, MN
Wikimedia Commons
South Saint Paul, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
The drive from Burnsville, MN to South Saint Paul, MN covers 18 miles and takes about 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 494, I 35E, Cliff Road East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.3 miles on I 494. 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 26m. Total distance: 18 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 26m highway drive covering 18 miles, with most of the trip on I 494 and I 35E. The longest continuous stretch is about 5.3 miles on I 494.
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 494 is the longest continuous segment at about 5.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and I 35E. 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 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 26m.
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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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
16.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward CR 56: Concord Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 64B
Toward CR 56: Concord Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| I 35E | 5 mi | 5m |
| Cliff Road East | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| MN 13 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Concord Street South | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Nicollet Avenue South | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| John E Carroll Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Concord Exchange North | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 5.3 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burnsville, MN and South 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
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
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 64B
Toward CR 56: Concord Street
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto CH 56
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Concord Street South
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto CH 14
272 ft
·
16 sec
·
John E Carroll Avenue
12
Turn left onto Concord Exchange North
74 ft
·
1 sec
·
Concord Exchange North
13
Arrive at destination
Concord Exchange 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
South Saint Paul, MN
Morning in South Saint Paul on Saturday
Local time
10:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
18 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
26m 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 South Saint Paul, MN covers 18 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 494, I 35E, 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 26m.
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.
The route from Burnsville, MN to South Saint Paul, 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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