Origin
Chisago City, MN
Afternoon in Chisago City on Saturday
Local time
2:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chisago City, 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
47m
Distance
35.8 mi
58 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chisago City, MN
Tom Fisk
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Chisago City, MN to Saint Paul, MN is 35.8 miles and takes about 47 minutes via I 35E, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Minnesota, connecting two points in the Midwest. It's a fairly quick trip, mostly on the interstate, making it a straightforward option for getting from a more rural starting point to a larger city. You won't need to worry about overnight stays, and the short duration means you can easily fit it into your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 17 mi | 19m |
| Lake Boulevard | 9.1 mi | 11m |
| I 35 | 5 mi | 5m |
| Centerville Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Robert Street North | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| County Road E | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Kellogg Boulevard East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 10th Street East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 17 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chisago City, MN and Saint Paul, MN.
1
Start on US 8
53 ft
·
2 sec
·
Lake Boulevard
2
Continue on US 8
9.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Lake Boulevard
3
Merge onto I 35
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E
9.9 mi
·
10 min
·
I 35E
Toward Saint Paul
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 117
Toward CR 96
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Turn right onto CH 96
492 ft
·
12 sec
·
CH 96
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto CH 59
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Centerville Road
Use the left lane.
8
Turn left onto CH 15
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
County Road E
Use the straight lane.
9
Take the ramp
226 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 35E South: Saint Paul
Use the right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 35E South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 35E
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
I 35E
Toward I 35E South, US 10 East: St Paul
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto US 10
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
US 10
Exit 107A
Toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th Street, Wacouta Street
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward 10th Street, Wacouta Street
15
Keep slight right at fork
409 ft
·
10 sec
Toward 10th Street
Use the slight right lane.
16
Continue on 10th Street East
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
10th Street East
17
Turn left onto Robert Street North
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Robert Street North
18
Turn right onto Kellogg Boulevard East
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Kellogg Boulevard East
19
Turn right onto Wabasha Street North
162 ft
·
5 sec
·
Wabasha Street North
20
Arrive at destination
Wabasha Street North
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.9 miles from Chisago City, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 14.1 and 34.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
14.1 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E toward Saint Paul
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward Saint Paul
8
27.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35E South
8
29 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
I 35E
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35E toward I 35E South, US 10 East: St Paul
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35E South, US 10 East: St Paul
9
34.5 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
US 10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 10 toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th Street, Wacouta Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 107A
Toward US 10 East, I 94 East, US 52 South: 10th...
8
34.8 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 10th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 10th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.33 one way
$10.66 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $5.74 | $11.48 |
| premium | $4.53 | $6.39 | $12.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.90 | $15.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 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 | 10.7 | 0 | $3.76 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
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.
Destination
Saint Paul, MN
Afternoon in Saint Paul on Saturday
Local time
2:46 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
2 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
47m 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?
This route is 62% highway, with the longest stretch on I 35E covering 17 miles. You'll spend most of your time on the interstate before transitioning to surface roads as you approach Saint Paul. Expect a significant amount of time on I 35 and I 35E, which means you'll encounter plenty of exits and potential merging traffic as you get closer to the metropolitan area.
62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17 mi on I 35E.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35E and Lake Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14.1 miles in near I 35E.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 35.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.1 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 29 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Chisago City, MN to Saint Paul, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 96 along the way.
Cr 96
24 mi in
|
~27m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 35.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17 miles on I 35E. 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 Saint Paul, 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 14.1 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 29 miles (I 35E): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Saint Paul, 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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