Trip from Eagan, MN to Red Wing, MN

Drive Time

1h 3m

Distance

45 mi

72 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 59m ★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 1m

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

Downtown Eagan, MN, MN

Eagan, MN

Tom Fisk

Downtown Red Wing, MN, MN

Red Wing, MN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Eagan, MN to Red Wing, MN covers 45 miles and takes about 1h 3m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Route 61, US 52, Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.8 miles on Route 61. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.44 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

22.5 miles from Eagan, MN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 32m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 1h 3m highway drive covering 45 miles, with most of the trip on Route 61 and US 52. The longest continuous stretch is about 15.8 miles on Route 61.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Route 61 is the longest continuous segment at about 15.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Route 61 and US 52. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8.1 miles in.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 45 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.9 miles (US 52): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

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

7
8.1 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the ramp toward US 52 South, MN 55 East

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward US 52 South, MN 55 East
7
8.9 mi into trip | ~15m in | US 52

Keep slight right at fork onto US 52 toward Rochester

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward Rochester
7
20.5 mi into trip | ~29m in

Take the exit toward MN 50, MN 56: Red Wing, Farmington

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward MN 50, MN 56: Red Wing, Farmington
6
37.3 mi into trip | ~51m in | US 61 / Route 61

Keep slight right at fork onto US 61 / Route 61

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
45 mi into trip | ~1h 3m in | West 5th Street

Turn left onto West 5th Street

Navigation decision point

Towns Along This Route

Between Eagan, MN and Red Wing, MN, road signs point toward Rochester and Farmington.

Rochester

8.9 mi in | ~15m | via US 52

Farmington

20.5 mi in | ~29m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Route 61 15.8 mi 20m
US 52 12 mi 13m
Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway 6.7 mi 9m
Cliff Road 4.1 mi 6m
117th Street East 1.3 mi 3m
Main Street 1.3 mi 2m
Pilot Knob Road 1.1 mi 2m
Rich Valley Boulevard 0.9 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Route 61 — 15.8 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Eagan, MN and Red Wing, MN.

1

Start on CR 31

222 ft · 6 sec · Pilot Knob Road
2

Continue on CR 31

1.0 mi · 1 min · Pilot Knob Road
Use the left lane.
3

Turn left onto CR 32

4.1 mi · 6 min · Cliff Road
4

Continue on CR 32

0.8 mi · 1 min · 110th Street East
5

Turn right onto CR 71

0.9 mi · 2 min · Rich Valley Boulevard
6

Turn left onto 117th Street East

1.3 mi · 3 min · 117th Street East
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 47 sec
Toward US 52 South, MN 55 East Use the right lane.
8

Merge onto US 52; MN 55

0.5 mi · 32 sec · US 52; MN 55
9

Keep slight right at fork onto US 52

12 mi · 13 min · US 52
Toward Rochester Use the straight lane.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward MN 50, MN 56: Red Wing, Farmington Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on this road

352 ft · 13 sec · this road
Toward MN 50, MN 56: Red Wing, Farmington
12

Turn left onto MN 50

6.7 mi · 9 min · Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway
13

Continue on MN 50

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Ryane Clark Memorial Highway
14

Continue on US 61

378 ft · 5 sec · Hiawatha Pioneer Trail/Disabled American Veterans Highway/Voyageur Highway
15

Continue on US 61

4.0 mi · 5 min · Route 61
16

Enter roundabout onto US 61

122 ft · 1 sec · Route 61
17

Continue on US 61

5.6 mi · 6 min · Route 61
Use the straight lane.
18

Keep slight right at fork onto US 61

6.1 mi · 8 min · Route 61
Use the straight lane.
19

Continue on US 61

1.3 mi · 2 min · Main Street
Use the straight lane.
20

Turn right onto West Avenue

0.2 mi · 39 sec · West Avenue
21

Turn left onto West 5th Street

286 ft · 12 sec · West 5th Street
22

Arrive at destination

West 5th Street

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 22.5 miles from Eagan, MN, or about 32m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 15.8 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 45 miles or 1h 3m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 22.5 miles or 32m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 53m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Red Wing, MN than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Eagan, MN so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Eagan, MN

This is one driving day of about 45 miles and 1h 3m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Eagan, MN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Route 61 for about 15.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 22.5 mi from Eagan, MN · 32m into the drive

Downtown Lakeville, MN, MN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lakeville, MN

23 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

Saint Paul, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 45 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lakeville, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.5 miles from Eagan, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Red Wing, MN

The final approach into Red Wing, MN usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Red Wing, MN.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.44 one way

$12.87 round trip

$3.63/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $3.92 $6.95 $13.89
premium $4.39 $7.78 $15.56
diesel $5.64 $10.00 $19.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$6

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$31–$56

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.5 0 $4.73 $2.16
Efficient EV 11.3 0 $3.94 $1.80
EV Truck/SUV 18 0 $6.30 $2.88

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Eagan, MN

Morning in Eagan on Monday

Local time

7:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Red Wing, MN

Morning in Red Wing on Monday

Local time

7:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

5 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

1h 3m 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 Eagan, MN to Red Wing, MN covers 45 miles and takes about 1h 3m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Route 61, US 52, Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22.5 miles from Eagan, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.44 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 demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 45 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.9 miles (US 52): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Eagan, MN and Red Wing, MN, road signs point toward Rochester and Farmington.

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