Origin
Empire, MN
Late night in Empire on Friday
Local time
4:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Empire, MN to Bloomington, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
26.1 mi
42 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Empire, MN
Tom Fisk
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition from Empire to Bloomington, this 28.7-mile connection offers a straightforward path across the Minnesota landscape. Expect to spend about 29 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budget roughly $4 for fuel to cover the distance, which keeps costs minimal for this short transit. You will navigate a mix of local routes, including CR 46 and segments of US 52, as you move between these two Midwestern locations. Because the entire journey is under half an hour, it serves as a highly practical commute rather than a long-haul excursion.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 26.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is best described as a turn-heavy local route rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. With a 0% highway share, you should prepare for a series of turns and local intersections rather than long stretches of open pavement. The profile emphasizes a more hands-on driving experience, requiring your full attention as you navigate through the local road network. You won't find any long, uninterrupted highway segments here, as the journey focuses on smaller roads that connect Empire to your destination. Expect a functional, steady pace that reflects the local character of the Minnesota region.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
160th Street East is the longest continuous segment at about 9.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
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 12 decision points packed into just 26.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (US 52): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward US 52 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 52 North
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 52
Turn left onto US 52
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
17.2 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 35 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 35 North
7
25.9 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward 90th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
7
26.1 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
West 90th Street
Turn left onto West 90th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
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 Empire, MN to Bloomington, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 46 along the way.
Cr 46
4.2 mi in
|
~5m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 160th Street East | 9.5 mi | 13m |
| I 35W | 7.1 mi | 8m |
| US 52 | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Brandel Drive | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| I 35 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| 162nd Street West | 1 mi | 1m |
| Isleton Way | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| 200th Street East | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
160th Street East
— 9.5 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Empire, MN and Bloomington, MN.
1
Start on CR 66
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
200th Street East
2
Take the ramp
184 ft
·
7 sec
Toward US 52 South
3
Merge onto US 52
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
US 52
4
Take the exit
106 ft
·
10 sec
Toward US 52 North
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left onto US 52
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
US 52
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward CR 46
7
Turn left onto CR 46
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Brandel Drive
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on CR 46
9.5 mi
·
13 min
·
160th Street East
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on CR 46
0.6 mi
·
55 sec
·
Isleton Way
10
Continue on CR 46
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
162nd Street West
Use the left lane.
11
Take the ramp
405 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 35 North
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 35 North
13
Merge onto I 35
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35W
7.1 mi
·
8 min
·
I 35W
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn straight onto East Bloomington Freeway
193 ft
·
10 sec
·
East Bloomington Freeway
17
Turn left onto West 90th Street
163 ft
·
4 sec
·
West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Arrive at destination
West 90th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.88 one way
$7.77 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.19 | $8.37 |
| premium | $4.53 | $4.66 | $9.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.76 | $11.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Bloomington, MN
Late night in Bloomington on Friday
Local time
4:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°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
4 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
35m 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 Empire, MN to Bloomington, MN covers 26.1 miles and takes about 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 160th Street East, I 35W, US 52. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13 miles from Empire, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.88 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 12 decision points packed into just 26.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (US 52): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
On the drive from Empire, MN to Bloomington, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 46 along the way.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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