Origin
Forest Lake, MN
Morning in Forest Lake on Friday
Local time
10:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Forest Lake, MN to Minneapolis, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
29.8 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Forest Lake, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Forest Lake to Minneapolis, you are in for a quick 30.1-mile journey that takes about 34 minutes to complete. This trip is perfectly suited as a simple one-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. With a fuel cost of approximately $4, it is an economical route that connects these two Minnesota locations. You will navigate primarily through local roads, including Lake Street South, West Broadway Avenue, and CR 2. Because this is a short, localized trip, it is an ideal option for commuters or those heading into the city for a quick visit.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 29.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route has a highway share of 0%. You will spend your time navigating surface streets, meaning there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of highway; in fact, the longest stretch on Lake Street South is 0 miles. The character of the road is consistent, focused on local navigation rather than highway cruising. Staying alert at the wheel is essential, as the constant turns and local traffic patterns define the pace of this 30.1-mile drive.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 35W is the longest continuous segment at about 23.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35W and I 35. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 37m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue
Enter roundabout onto CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward CR 2: Forest Lake
Navigation decision point
Exit 131
Toward CR 2: Forest Lake
7
5.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 35W
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W toward I 35W: Minneapolis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 35W: Minneapolis
7
28.8 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward Washington Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 17C
Toward Washington Avenue
6
29 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
CR 152 / Washington Avenue South
Turn right onto CR 152 / Washington Avenue South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35W | 23.4 mi | 27m |
| I 35 | 4 mi | 4m |
| West Broadway Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Washington Avenue South | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Lake Street South | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35W
— 23.4 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forest Lake, MN and Minneapolis, MN.
1
Start on US 61
273 ft
·
15 sec
·
Lake Street South
2
Continue on US 61
306 ft
·
8 sec
·
Lake Street South
3
Enter roundabout onto CH 2
194 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Broadway Avenue
4
Continue on CH 2
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Broadway Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 131
Toward CR 2: Forest Lake
6
Merge onto I 35
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35W
23 mi
·
27 min
·
I 35W
Toward I 35W: Minneapolis
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 17C
Toward Washington Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto CR 152
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Avenue South
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10
Arrive at destination
CR 152
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.43 one way
$8.87 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.78 | $9.56 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.32 | $10.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.58 | $13.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Minneapolis, MN
Morning in Minneapolis on Friday
Local time
10:33 AM
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
4 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
37m 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 Forest Lake, MN to Minneapolis, MN covers 29.8 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 35W, I 35, West Broadway Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.9 miles from Forest Lake, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.43 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 straightforward 37m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CH 2 / West Broadway Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (I 35W): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Forest Lake, MN to Minneapolis, 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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