Skip to main content

Trip from Grand Marais, MN to Maple Grove, MN

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

4h 23m

Distance

270.2 mi

435 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$40

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 10m ★
6 AM
4h 24m
8 AM
4h 50m
10 AM
4h 33m
12 PM
4h 30m
3 PM
4h 34m
5 PM
4h 49m
8 PM
4h 16m

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

Downtown Grand Marais, MN, MN

Grand Marais, MN

Andrew Patrick Photo

city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States

Maple Grove, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Grand Marais, MN to Maple Grove, MN covers 270.2 miles and takes about 4h 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North Broadway, Highway 61, 7th Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $40.21 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

135.1 miles from Grand Marais, MN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 11m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 23m. Total distance: 270.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 23m drive with frequent turns across 270.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Broadway is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 4h 23m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Grand Marais, MN to Maple Grove, MN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Broadway
Highway 61
7th Avenue
I 35W
I 694 West
I 494 South
CR 10
Bass Lake Road

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: North Broadway — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Grand Marais, MN and Maple Grove, MN.

1

Start on West 1st Street

272 ft · 13 sec · West 1st Street
2

Turn left onto North Broadway

213 ft · 15 sec · North Broadway
3

Turn sharp left onto West Highway 61

83 mi · 1 hr 46 min · West Highway 61
4

Continue on 7th Avenue

1.2 mi · 2 min · 7th Avenue
5

Continue on Highway 61

24 mi · 32 min · Highway 61
6

Turn left

4.0 mi · 5 min
7

Keep slight left

128 mi · 2 hr 19 min
8

Keep slight right to continue on I 35W: Minneapolis

15 mi · 16 min · I 35W: Minneapolis
9

Take the exit slight right toward I 694 West

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 694 West
10

Merge slight left

12 mi · 15 min
11

Take the exit slight left toward I 494 South

0.5 mi · 36 sec · I 494 South
12

Continue straight

1.2 mi · 1 min
13

Take the exit slight right toward CR 10: Bass Lake Road

0.3 mi · 41 sec · CR 10: Bass Lake Road
14

Turn right onto Bass Lake Road

0.5 mi · 51 sec · Bass Lake Road
15

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 135.1 miles from Grand Marais, MN, or about 2h 11m into the drive.

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 59 miles or 57m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 135.1 miles or 2h 11m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 36m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Grand Marais, 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 Grand Marais, MN

This is one driving day of about 270.2 miles and 4h 23m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 59 miles from Grand Marais, MN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 135.1 mi from Grand Marais, MN · 2h 11m into the drive

city in Minnesota, United States; county seat of St. Louis County

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Duluth, MN

135 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

Silver Bay, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 59 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Duluth, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 135.1 miles from Grand Marais, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Maple Grove, MN

The final approach into Maple Grove, 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 Maple Grove, 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

$40.21 one way

$80.42 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 95 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $43.33 $86.66
premium $4.53 $48.21 $96.42
diesel $5.61 $59.66 $119.31

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$40

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$65–$90

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 94.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $28 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 81.1 1 $28.37 $12.97
Efficient EV 67.6 0 $23.64 $10.81
EV Truck/SUV 108.1 1 $37.83 $17.29

Gas CO2

95 kg

EV CO2

32 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 as of Mar 23, 2021

Origin

Grand Marais, MN

Late night in Grand Marais on Saturday

Local time

1:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

29°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Maple Grove, MN

Late night in Maple Grove on Saturday

Local time

1:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°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

17 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

4h 23m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Grand Marais, MN to Maple Grove, MN covers 270.2 miles and takes about 4h 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are North Broadway, Highway 61, 7th Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 135.1 miles from Grand Marais, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $40.21 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

This is a straightforward 4h 23m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Grand Marais, MN to Maple Grove, MN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Grand Marais, MN to Maple Grove, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Grand Marais, MN or browse trips ending in Maple Grove, MN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MN road trips.