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Trip from Inver Grove Heights, MN to Bloomington, MN

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

Drive Time

22m

Distance

15.8 mi

25 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 21m ★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Inver Grove Heights, MN, MN

Inver Grove Heights, MN

Tom Fisk

Downtown Bloomington, MN, MN

Bloomington, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 15.8-mile drive from Inver Grove Heights to Bloomington, Minnesota, is a quick trip that can be completed in about 22 minutes, making it ideal for a single day. The route primarily utilizes I-494, with some segments on 70th Street East and 70th Street West, offering a straightforward journey through the Midwest. With a projected fuel cost of just $2, this is an economical option for a short excursion. You'll find this drive to be efficient, with no overnight stays required and no planned stops, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 15.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a highway-focused experience on this route, with 63% of your travel occurring on interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.3 miles on I-494, providing a consistent pace. While predominantly highway, the inclusion of 70th Street East and 70th Street West offers brief transitions to different road types. This drive is characterized by its efficiency rather than scenic detours, keeping you moving smoothly between your origin and destination.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 494 is the longest continuous segment at about 8.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and 70th Street East. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.4 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 15.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (I 494): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

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

8
5.4 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 494 West

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 494 West
5
5.8 mi into trip | ~9m in | I 494

Merge onto I 494

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
14.1 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward I 35W South: Albert Lea

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 5B Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
7
15.5 mi into trip | ~22m in

Take the exit toward 90th Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 7B Toward 90th Street
7
15.7 mi into trip | ~22m in | West 90th Street

Turn left onto West 90th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 494 8.3 mi 10m
70th Street East 2.2 mi 3m
70th Street West 1.9 mi 2m
I 35W 1.3 mi 1m
Dodd Road 0.9 mi 1m
MN 55 0.3 mi <1m
Lone Oak Road <0.1 mi <1m
West 90th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 494 — 8.3 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Inver Grove Heights, MN and Bloomington, MN.

1

Start on CH 26

24 ft · 9 sec · 70th Street East
2

Continue on CH 26

2.2 mi · 3 min · 70th Street East
Use the straight lane.
3

Enter roundabout onto CH 26

126 ft · 2 sec · 70th Street West
4

Continue on CH 26

0.5 mi · 41 sec · 70th Street West
5

Enter roundabout onto CH 26

105 ft · 2 sec · 70th Street West
6

Continue on CH 26

1.4 mi · 2 min · 70th Street West
7

Continue on CH 26

503 ft · 11 sec · Lone Oak Road
8

Turn right onto MN 55; MN 149

0.3 mi · 24 sec · MN 55; MN 149
9

Continue on MN 149

0.9 mi · 1 min · Dodd Road
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Toward I 494 West Use the right lane.
11

Merge onto I 494

8.3 mi · 10 min · I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Exit 5B Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea Use the straight / right lanes.
13

Merge onto I 35W

1.3 mi · 1 min · I 35W
Use the slight right lane.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 7B Toward 90th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Turn left onto West 90th Street

207 ft · 5 sec · West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16

Arrive at destination

West 90th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.35 one way

$4.70 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $2.53 $5.07
premium $4.53 $2.82 $5.64
diesel $5.61 $3.49 $6.98

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.7 0 $1.66 $0.76
Efficient EV 4 0 $1.38 $0.63
EV Truck/SUV 6.3 0 $2.21 $1.01

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Inver Grove Heights, MN

Night in Inver Grove Heights on Friday

Local time

10:38 PM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Mostly Clear

SSE 10 to 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 2:05PM CDT by NWS Duluth MN

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 16 at 2:04PM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND

Destination

Bloomington, MN

Night in Bloomington on Friday

Local time

10:38 PM

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

10 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

22m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Inver Grove Heights, MN to Bloomington, MN covers 15.8 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 494, 70th Street East, 70th Street West. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 7.9 miles from Inver Grove Heights, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.35 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 10 decision points packed into just 15.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.

The main spots that need attention: at 5.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (I 494): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Inver Grove Heights, MN to Bloomington, 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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Bloomington, MN to Inver Grove Heights, MN

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