Origin
Lake Saint Croix Beach, MN
Night in Lake Saint Croix Beach on Friday
Local time
9:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Saint Croix Beach, 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
43m
Distance
30.4 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Saint Croix Beach, MN
Tom Fisk
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 30.4-mile drive from Lake Saint Croix Beach, MN to Bloomington, MN is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 43 minutes. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $5, it's an economical choice for a day trip. The route primarily utilizes I-494, Bailey Road, and crosses the Wakota Bridge, offering a mixed driving experience. Given its short distance and manageable duration, this journey is ideal for a single-day excursion without the need for an overnight stay. It's a practical option for anyone looking to travel between these two Midwest locations efficiently.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 30.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 43% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on I-494, Bailey Road, and cross the Wakota Bridge. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 11.8 miles on I-494, providing a period of consistent highway travel. This drive is characterized by its blend of faster-paced interstate sections and potentially more varied local road conditions as you approach your destination, making for an engaging, though not overly complex, driving experience.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 22 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 11.8 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 13.7 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 16 decision points packed into just 30.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 17 miles (I 494): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
13.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the ramp toward I 494 West
Navigation decision point
Toward I 494 West
6
17 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 494
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
28.7 mi into trip
|
~41m 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
30.1 mi into trip
|
~43m 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
30.4 mi into trip
|
~43m 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 | 11.8 mi | 14m |
| Bailey Road | 7.2 mi | 10m |
| Wakota Bridge | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| 40th Street South | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Afton Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Saint Croix Trail South | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| I 35W | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Maxwell Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 11.8 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Saint Croix Beach, MN and Bloomington, MN.
1
Start on Ramada Avenue South
226 ft
·
12 sec
·
Ramada Avenue South
2
Turn right onto 20th Street South
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
20th Street South
3
Turn left onto CH 18
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Saint Croix Trail South
4
Turn right onto CH 18
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Afton Boulevard
5
Continue on CH 18
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
40th Street South
6
Continue on CH 18
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Bailey Road
7
Enter roundabout onto CH 18
124 ft
·
2 sec
·
Bailey Road
8
Continue on CH 18
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Bailey Road
Use the straight lane.
9
Enter roundabout onto CH 18
122 ft
·
2 sec
·
Bailey Road
10
Continue on CH 18
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Bailey Road
11
Enter roundabout onto CH 18
146 ft
·
2 sec
·
Bailey Road
12
Continue on CH 18
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Bailey Road
Use the straight lane.
13
Continue on CH 18
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Maxwell Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 494 West
15
Continue on Wakota Bridge
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Wakota Bridge
Toward I 494 West
Use the straight lane.
16
Merge onto I 494
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Wakota Bridge
Use the straight lane.
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
12 mi
·
14 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 5B
Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Merge onto I 35W
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35W
Use the slight right lane.
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 7B
Toward 90th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Turn left onto West 90th Street
207 ft
·
5 sec
·
West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
22
Arrive at destination
West 90th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.52 one way
$9.05 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.87 | $9.75 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.42 | $10.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.71 | $13.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Night in Bloomington on Friday
Local time
9:06 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
1 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
43m 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 Lake Saint Croix Beach, MN to Bloomington, MN covers 30.4 miles and takes about 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 494, Bailey Road, Wakota Bridge. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.2 miles from Lake Saint Croix Beach, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.52 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 16 decision points packed into just 30.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
The main spots that need attention: at 13.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 17 miles (I 494): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Lake Saint Croix Beach, 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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