Origin
Minnetonka Mills, MN
Morning in Minnetonka Mills on Friday
Local time
11:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Minnetonka Mills, MN to Crystal, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
10.3 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Minnetonka Mills, MN
Tom Fisk
Crystal, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Minnetonka Mills, MN to Crystal, MN covers 10.3 miles and takes about 16m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 169, Minnetonka Boulevard, 42nd Avenue North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.8 miles on US 169. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.53 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 16m. Total distance: 10.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
The drive from Minnetonka Mills, MN to Crystal, MN covers 10.3 miles and takes about 16m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 7 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 169 is the longest continuous segment at about 5.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR 5 / Minnetonka Boulevard.
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 16m drive. You will face about 5 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 (CR 5 / Minnetonka Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (US 169): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 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
|
CR 5 / Minnetonka Boulevard
Turn right onto CR 5 / Minnetonka Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left toward US 169 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward US 169 North
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 169
Merge onto US 169
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
8.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward CR 9 West: Rockford Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward CR 9 West: Rockford Road
4
8.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CR 9 / 42nd Avenue North
Turn left onto CR 9 / 42nd Avenue North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 169 | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Minnetonka Boulevard | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| 42nd Avenue North | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Shady Oak Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 169
— 5.8 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Minnetonka Mills, MN and Crystal, MN.
1
Start on CR 61
320 ft
·
12 sec
·
Shady Oak Road
2
Turn right onto CR 5
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Minnetonka Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward US 169 North
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Merge onto US 169
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
US 169
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward CR 9 West: Rockford Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn left onto CR 9
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
42nd Avenue North
Use the left lane.
7
Arrive at destination
CR 9
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.53 one way
$3.07 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $1.65 | $3.30 |
| premium | $4.53 | $1.84 | $3.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.27 | $4.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.90 | $0.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Crystal, MN
Morning in Crystal on Friday
Local time
11:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°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
24 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
16m 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 Minnetonka Mills, MN to Crystal, MN covers 10.3 miles and takes about 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 169, Minnetonka Boulevard, 42nd Avenue North. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.2 miles from Minnetonka Mills, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.53 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 16m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CR 5 / Minnetonka Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (US 169): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Minnetonka Mills, MN to Crystal, 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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