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Trip from Mounds View, MN to Apple Valley, MN

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

32.1 mi

52 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

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 Mounds View, MN, MN

Mounds View, MN

Tom Fisk

city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States

Apple Valley, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Mounds View, MN to Apple Valley, MN covers 32.1 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 35E, US 10, Voyageur Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.8 miles on I 35E. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.78 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 32.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 42m highway drive covering 32.1 miles, with most of the trip on I 35E and US 10. The longest continuous stretch is about 14.8 miles on I 35E.

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 35E is the longest continuous segment at about 14.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35E and US 10. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CH 45 / Long Lake Road.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 32.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (CH 45 / Long Lake Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles (US 10 / Voyageur Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.9 miles (I 35E): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

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

8
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | CH 45 / Long Lake Road

Turn sharp left onto CH 45 / Long Lake Road

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
9
7.7 mi into trip | ~10m in | US 10 / Voyageur Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto US 10 / Voyageur Highway toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 46 Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul
7
13.9 mi into trip | ~17m in | I 35E

Take the exit onto I 35E toward I 35E South

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

Use the slight left lane. Exit 241C Toward I 35E South
7
28 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward MN 77: Cedar Avenue

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 92 Toward MN 77: Cedar Avenue
7
28.3 mi into trip | ~36m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 35E 14.8 mi 19m
US 10 6.2 mi 6m
Voyageur Highway 5.5 mi 6m
Cedar Avenue 3.2 mi 4m
Mounds View Boulevard 1.1 mi 1m
Long Lake Road <0.1 mi <1m
County Road 42 — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: I 35E — 14.8 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Mounds View, MN and Apple Valley, MN.

1

Start on CH 10

140 ft · 11 sec · Mounds View Boulevard
2

Turn sharp left onto CH 45

107 ft · 6 sec · Long Lake Road
Use the left lane.
3

Turn left onto CH 10

1.1 mi · 1 min · Mounds View Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4

Continue on this road

0.3 mi · 39 sec · this road
Toward I 35W South, US 10 East Use the left lane.
5

Turn slight left

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward US 10 East
6

Continue on US 10

0.3 mi · 24 sec · US 10
7

Continue on US 10

1.9 mi · 2 min · US 10
8

Keep slight left at fork onto US 10

3.9 mi · 4 min · US 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto US 10

5.5 mi · 6 min · Voyageur Highway
Exit 46 Toward US 10 East, I 35 South: St Paul Use the slight right lane.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35E

0.7 mi · 48 sec · I 35E
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11

Take the exit onto I 35E

14 mi · 18 min · I 35E
Exit 241C Toward I 35E South Use the slight left lane.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Exit 92 Toward MN 77: Cedar Avenue Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue Use the right lane.
15

Merge onto MN 77

3.2 mi · 4 min · Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16

Arrive at destination

CR 42

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.78 one way

$9.55 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $5.15 $10.29
premium $4.53 $5.73 $11.45
diesel $5.61 $7.09 $14.17

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 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 9.6 0 $3.37 $1.54
Efficient EV 8 0 $2.81 $1.28
EV Truck/SUV 12.8 0 $4.49 $2.05

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.

Forecast as of Apr 14, 2026

Origin

Mounds View, MN

Late night in Mounds View on Friday

Local time

3:40 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Patchy Fog

NNE 5 to 10 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 13 at 8:39PM CDT until April 13 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 13 at 8:39PM CDT until April 13 at 9:45PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

Destination

Apple Valley, MN

Late night in Apple Valley on Friday

Local time

3:40 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°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

16 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

42m 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 Mounds View, MN to Apple Valley, MN covers 32.1 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 35E, US 10, Voyageur Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.1 miles from Mounds View, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.78 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 12 decision points packed into just 32.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (CH 45 / Long Lake Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles (US 10 / Voyageur Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.9 miles (I 35E): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Mounds View, MN to Apple Valley, MN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

How this page is built

Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.

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