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Trip from Norwood (historical), MN to Bloomington, MN

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

Drive Time

45m

Distance

35.8 mi

58 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 41m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m

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

Downtown Norwood (historical), MN, MN

Norwood (historical), MN

Tom Fisk

Downtown Bloomington, MN, MN

Bloomington, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Norwood (historical), MN to Bloomington, MN covers 35.8 miles and takes about 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US 212, MN 5, I 35W for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27 miles on US 212. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.33 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 35.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 45m highway drive covering 35.8 miles, with most of the trip on US 212 and MN 5. The longest continuous stretch is about 27 miles on US 212.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 212 is the longest continuous segment at about 27 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 212 and MN 5. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 27.5 miles in near MN 5.

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 8 decision points packed into just 35.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 27.5 miles (MN 5): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.8 miles (MN 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 33.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

7
27.5 mi into trip | ~33m in | MN 5

Take the exit onto MN 5 toward I 494 East, MN 5 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
8
27.8 mi into trip | ~34m in | MN 5

Keep slight left at fork onto MN 5 toward I 494 East, MN 5 East

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
7
33.9 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 slight right lane. Exit 5B Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
7
35.6 mi into trip | ~44m 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
35.8 mi into trip | ~44m in | West 90th Street

Turn left onto West 90th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 212 27 mi 31m
MN 5 6.4 mi 8m
I 35W 1 mi 1m
West Elm Street 0.3 mi <1m
South Faxon Road 0.2 mi <1m
West 90th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 212 — 27 mi, about 31m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Norwood (historical), MN and Bloomington, MN.

1

Start on CR 31

0.3 mi · 57 sec · West Elm Street
2

Turn left onto South Faxon Road

0.2 mi · 56 sec · South Faxon Road
3

Turn right onto US 212

27 mi · 31 min · US 212
Use the straight lane.
4

Take the exit onto MN 5

0.2 mi · 17 sec · MN 5
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight left at fork onto MN 5

6.2 mi · 7 min · MN 5
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Exit 5B Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea Use the slight right lane.
7

Continue on this road

0.4 mi · 50 sec · this road
Exit 5B Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
8

Merge onto I 35W

1.0 mi · 1 min · I 35W
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 7B Toward 90th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn left onto West 90th Street

207 ft · 5 sec · West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
11

Arrive at destination

West 90th Street

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 17.9 mi from Norwood (historical), MN · 22m into the drive

Downtown Chaska, MN, MN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chaska, MN

18 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

Burnsville, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Chaska, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.9 miles from Norwood (historical), MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Bloomington, MN

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Bloomington, MN if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.33 one way

$10.66 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $5.74 $11.48
premium $4.53 $6.39 $12.78
diesel $5.61 $7.90 $15.81

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.7 0 $3.76 $1.72
Efficient EV 9 0 $3.13 $1.43
EV Truck/SUV 14.3 0 $5.01 $2.29

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Norwood (historical), MN

Morning in Norwood (historical) on Friday

Local time

10:28 AM

CDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bloomington, MN

Morning in Bloomington on Friday

Local time

10:28 AM

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

3 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

45m 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 Norwood (historical), MN to Bloomington, MN covers 35.8 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US 212, MN 5, I 35W. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 17.9 miles from Norwood (historical), MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.33 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 8 decision points packed into just 35.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.

The main spots that need attention: at 27.5 miles (MN 5): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.8 miles (MN 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 33.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Norwood (historical), 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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