Origin
Saint Paul, MN
Morning in Saint Paul on Friday
Local time
8:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Paul, MN to Carver, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
33.9 mi
55 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 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Carver, MN
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
This 33.9-mile drive from Saint Paul to Carver, Minnesota, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 49 minutes, making it ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll primarily be navigating MN 5 and US 212, with a portion on Shepard Road, offering a highway-focused experience. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $5, this route is budget-friendly for a quick getaway within the Midwest region. Given its short distance and efficient travel time, no overnight stays are necessary, leaving you with flexibility to enjoy your destination without feeling rushed.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 33.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a drive that is predominantly highway-focused, with approximately 70% of the journey taking place on faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 15.2 miles on MN 5, providing a good opportunity to settle into a steady pace. While mainly a highway experience, the route may offer glimpses of the surrounding landscape as you transition between major arteries like MN 5 and US 212. The overall feel is efficient travel, connecting you from the Twin Cities area to Carver with minimal fuss.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
MN 5 is the longest continuous segment at about 15.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MN 5 and US 212. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 4th Street West.
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 15 decision points packed into just 33.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (4th Street West): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (CH 37 / Shepard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.9 miles (MN 5): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
4th Street West
Turn left onto 4th Street West
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CH 37 / Shepard Road
Turn right onto CH 37 / Shepard Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
19.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
MN 5
Take the exit onto MN 5 toward MN 5 West, US 212 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 11C
Toward MN 5 West, US 212 West
6
21.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
US 212
Keep slight left at fork onto US 212
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
6
29.5 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward MN 41: Chestnut Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MN 41: Chestnut Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MN 5 | 15.2 mi | 19m |
| US 212 | 7.9 mi | 9m |
| Shepard Road | 5.1 mi | 8m |
| North Chestnut Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Old Carver Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Chaska Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| I 494 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West 6th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
MN 5
— 15.2 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Paul, MN and Carver, MN.
1
Start on Wabasha Street North
198 ft
·
14 sec
·
Wabasha Street North
2
Turn left onto 4th Street West
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
4th Street West
3
Turn left onto Market Street
264 ft
·
12 sec
·
Market Street
4
Turn right onto Kellogg Boulevard West
261 ft
·
8 sec
·
Kellogg Boulevard West
5
Turn slight left onto Exchange Street South
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Exchange Street South
6
Turn left onto Eagle Parkway
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Eagle Parkway
7
Turn right onto CH 37
5.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Shepard Road
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on South Mississippi River Boulevard
266 ft
·
7 sec
·
South Mississippi River Boulevard
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward MN 5 West
10
Merge onto MN 5
13 mi
·
16 min
·
MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
I 494; MN 5
12
Take the exit onto MN 5
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
MN 5
Exit 11C
Toward MN 5 West, US 212 West
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto US 212
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
US 212
Use the slight left lane.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward MN 41: Chestnut Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn left onto MN 41
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Chestnut Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Enter roundabout onto MN 41
160 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Chestnut Street
17
Continue on MN 41
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Chestnut Street
18
Turn right onto CR 61
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
West 6th Street
Use the right lane.
19
Continue on CR 61
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Chaska Boulevard
20
Turn left onto CR 40
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Carver Road
Use the left lane.
21
Continue on CR 40
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
4th Street East
22
Arrive at destination
4th Street West
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17 mi from Saint Paul, MN · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 33.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 miles from Saint Paul, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Carver, MN
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Carver, 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
$5.04 one way
$10.09 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $5.44 | $10.87 |
| premium | $4.53 | $6.05 | $12.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.48 | $14.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.56 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.75 | $2.17 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Carver, MN
Morning in Carver on Friday
Local time
8:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°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
6 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
49m 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 Saint Paul, MN to Carver, MN covers 33.9 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are MN 5, US 212, Shepard Road. 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 miles from Saint Paul, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.04 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 15 decision points packed into just 33.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (4th Street West): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (CH 37 / Shepard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.9 miles (MN 5): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Saint Paul, MN to Carver, 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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