Origin
Saint Paul, MN
Morning in Saint Paul on Saturday
Local time
11:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Paul, MN to Apple Valley, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
18 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Paul, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Apple Valley, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Saint Paul, MN to Apple Valley, MN covers 18 miles and takes about 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 35E, Cedar Avenue, Shepard Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.8 miles on I 35E. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 18 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Saint Paul, MN to Apple Valley, MN covers 18 miles and takes about 26m, 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 14 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 9.8 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 0.7 miles in near CH 37 / Shepard 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 11 decision points packed into just 18 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (CH 37 / Shepard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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.
7
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 35E South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 35E South
7
13.8 mi into trip
|
~20m 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
14.1 mi into trip
|
~20m 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
7
14.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35E | 9.8 mi | 11m |
| Cedar Avenue | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| Shepard Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Exchange Street South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Eagle Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 4th Street West | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Kellogg Boulevard West | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35E
— 9.8 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Paul, MN and Apple Valley, 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
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Shepard Road
Use the right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 35E South
Use the left lane.
9
Merge onto I 35E
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 92
Toward MN 77: Cedar Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward MN 77 South: Cedar Avenue
Use the right lane.
13
Merge onto MN 77
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Arrive at destination
CR 42
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.68 one way
$5.36 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.89 | $5.77 |
| premium | $4.53 | $3.21 | $6.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Apple Valley, MN
Morning in Apple Valley on Saturday
Local time
11:39 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
1 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
26m 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 Apple Valley, MN covers 18 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 35E, Cedar Avenue, Shepard Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9 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 $2.68 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 11 decision points packed into just 18 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (CH 37 / Shepard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Saint Paul, MN to Apple Valley, 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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