Origin
South Saint Paul, MN
Morning in South Saint Paul on Saturday
Local time
7:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Saint Paul, MN to Minnetonka, MN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
28.8 mi
46 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Saint Paul, MN
Tom Fisk
Minnetonka, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from South Saint Paul, MN to Minnetonka, MN covers 28.8 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 494, Minnesota State Highway 7, Concord Street North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.5 miles on I 494. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.29 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 28.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 37m highway drive covering 28.8 miles, with most of the trip on I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7. The longest continuous stretch is about 24.5 miles on I 494.
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.
I 494 is the longest continuous segment at about 24.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7. 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 14 / John E Carroll Avenue.
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 9 decision points packed into just 28.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CH 14 / John E Carroll Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (CH 56 / Concord Street North): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 494): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CH 14 / John E Carroll Avenue
Turn right onto CH 14 / John E Carroll Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CH 56 / Concord Street North
Turn right onto CH 56 / Concord Street North
Navigation decision point
6
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 494
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
21.2 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
I 494; MN 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
25.9 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward MN 7 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 24.5 mi | 30m |
| Minnesota State Highway 7 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Concord Street North | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| County Road 101 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| John E Carroll Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Concord Exchange North | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 24.5 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Saint Paul, MN and Minnetonka, MN.
1
Start on Concord Exchange North
29 ft
·
2 sec
·
Concord Exchange North
2
Turn right onto CH 14
188 ft
·
9 sec
·
John E Carroll Avenue
3
Turn right onto CH 56
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Concord Street North
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 494 West
5
Merge onto I 494
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
I 494
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494
18 mi
·
22 min
·
I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Use the right lane.
9
Merge onto MN 7
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Minnesota State Highway 7
10
Turn left onto CR 101
239 ft
·
10 sec
·
County Road 101
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
CR 101
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.29 one way
$8.57 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $4.62 | $9.24 |
| premium | $4.53 | $5.14 | $10.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.36 | $12.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.03 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Minnetonka, MN
Morning in Minnetonka on Saturday
Local time
7:38 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
18 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
37m 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 South Saint Paul, MN to Minnetonka, MN covers 28.8 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 494, Minnesota State Highway 7, Concord Street North. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.4 miles from South 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 $4.29 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 9 decision points packed into just 28.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CH 14 / John E Carroll Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (CH 56 / Concord Street North): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 494): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from South Saint Paul, MN to Minnetonka, 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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