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Trip from Stillwater, MN to Eagan, MN

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

Drive Time

46m

Distance

33.4 mi

54 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 42m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m

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

Downtown Stillwater, MN, MN

Stillwater, MN

Tom Fisk

city in Minnesota, United States

Eagan, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Stillwater, MN to Eagan, MN is 33.4 miles and takes about 46m via I 494, I 694, and MN 36, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region and the state of Minnesota, making it a straightforward local journey. Given its short distance and highway focus, this route is ideal for a quick transit or a segment of a larger regional exploration. You'll find the drive primarily on well-maintained expressways, so expect efficient travel with minimal delays.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 33.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This drive is heavily focused on highway travel, with 83% of the route utilizing major expressways. You'll spend most of your time on I 494, I 694, and MN 36. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.2 miles on I 494, offering a consistent pace. Expect a highway-focused profile throughout, meaning smooth sailing and higher average speeds for the majority of the journey.

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 494 is the longest continuous segment at about 12.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and MN 36. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 33.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

7
1.5 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward MN 36 West: Minneapolis

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward MN 36 West: Minneapolis
6
9.9 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward I 694 South

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

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 694 South
8
28 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Albert Lea, Saint Paul

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. Exit 70 Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Albert Lea, Sa...
7
28.2 mi into trip | ~37m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 35E South: Albert Lea

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
7
30.7 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward CR 28: Yankee Doodle Road

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 97B Toward CR 28: Yankee Doodle Road

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Stillwater, MN to Eagan, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Saint Paul along the way.

Saint Paul

28 mi in | ~36m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 494 12.2 mi 15m
MN 36 8.1 mi 10m
I 694 5.6 mi 7m
Pilot Knob Road 2.3 mi 4m
I 35E 1.7 mi 1m
Saint Croix Trail North 1.3 mi 2m
Main Street South 0.2 mi <1m
Yankee Doodle Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 494 — 12.2 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Stillwater, MN and Eagan, MN.

1

Start on MN 95

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Main Street South
2

Continue on MN 95

1.3 mi · 2 min · Saint Croix Trail North
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Toward MN 36 West: Minneapolis Use the right lane.
4

Merge onto MN 36

8.1 mi · 10 min · MN 36
Use the left lane.
5

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 694 South Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 694

5.6 mi · 7 min · I 694
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 494

8.5 mi · 10 min · I 494
Use the straight lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 494

3.7 mi · 4 min · I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Exit 70 Toward I 35E South, I 35E North: Albert Lea, Saint Paul Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 35E

1.7 mi · 1 min · I 35E
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Exit 97B Toward CR 28: Yankee Doodle Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn right onto CR 28

510 ft · 11 sec · Yankee Doodle Road
Use the right lane.
14

Turn left onto CR 31

2.2 mi · 4 min · Pilot Knob Road
Use the left lane.
15

Continue on CR 31

513 ft · 9 sec · Pilot Knob Road
16

Arrive at destination

CR 31

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.7 mi from Stillwater, MN · 22m into the drive

city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Maplewood, MN

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.

Popular next leg

Maplewood, MN to Eagan, MN

18 mi · 28m

Pacing Suggestions

Apple Valley, MN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Maplewood, MN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.7 miles from Stillwater, MN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Eagan, MN

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Eagan, 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

$4.97 one way

$9.94 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $5.36 $10.71
premium $4.53 $5.96 $11.92
diesel $5.61 $7.37 $14.75

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 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 0 $3.51 $1.60
Efficient EV 8.4 0 $2.92 $1.34
EV Truck/SUV 13.4 0 $4.68 $2.14

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Stillwater, MN

Afternoon in Stillwater on Friday

Local time

3:11 PM

CDT

Current temp

65°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Eagan, MN

Afternoon in Eagan on Friday

Local time

3:11 PM

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

46m 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 Stillwater, MN to Eagan, MN covers 33.4 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 494, MN 36, I 694. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.7 miles from Stillwater, MN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.97 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 33.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

On the drive from Stillwater, MN to Eagan, MN, road signs begin pointing toward Saint Paul along the way.

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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