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Trip from West Saint Paul, MN to Bloomington, MN

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

20m

Distance

14.1 mi

23 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m

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

Downtown West Saint Paul, MN, MN

West Saint Paul, MN

Thomas Parker

Downtown Bloomington, MN, MN

Bloomington, MN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 14.1-mile drive from West Saint Paul to Bloomington, Minnesota, is easily manageable in about 20 minutes. Designed as a single-day trip, you won't need to worry about overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is a budget-friendly $2. You'll primarily be navigating major roadways, making it a straightforward trip within the Midwest region. This route is ideal for a quick commute or an easy hop between nearby Twin Cities suburbs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 14.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of this 14.1-mile journey. With 72% of the drive on highways, you'll encounter stretches of faster-paced travel. The longest uninterrupted segment is 7.3 miles on I-494, offering a consistent cruising experience. You'll primarily use I-494 and I-35W, with a brief portion on Dodd Road, providing a mix of interstate speeds and a slightly more local feel as you transition.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 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 7.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and Dodd Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.4 miles in.

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 12 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

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

6
3.4 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the exit toward I 35E South: Albert Lea

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

Use the left lane. Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea
7
4.6 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 494 West

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 99B Toward I 494 West
7
12.4 mi into trip | ~18m in

Take the exit toward I 35W South: Albert Lea

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

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 5B Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea
7
13.8 mi into trip | ~20m 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
14 mi into trip | ~20m in | West 90th Street

Turn left onto West 90th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 494 7.3 mi 9m
Dodd Road 2.5 mi 4m
I 35W 1.3 mi 1m
I 35E 0.8 mi 1m
MN 62 0.8 mi 1m
West 90th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Smith Avenue South <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 494 — 7.3 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between West Saint Paul, MN and Bloomington, MN.

1

Start on this road

217 ft · 17 sec · this road
2

At end of road, turn right

66 ft · 7 sec
3

Turn right onto Smith Avenue South

97 ft · 10 sec · Smith Avenue South
4

Turn left onto MN 149

2.5 mi · 4 min · Dodd Road
5

Turn right onto MN 62

0.8 mi · 1 min · MN 62
Use the right lane.
6

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Toward I 35E South: Albert Lea Use the left lane.
7

Merge onto I 35E

0.8 mi · 1 min · I 35E
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 99B Toward I 494 West Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Merge onto I 494

7.3 mi · 9 min · I 494
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Exit 5B Toward I 35W South: Albert Lea Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 35W

1.3 mi · 1 min · I 35W
Use the slight right lane.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 7B Toward 90th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn left onto West 90th Street

207 ft · 5 sec · West 90th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
14

Arrive at destination

West 90th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.10 one way

$4.20 round trip

$3.78/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.07 $2.26 $4.52
premium $4.53 $2.52 $5.03
diesel $5.61 $3.11 $6.23

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.2 0 $1.48 $0.68
Efficient EV 3.5 0 $1.23 $0.56
EV Truck/SUV 5.6 0 $1.97 $0.90

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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

West Saint Paul, MN

Evening in West Saint Paul on Friday

Local time

8:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bloomington, MN

Evening in Bloomington on Friday

Local time

8:22 PM

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

20m 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 West Saint Paul, MN to Bloomington, MN covers 14.1 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 494, Dodd Road, 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 7 miles from West 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 $2.10 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 12 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.

The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from West Saint Paul, 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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