From Minneapolis it is 17 min by car to Saint Paul, 1 hr 55 min to Rochester, 1 hr 23 min to Saint Cloud, 2 hr 52 min to Duluth and 5 hr 20 min to Grand Marais on Lake Superior, and Metro Transit charges $2 for a local bus or light rail ride.
Drive times are measured with OpenStreetMap routing and have no live traffic; the Metro Transit fare is from its own fares page, read November 1, 2026. Both change, so check the live source before you leave. This guide points you to the region, the day trip or the season you want, and says what we could not confirm.
- 9Regions With Event Calendars
- 17Minutes, Minneapolis to Saint Paul
- $2Metro Transit Local Fare
- 72State Parks and Recreation Areas Listed
Pick a Region
Minnesota events cluster in nine regions. Each region opens its own event calendar; the photos show six of them.
Twin Cities MetroMinneapolis and Saint Paul, the state’s two largest cities.Open →
St. Croix Valley & East CentralRiver towns such as Stillwater and Taylors Falls.Open →
Duluth & North ShoreDuluth is 2 hr 52 min from Minneapolis; the shore runs to Grand Portage.Open →
Iron Range & VoyageursMining towns and the Voyageurs country in the north.Open →
North LakesLake country around Bemidji and Cass Lake.Open →
South Lakes & Bluff CountryRochester is 1 hr 55 min from Minneapolis; the Mississippi bluffs lie to the southeast.Open →
Also: Central Lakes & St. Cloud, Minnesota River Valley & Prairielands and Red River Valley.
Getting Around
Metro Transit (from its fares page, read November 1, 2026): an adult local bus or METRO fare is $2 at any time, express routes are $2.50 off-peak and $3.25 at rush hour, reduced fare is $1 for ages 6-12, 65 and older and Medicare riders, and an all-day pass is $4 for adults, valid on buses and light rail until 2 a.m. the next day. Nicollet Mall is free. Fares change, so check the page.
Driving: the Drive Times page lists measured road times and miles for every pair of eleven cities. Outside the Twin Cities, a car is how our itineraries are planned. In winter check 511mn.org for road conditions.
Day Trips From Minneapolis
Road times and miles are measured with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data between city-center points, run on November 1, 2026, with no live traffic, closures or weather. Real trips take longer at busy hours and in winter.
| From Minneapolis To | Road Time | Miles | Events and Guide | Itinerary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Paul | 17 min | 10.1 mi | Saint Paul guide | Twin Cities weekend |
| Rochester | 1 hr 55 min | 87.2 mi | South Lakes events | None yet |
| Saint Cloud | 1 hr 23 min | 65.9 mi | Central Lakes events | Central Minnesota day trip |
| Mankato | 1 hr 45 min | 81.1 mi | River Valley events | River Valley itinerary |
| Duluth | 2 hr 52 min | 154.2 mi | Duluth guide | Duluth and North Shore |
| Grand Rapids | 3 hr 42 min | 175.9 mi | Iron Range events | Iron Range |
| Grand Marais | 5 hr 20 min | 264.3 mi | Duluth and North Shore events | Duluth and North Shore |
| Moorhead | 4 hr 17 min | 232.1 mi | Red River Valley events | None yet |
| Bemidji | 4 hr 27 min | 215.6 mi | North Lakes events | None yet |
Stillwater, on the St. Croix, is the closest river town; see the Stillwater guide and the St. Croix Valley day trip.
Parks and Nature
Minnesota’s state parks are the main reason to leave the cities: the state parks guide lists all 72 state parks and recreation areas by region, with the permit and pet rules we read. For what lives in them see the wildlife guide and the wildflowers and plants guide.
By Season
Winter is the festival season. Each guide reads its dates from the organizer. The full list is on Things To Do in Minnesota.
- DuluthBentleyville Tour of LightsThe holiday lights walk on Duluth’s waterfront.
- MankatoKiwanis Holiday LightsThe drive-through lights display in Mankato.
- ChaskaNorthern Lights at the ArboretumThe evening lights at the Landscape Arboretum.
- Saint PaulSaint Paul Winter CarnivalThe state’s big winter festival.
- MinneapolisLuminary LoppetThe lantern-lit ski and walk on Lake of the Isles.
- North ShoreJohn Beargrease Sled Dog MarathonThe sled dog race along the North Shore.
Want a Ready Plan?Six itineraries with measured road times between every stop, a clock and a map.
See Itineraries →What We Could Not Verify
- Where to stay and what it costs: we read no lodging source and give no hotel names or prices.
- Visitor-center hours for Minneapolis and Duluth were not on the pages we read.
- Light rail line names, Duluth bus fares and parking rules: not read. Check the transit agency or city.
- Traffic and weather: measured drive times are without either.
- Descriptions of the nine regions are ours, from our county-to-region table; the regions are not official tourism regions.
More Guides
Questions People Ask
How far is Duluth from Minneapolis?
154.2 road miles and 2 hr 52 min, measured without traffic on November 1, 2026.
How much does Metro Transit cost?
A local adult fare is $2 and an all-day pass is $4, per Metro Transit’s fares page we read on November 1, 2026. Fares can change.
Do I need a car to visit Minnesota?
In the Twin Cities you can use Metro Transit. Our itineraries outside them assume a car, and we did not read intercity bus or rail schedules.
Are Minnesota state parks free?
Not all of them; see the state parks guide for the permit and pet rules we read.
Sources
- Metro Transit: Fares, read November 1, 2026
- Road times and miles are measured with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data between city-center points, run on November 1, 2026, with no live traffic, closures or weather. Real trips take longer at busy hours and in winter.
- Minnesota State Parks Guide (our guide)
Checked November 1, 2026 by It’s Minnesota. Cite this page: It’s Minnesota, “Plan a Visit to Minnesota” (itsminnesota.com/visit/), checked November 1, 2026. Free to quote with a link.