Minneapolis to NYC road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time

Planning a Minneapolis to New York City road trip itinerary

The epic Minneapolis to New York City drive takes you from Minnesota to the Big Apple in New York state.

Top attractions in the twin cities of Minneapolis-St Paul include the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Basilica of St Mary and Minnehaha Falls

Minneapolis has a big craft brewing scene, and one of the best ways to explore is on a craft breweries tour. Alternatively, take a walking tour through the city’s vast Skyway network of enclosed bridges and food tours.

Other MSP experiences include St Paul’s historic gangster-era caves, Twin Cities ghost tours and St Paul walking tours.

The Minneapolis hotels with the best visitor reviews are the Element in the Warehouse District and the AC by Marriott in the West End.

Highlights of New York City include the Empire State Building, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History.

For great New York tours, try the boat trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a night time city lights helicopter flight and a Greenwich village food tour.

More unusual options include catacombs tours, a round-Manhattan architecture cruise and a guided exploration of Grand Central Station’s secrets.

You seriously need to shop around to find affordable New York City accommodation. Start looking for deals here.

Minneapolis to New York City distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Minneapolis to New York City is 1,202 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 17 hours and 54 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-94, I-90 and I-80.

The best stops to add to a Minneapolis to New York City road trip itinerary are Chicago, Cleveland and Penn’s Cave.

For more suggestions, read the guides to the Minneapolis to Chicago drive and Chicago to Cleveland drive.

Minneapolis to NYC drive: Chicago

Chicago’s skyscrapers, music scene and massive collection of cultural attractions make it arguably the most exciting city in the US to visit.

Highly recommended Chicago experiences include an architecture river cruise, a gangsters and ghosts tour of famous Mob sites and a bike tour of the lakefront neighbourhoods. It’s also worth paying a visit to the Field Museum, the 360 Chicago observation deck at the Hancock Tower and the Chicago Architecture Center.

Recommended Chicago hotels include the Club Quarters Central Loop for astonishingly good value. Also consider the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile for its amazing, historic pool, and the entertainingly science-themed Hotel EMC2.

Best stops between Minneapolis and New York City: Cleveland, Ohio

There are many strong attractions in Cleveland, including the Cleveland History Center. But the big stand out is the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. It’s an extremely reverent trawl through rock ‘n roll history, looking at the origins and development of the genre. There’s a massive amount of memorabilia, with sections devoted to several Hall of Fame inductees.

The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame is dense, detailed and capable of sucking up the best part of a day.

Alternatively, Cleveland tour options focus on neighbourhood food scenes, the city’s best craft breweries and Downtown’s public art.

Minneapolis to New York City road trip attractions: Penn’s Cave

Penn’s Cave in Centre Hall PA makes for an unusual cave tour, as it’s mostly done by boat. After heading down 48 steps to the boat dock, the cruise through the cave system shows off extraordinary stalagmites and stalactites before drifting along an underground lake.

Outside the cave complex, there’s a wildlife park and maze. You can also try your hand at gem panning.

New York City from the Staten Island ferry.
New York City from the Staten Island Ferry. Photo by David Whitley/ Best3stops.

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