Commuting Northfield to Eagan (Apple Valley, Lakeville: houses, established neighborhood, construction)

[paholler]

I am relocating back to MN (originally from the north metro) and will be working off Hwy 55 and 494 in Eagan. My wife is considering a job in Northfield and we are trying to decide where to live.

We both like Northfield for the small-town feel, college town vibe, schools, and having her close to work. Google puts the commute down MN-3 to 55 right around 45 minutes. Is this accurate?

I'd like to avoid both living in the south suburbs (Lakeville, Apple Valley, etc.) in favor of oder, more established neighborhoods and avoid a long commute. Unfortunately, I don't think I can have it both ways.

My current commute, in traffic, is around 45 minutes. I can live with that to be in Northfield, but don't think I could endure much more.

Does anyone have a realistic idea of the commute time for this route?

[BillWallace]

I live in Rosemount so I'm quite familiar with Highway 3. I would think that it would be 40-45 minutes without traffic or weather issues. Traffic would add some during rush hour going north from downtown Rosemount until you turn off onto 149/Dodd Road. I would think you would add 5-15 minutes at rush hour peak. Once 149 goes to 2 lanes and you lose the Thomsen Rueters workers it will clear up. Obviously, weather is a big variable in Minnesota commuting and could easily double your trip in a snow event.

The other option you might consider is using I-35 instead of Highway 3 depending on exactly where you work in Eagan. That will add a little distance but since the interstate is 70mph all the way to Eagan with no lights it may be a shorter, less stressful drive. Traffic up 35E into Eagan isn't too bad in the morning (although I can't speak for whether 35 gets slow before the 35W/35E split).

[golfgal]

That is probably pretty close to accurate. We live in Rosemount and it is 25 minutes from our house to the golf course in Northfield and it is 10-15 minutes to Thomson/Rueters, depending on how you hit the lights, from here. The hard part with traveling on 3 is it is only one lane in both directions and not a lot of places to pass the inevitable driver going 40 mph. It isn't a horrible drive but don't expect to make it into work when the weather is bad.

You may want to consider Rosemount. It is a good "half-way" point, older town with a mix of older houses and newer developments. We have a community college in town but not the same vibe as Northfield by any means. Hastings would also be a place to consider. It is a little more like Northfield and it is about 20 minutes to both areas for work.

[Traipser]

Originally Posted by paholler

I am relocating back to MN (originally from the north metro) and will be working off Hwy 55 and 494 in Eagan. My wife is considering a job in Northfield and we are trying to decide where to live.

We both like Northfield for the small-town feel, college town vibe, schools, and having her close to work. Google puts the commute down MN-3 to 55 right around 45 minutes. Is this accurate?

I'd like to avoid both living in the south suburbs (Lakeville, Apple Valley, etc.) in favor of oder, more established neighborhoods and avoid a long commute. Unfortunately, I don't think I can have it both ways.

My current commute, in traffic, is around 45 minutes. I can live with that to be in Northfield, but don't think I could endure much more.

Does anyone have a realistic idea of the commute time for this route?

45 minutes sounds about right. I did the Northfield-Eagan commute (to what was then called West Publishing, on Dodd Rd/149) for two years in the late 1990s. That would take me about 40 minutes, but 3 up to 55 is slightly further than I had to go. I never encountered any traffic issues, though I worked 2nd shift hours that avoided rush hours.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by BillWallace

I live in Rosemount so I'm quite familiar with Highway 3. I would think that it would be 40-45 minutes without traffic or weather issues. Traffic would add some during rush hour going north from downtown Rosemount until you turn off onto 149/Dodd Road. I would think you would add 5-15 minutes at rush hour peak. Once 149 goes to 2 lanes and you lose the Thomsen Rueters workers it will clear up. Obviously, weather is a big variable in Minnesota commuting and could easily double your trip in a snow event.

The other option you might consider is using I-35 instead of Highway 3 depending on exactly where you work in Eagan. That will add a little distance but since the interstate is 70mph all the way to Eagan with no lights it may be a shorter, less stressful drive. Traffic up 35E into Eagan isn't too bad in the morning (although I can't speak for whether 35 gets slow before the 35W/35E split).

The problem with doing the 35 route though is getting out of Northfield. That adds close to 10 minutes to your drive if you go that route. Cedar Ave might be an option if 3 is under construction or something though but Highway 3 is your best option for that commute.

[BillWallace]

Originally Posted by golfgal

The problem with doing the 35 route though is getting out of Northfield. That adds close to 10 minutes to your drive if you go that route. Cedar Ave might be an option if 3 is under construction or something though but Highway 3 is your best option for that commute.

I use the MSN mapping tool for driving directions and drive times and it shows 35 as being longer but faster (41 minutes vs. 45 minutes). It may seem faster since you don't have to deal with towns and lights.

[mntonv]

Another option to consider is Cannon Falls, just to the east of Northfield. Then you are right on Hwy. 52, which turns into Hwy. 55. The commute to Eagan from here is about 25 minutes give or take, depending the area of Eagan. The commute to Northfield is about 20-25 minutes depending on where you live in Cannon. Hwy. 52 is a smooth and easy commute without tons of traffic. I would think much nicer than the two lane Hwy. 3.

[paholler]

Thanks for the Cannon Falls suggestion. As my wife's job is not set in stone (she is a teacher) we are going to look into Hudson and Hastings as well. (Maybe even Cannon Falls).

I still hold out hope Highland/Groveland/Mirriam will win.