New to the area-commuting from Hastings, MN (Minneapolis, St. Paul: teaching jobs, live)

[Brookeworm]

Hello everyone,

My family recently moved to the area, and I am looking for teaching jobs. I am from Illinois, so I am not completely new to winter, however the extreme cold and snow are a bit daunting. I would like to accept a job about 20-25 miles away(in the Lakeland area). I am wondering if this is too far to commute in the winter, what roads are like between Hastings and Lakeland and really any helpful hints about commuting in the metro area in winter or any season really would be so appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[StPaulGal]

"Too far to commute" depends entirely on your comfort level and your need for the job.

I commute approximately 12 miles, St. Paul to Golden Valley. It usually takes me about 20 minutes door to door, but during one particularly terrible snowstorm last winter it took me 2 hours to drive home. I certainly don't think 12 miles is too far, but that day sure sucked!

If I needed a job, I would deal with a 25 mile commute if necessary. But I would try to find something physically closer if possible.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by StPaulGal

"Too far to commute" depends entirely on your comfort level and your need for the job.

I commute approximately 12 miles, St. Paul to Golden Valley. It usually takes me about 20 minutes door to door, but during one particularly terrible snowstorm last winter it took me 2 hours to drive home. I certainly don't think 12 miles is too far, but that day sure sucked!

If I needed a job, I would deal with a 25 mile commute if necessary. But I would try to find something physically closer if possible.

I'm sort of curious about your route to/from work, since that seems awfully short, especially with going through both St. Paul and Minneapolis. I'm in Minneapolis near pretty much all the major highways and it would take me at least 20 minutes to get to most of Golden Valley, if not more.



As for the OP, I doubt that would be a particularly congested route, but your options are certainly limited. The reasonable route I see is to take 95/Manning Avenue, which is really a two-lane country road with a high speed limit. The issue there is that--at least last winter--there were plenty of snow drifts or snow walls near the road due to all of the wind-swept land surrounding it. In icy conditions or if there's an accident, you wouldn't have many other great routes.

If you are already in Hastings and you're looking for a job, I don't see why you would necessarily turn this one down (unless you think you have a lot of other closer offers coming up). It's more to be aware.

[Grizzly Addams]

Hastings to Lakeland will be an easy commute. 95 should get plowed fairly regularly.

[StPaulGal]

Originally Posted by xandrex

I'm sort of curious about your route to/from work, since that seems awfully short, especially with going through both St. Paul and Minneapolis. I'm in Minneapolis near pretty much all the major highways and it would take me at least 20 minutes to get to most of Golden Valley, if not more.

I don't want to take this thread too far off track, but I also don't want to ignore your question. I live a bit north of Randolph near Cretin and I work at the intersection of 394 and Xenia, so I take Cretin to 94 to 394. If I started half a mile west or ended half a mile south, it would be a Minneapolis-St. Louis Park commute. I also start and end later than average, so that helps a bit, although even when I have to be in the office earlier it rarely adds more than 5 minutes to my total time.