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Traffic heat map of Cook County, Minnesota: 86 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on MN 61 and Ski Hill Road

Cook County, Minnesota Traffic Counts

Our Cook County, Minnesota traffic data covers 1,397 road segments over 86 road miles, with an average segment of just 326 ft. The average road here carries 2,219 vehicles a day, 35% less than the Minnesota average of 3,404. Whether you are evaluating a new retail location, planning routes or assessing infrastructure, these numbers replace guesswork.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Cook County, Minnesota

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day2,219
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

7.9%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

32.2 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

6.0%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

56.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$71,181

A typical monitored road in Cook County, Minnesota sees 2,219 vehicles per day, while its 86 miles of monitored roads together handle 159,009 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈58.0 million per year). Trucks are 7.9% of traffic, close to the 8.1% across Minnesota.

Congestion 43% below the Minnesota average

Cook's average daily traffic volume is 35% lower than the state average - 2,219 vehicles per day against 3,404 - suggesting less traffic load per road - less drive-by exposure for retail, but easier access for deliveries. In total volume terms, its road network carries about 0.1% of Minnesota's statewide total of vehicle-miles. By volume, Cook's 2,219 vehicles per day outpaces 67% of counties in Minnesota.

At 32.2 minutes, the average travel time matches the state level closely. Its average travel time of 32.2 minutes is shorter than 66% of counties in Minnesota.

The congestion ratio of 6.0% is 43% lower, pointing to smoother traffic flow than the state level - travel times are easy to plan around for scheduled deliveries.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Cook County, Minnesota

Trafficvehicles per day2,826
Trucks8.3%
Average travel time37.5 min
Congestion ratio7.0%
Drivers’ average age56.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income$72,311

Highways carry most of the traffic in Cook County, Minnesota: 77% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 2,826 vehicles per day, 196% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 955 vehicles per day.

With 55% of the road miles (48 miles in 944 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 122,738 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈44.8 million per year).

Fewer highway trucks than 95% of counties in Minnesota

At 8.3%, highway truck share is 19% lower than the state average. Highways here mostly serve passenger trips, so local access matters more than long-haul routing for logistics operators.

89% of counties in Minnesota see a higher highway truck share than Cook's 8.3%. By raw truck volume, Cook carries fewer highway trucks than 95% of counties in Minnesota.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Cook County, Minnesota

Trafficvehicles per day955
Trucks6.6%
Average travel time21.3 min
Congestion ratio4.0%
Drivers’ average age57.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$68,993

Local roads carry a smaller share of travel in Cook County, Minnesota, 23% of vehicle-miles; most driving happens on highways. The average non-highway road carries 955 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 45% of the monitored road miles (39 miles in 453 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 36,271 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈13.2 million per year). Trucks make up 6.6% of non-highway traffic, about 1 in 15 vehicles.

Older drivers than 99% of counties in Minnesota

Compared to highways, non-highway routes see 21% fewer trucks by share.

At 59% lower than the state level, the non-highway congestion ratio of 4.0% signals easier movement on local roads.

Cook's average driver income is lower than 72% of counties in Minnesota. The driver population here skews older than 99% of counties in Minnesota.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Cook County, Minnesota, traffic has a sharp commute peak, with the busiest hour carrying about 10% of the day's traffic.

Cook County vs. Minnesota Traffic Comparison

Of the four measures, average daily traffic per road differs most: Cook County runs 35% below the Minnesota average. Its highway truck share is also 19% below.

MetricCook CountyMinnesota averageDifference
Traffic2,2193,404-34.8%
Truck % (Total Traffic)7.9%8.1%-1.6%
Truck % (Highway)8.3%10.3%-18.7%
Avg. Travel Time32.2 min32.2 min-0.1%

How Cook County compares

Cook County moves the least traffic of its nearby counties

Set against the average of the 4 areas nearest to it, Cook County moves 11.1% of the total daily travel; it has the third busiest roads of the five. The same kind of road, just less of it: traffic per road matches the areas around it while the network itself is smaller.

Cook County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the Minnesota average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Cook County2,2197.9%159,00932.2 min6.0%
Lake County, Minnesota2,2737.5%388,29339.4 min7.0%
St. Louis County, Minnesota3,1346.8%4,889,89431.7 min9.8%
Ontonagon County, Michigan1,22912.2%206,89038.1 min3.7%
Ashland County, Wisconsin2,04211.5%265,36434.9 min6.0%
Minnesota average3,4048.1%N/A32.2 min10.6%

Cook County ranked within Minnesota

Cook County sits in Minnesota's top three on average driver age.

Cook County ranked among 87 county-level areas in Minnesota (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 81.
MeasureCook CountyMinnesota rank
Traffic volume (AADT)2,219#29 of 87
Highway vehicle-miles per day122,738#65 of 81
Truck share on highways8.3%#72 of 81
Highway trucks per day236#77 of 81
Average travel time32.2 min#57 of 87
Average driver income$71,181#63 of 87
Average driver age56.2 yrs#2 of 87

The two ends of this table sit far apart: #2 of 87 on average driver age, against #77 of 81 on highway truck volume.

Busiest roads in Cook County, Minnesota

Traffic concentrates on a few corridors: the three busiest roads average 2,542 vehicles a day, against 2,219 on the average road in Cook County.

MN 61 leads with 3,818 vehicles a day, 305 of them trucks (8.0%). That is 2.0 times the next road, Ski Hill Road (1,914). It tops the truck ranking too, with the most trucks.

Trips on Ski Hill Road are short, a median of 17.9 minutes against 32.2 county-wide, so it serves mostly local traffic.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1MN 61Trunk road · 3,818vehicles305trucks · 8.0%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
44.2 min
Drivers’ median age
55.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$77,912

MN 61 carries 72% more than the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 44.2 minutes.

2Ski Hill RoadSecondary road · 1,914vehicles134trucks · 7.0%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
17.9 min
Drivers’ median age
57.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$83,677

Even at its busiest, Ski Hill Road carries 14% less than the county average; trucks are 7.0% of it, below the county-wide 7.9%.

35th StreetTertiary road · 1,893vehicles88trucks · 4.6%
Road class
Tertiary road
Congestion ratio
4.5%
Median trip time
25.0 min
Drivers’ median age
56.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$70,098

5th Street is a quieter road: its busiest stretch carries 15% less than the county average; trucks are 4.6% of it, below the county-wide 7.9%.

4Gunflint TrailPrimary road · 1,346vehicles105trucks · 7.8%
Road class
Primary road
Congestion ratio
5.0%
Median trip time
18.9 min
Drivers’ median age
57.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,475

Gunflint Trail is a local road at heart: the median trip using it lasts 18.9 minutes, against 32.2 for the county.

58th StreetPrimary road · 1,172vehicles90trucks · 7.7%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
20.6 min
Drivers’ median age
56.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,996

Trips on 8th Street are short, a median 20.6 minutes against 32.2 county-wide, so it mostly serves local errands and commutes.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1MN 61Trunk road · #1 by traffic3,818vehicles305trucks · 8.0%
2Ski Hill RoadSecondary road · #2 by traffic1,914vehicles134trucks · 7.0%
3Gunflint TrailPrimary road · #4 by traffic1,346vehicles105trucks · 7.8%
48th StreetPrimary road · #5 by traffic1,172vehicles90trucks · 7.7%
55th StreetTertiary road · #3 by traffic1,893vehicles88trucks · 4.6%
How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

CookDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Cook County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Cook County, Minnesota.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.