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Traffic heat map of St. Louis County, Minnesota: 1,962 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on I 35

St. Louis County, Minnesota Traffic Counts

Traffic analytics for St. Louis County, Minnesota, calculated from real-world mobile and sensor networks on 17,149 road segments (1,962 road miles, about 604 ft each). Its busiest road, I 35, carries 38,026 vehicles a day, 12.1 times the average road. Use the figures below to move from assumptions to certainty on retail locations, logistics and road planning.
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 St. Louis County, Minnesota

Traffic

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

vehicles per day3,134
Trucks

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

6.8%
Average travel time

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

31.7 min
Congestion ratio

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

9.8%
Drivers’ average age

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

45.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income

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

$73,385

A typical monitored road in St. Louis County, Minnesota sees 3,134 vehicles per day, while its 1,962 miles of monitored roads together handle 4,889,894 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈1.8 billion per year). About 1 in 15 vehicles is a truck, fewer than the 1 in 12 across Minnesota.

Busier roads than 86% of counties in Minnesota

St. Louis's average daily traffic volume is 8% lower than the state average - 3,134 vehicles per day against 3,404. Network-wide, St. Louis accounts for about 3.5% of Minnesota's statewide total of vehicle-miles. By volume, St. Louis's 3,134 vehicles per day outpaces 86% of counties in Minnesota.

At 31.7 minutes, the average travel time matches the state level closely. On travel time, St. Louis runs shorter than 73% of counties in Minnesota.

Congestion is somewhat lower than the state level, at a ratio of 9.8% (7% lower).

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in St. Louis County, Minnesota

Trafficvehicles per day7,203
Trucks8.3%
Average travel time33.6 min
Congestion ratio17.7%
Drivers’ average age46.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income$71,772

Travel in St. Louis County, Minnesota splits roughly evenly, with about half of it (48% of vehicle-miles) on highways. The average highway carries 7,203 vehicles per day, 177% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 2,600 vehicles per day.

Highways make up 23% of the monitored road miles (450 miles, 1,989 segments), so they carry more than their share: 2,338,636 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈854 million per year).

By highway travel volume, St. Louis outranks 92% of counties in Minnesota.

Lower highway truck share than 90% of counties in Minnesota

The concentration of trucks on highways (8.3%) is 19% lower than the state average for similar road classifications. Highways here mostly serve passenger trips, so local access matters more than long-haul routing for logistics operators.

By truck concentration, highways here trail 90% of counties in Minnesota. St. Louis's highway truck count is lower than 71% of counties in Minnesota, at roughly 598 trucks per day.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in St. Louis County, Minnesota

Trafficvehicles per day2,600
Trucks5.5%
Average travel time31.4 min
Congestion ratio8.8%
Drivers’ average age44.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income$74,600

Travel in St. Louis County, Minnesota splits roughly evenly, with about half of it (52% of vehicle-miles) on local roads. On the average non-highway road, that comes to 2,600 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 77% of the monitored road miles (1,512 miles in 15,160 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 2,551,258 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈931 million per year). About 1 in 18 vehicles on non-highway roads is a truck (5.5%).

Younger drivers than 77% of counties in Minnesota

Compared to highways, non-highway routes see 34% fewer trucks by share.

Non-highway congestion (8.8%) runs slightly lower than the state level (10% lower).

St. Louis's average driver income is lower than 59% of counties in Minnesota. The driver population here skews younger than 77% of counties in Minnesota.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 10:00 AM–12:00 PM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 79% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are somewhat quieter: volumes run about 19% below weekday levels, the usual weekend dip.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
June–August is the high season, with volumes +16% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -16% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In St. Louis County, Minnesota, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +16% in high season.

St. Louis County vs. Minnesota Traffic Comparison

St. Louis County's biggest difference from the Minnesota average is its highway truck share, 19% below it. Its truck share is also 15% below.

MetricSt. Louis CountyMinnesota averageDifference
Traffic3,1343,404-7.9%
Truck % (Total Traffic)6.8%8.1%-15.2%
Truck % (Highway)8.3%10.3%-19.1%
Avg. Travel Time31.7 min32.2 min-1.7%

How St. Louis County compares

St. Louis County moves more traffic than any nearby county

Compared with its 4 closest neighbours, St. Louis County moves 6.2 times the total daily travel and is 36.7% more congested; it has the busiest roads of the five. It is where traffic concentrates in this corner of the map - the local bottleneck, with more vehicles per road AND less room to absorb them.

St. Louis 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
St. Louis County3,1346.8%4,889,89431.7 min9.8%
Lake County, Minnesota2,2737.5%388,29339.4 min7.0%
Itasca County, Minnesota2,4297.8%1,140,66531.0 min7.1%
Koochiching County, Minnesota1,5629.2%264,02141.6 min5.6%
Carlton County, Minnesota2,3699.1%1,387,16329.0 min9.1%
Minnesota average3,4048.1%N/A32.2 min10.6%

St. Louis County ranked within Minnesota

St. Louis County sits in the top quarter of the Minnesota field on highway travel volume, at #7 of 81.

St. Louis County ranked among 87 county-level areas in Minnesota (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 81.
MeasureSt. Louis CountyMinnesota rank
Traffic volume (AADT)3,134#13 of 87
Highway vehicle-miles per day2,338,636#7 of 81
Truck share on highways8.3%#73 of 81
Highway trucks per day598#58 of 81
Average travel time31.7 min#64 of 87
Average driver income$73,385#52 of 87
Average driver age45.5 yrs#67 of 87

St. Louis County ranks #7 of 81 on highway travel volume but #73 of 81 on truck share on highways. It carries some of the heaviest highway traffic in Minnesota, but very little of it is freight - this is commuter and local car volume, not through-trucking.

Busiest roads in St. Louis County, Minnesota

The three busiest roads in St. Louis County average 33,941 vehicles a day, 10.8 times the county average of 3,134 across all its monitored roads.

I 35 leads with 38,026 vehicles a day, 2,362 of them trucks (6.2%). Blue Star Memorial Highway/34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division Highway carries the most trucks, 2,585 a day (7.1% of its traffic), although it ranks #2 for all traffic.

Drivers on Mesaba Avenue come from neighborhoods with an average household income of $49,072, 33% below the county average of $73,385.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 35Motorway · 38,026vehicles2,362trucks · 6.2%
Road class
Motorway
Median trip time
29.0 min
Drivers’ median age
46.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$69,448

I 35 carries 12.1 times the county average at its busiest, 2,362 of them trucks (6.2%, below the county-wide 6.8%).

2Blue Star Memorial Highway/34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division HighwayMotorway · 36,537vehicles2,585trucks · 7.1%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
42.8%
Median trip time
29.3 min
Drivers’ median age
45.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$70,527

Blue Star Memorial Highway/34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division Highway is one of the more congested roads here: trips take 43% longer than at free-flow speed, against 10% county-wide.

3Central EntranceTrunk road · 27,259vehicles1,406trucks · 5.2%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
42.1%
Median trip time
28.5 min
Drivers’ median age
42.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$62,410

Central Entrance carries 8.7 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 28.5 minutes.

4Mesaba AvenueTrunk road · 25,429vehicles1,582trucks · 6.2%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
38.5%
Median trip time
34.7 min
Drivers’ median age
42.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$49,072

At 8.1 times the county average, Mesaba Avenue draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $49,072 in household income.

5Central Entrance DriveSecondary road · 20,382vehicles1,049trucks · 5.2%
Road class
Secondary road
Congestion ratio
31.8%
Median trip time
31.5 min
Drivers’ median age
40.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$58,305

A main artery: Central Entrance Drive's busiest stretch carries 6.5 times the county average; trucks are 5.2% of it, below the county-wide 6.8%.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Blue Star Memorial Highway/34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division HighwayMotorway · #2 by traffic36,537vehicles2,585trucks · 7.1%
2I 35Motorway · #1 by traffic38,026vehicles2,362trucks · 6.2%
3Mesaba AvenueTrunk road · #4 by traffic25,429vehicles1,582trucks · 6.2%
4Central EntranceTrunk road · #3 by traffic27,259vehicles1,406trucks · 5.2%
5I-35 SouthMotorway · 19,134vehicles1,403trucks · 7.3%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
90.4%
Median trip time
26.5 min
Drivers’ median age
45.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$68,289

Delays build on I-35 South: its congestion ratio of 90% over free-flow time is well above the county's 10%.

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

St. LouisDepartment 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 St. Louis County

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

Need segment-level traffic data?

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