Buffalo, MN Commute: Real Drive Times to Maple Grove, Plymouth and Minneapolis

The first question relocating buyers ask me about Buffalo is almost never about the house. It's "How bad is the drive?"

Fair question. Buffalo sits about 42 miles northwest of downtown Minneapolis, according to the City of Buffalo. That number alone scares some people off. It shouldn't decide anything by itself, because where you work and when you drive matter far more than the mileage.

Here's what the commute actually looks like.

The main routes out of Buffalo

Hwy 55 east is the main line toward the Twin Cities. It runs through Rockford and Greenfield, then into Medina and Plymouth, where it meets I-494. From there you can reach most of the west and northwest suburbs, or keep going toward downtown.

Hwy 25 north takes you toward Monticello and I-94. That's the route for anyone commuting toward St. Cloud or heading up I-94 toward the northern suburbs.

Which one you use depends on where you're going, not where you live in Buffalo.

What the drive is actually like

Before I moved to Rockford in 2008, I lived in Eden Prairie, and I worked at Buffalo High School. It was about 45 mins and it was better to stick to the main interstate than to take the back roads. Winter could be rough, and back then I would often show up to school to find out it was canceled as the tech was not there yet to tell me unless WCCO was announcing it.

Anyway, it is going to be worse going in than coming in, in the AM. 55 is more or less a 1-lane highway, so that easily impacts your ride in or out of the town.

A few things I tell every buyer:

• The first stretch is the easy part. Traffic usually builds closer to the metro, not in Wright County.
• Winter adds time. Plan for slower mornings from December through February, and for the first real snow of the year, when everyone relearns how to drive.
• Hybrid changes the math. Two or three office days a week feels very different from five. If you're hybrid, the extra house or lot you get in Buffalo often outweighs the drive.

Test the drive before you buy

This is the most useful thing you can do, and most people skip it. Before you write an offer, drive from that house to your office at the time you'd actually leave. Then drive home at 5:00. If you can, do it on a weekday in bad weather.

A house you tour on a Saturday afternoon can hide a Monday commute that runs much longer than you assumed. That's a hard thing to learn after closing.

Buffalo vs. closer-in towns

If the drive is the dealbreaker, compare Buffalo against towns closer to your work. Rockford sits a few miles east on Hwy 55. Delano runs along US-12, a more direct line to the western suburbs and downtown. I break that comparison down in Buffalo vs. Delano.

Closer doesn't always mean pricier. Over the 12 months through August 2026, Buffalo's median sale price was $369,000, Rockford's was $365,000, and Delano's was $435,000, per NorthstarMLS. Set your commute limit and your budget, and let those two numbers narrow the list.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Buffalo, MN from Minneapolis? About 42 miles northwest of downtown Minneapolis, according to the City of Buffalo.

What highway goes from Buffalo to Minneapolis? MN Hwy 55 runs east from Buffalo through Rockford and Plymouth toward Minneapolis.

How long is the commute from Buffalo to Maple Grove?  It depends on which part of Maple Grove you're heading to 35-45 mins.

Can you commute from Buffalo to St. Cloud? Yes. Hwy 25 north connects to I-94 toward St. Cloud.

Is Buffalo, MN considered part of the Twin Cities metro? Buffalo is in Wright County, which is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.

Know your drive before you pick your town

The wrong commute wears on you every single day, and it's one thing you can't renovate later. My guide, Where to Live West of Minneapolis Without Guessing, lays out the west metro towns side by side. You'll see how neighborhoods compare, where locals shop and spend weekends, and how to check schools for a specific address. 

Sources: City of Buffalo: distance to Minneapolis · Hwy 55 route through Rockford, Medina, Plymouth · Buffalo on Buffalo Lake, Hwy 25 and 55 · NorthstarMLS via your Sept 2026 update