title: Best Time to Leave to Avoid Traffic in Minneapolis
url: https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-leave-minneapolis-avoid-traffic/
type: Article
dateModified: 2026-10-05
publisher: BoardSpy
quick_answer: Quick answer: MnDOT measures the Twin Cities peaks as 5:00–10:00 a.m. and 2:00–7:00 p.m., and its express lanes run 6–10 a.m. inbound and 3–7 p.m. outbound. In MnDOT's 2025 congestion reporting, I-94 was the most congested metro freeway in both peaks — and the reason sits under Lowry Hill. The Lowry Hill Tunnel was designed for 30,000 vehicles a day and now carries around 175,000, through a 1,497-foot tunnel with a dog-leg turn, wedged between two church foundations and the Walker Art Center so that it physically cannot be widened. The best time to leave depends on your corridor and the season — BoardSpy checks your Minneapolis route and tells you when to go today.
primary_keyword: best time to leave minneapolis to avoid traffic
keywords[6]{term}:
  best time to leave minneapolis to avoid traffic
  best time to leave minneapolis
  minneapolis rush hour times
  when to leave minneapolis traffic
  lowry hill tunnel traffic
  i-94 minneapolis congestion
faqs[6]{q,a}:
  What is the best time to leave to avoid traffic in Minneapolis?,Before 6:00 a.m. or after 10:00 a.m. in the morning, and outside 3:00–7:00 p.m. in the evening — those are the hours MnDOT runs its express lanes by direction, and they track the real peak better than the wider 5–10 a.m. and 2–7 p.m. windows MnDOT uses for measurement. If your route has an express lane, leaving just after the window closes changes the road itself, since the lane reopens to everyone free of charge.
  When is Minneapolis rush hour?,MnDOT measures congestion using an AM peak of 5:00–10:00 a.m. and a PM peak of 2:00–7:00 p.m., defining congestion as traffic at 45 mph or below. Its express lanes run on the narrower 6–10 a.m. and 3–7 p.m. windows. Minnesota crash data puts the sharpest peaks at 7–9 a.m. and 3–6 p.m., with 3–4 p.m. the worst single hour.
  What is the worst road in Minneapolis?,I-94. In MnDOT's 2025 congestion reporting, I-94 experienced the most congestion of any metro freeway during both the morning and evening peaks. The Lowry Hill Tunnel is the specific constraint — 1,497 feet of three-lane roadway with a 35 mph advised dog-leg curve, built for 30,000 vehicles a day and now carrying roughly 175,000.
  Why can't the Lowry Hill Tunnel be widened?,Because of what sits on top of it. MnDOT built the tunnel so I-94 could pass beneath historic and cultural properties and local streets, and it is bounded by the footings of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral and Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church on one side and the Walker Art Center on the other. The shoulders have already been converted into running lanes to add capacity, which leaves no further room inside the structure.
  Is Minneapolis traffic worse than it was before the pandemic?,No. MnDOT reported 20% of metro freeway directional miles congested in 2025, against 24.4% in 2019. Delays have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, so a mental model formed before 2020 will overestimate current congestion — while understating how concentrated the remaining delay is on I-94.
  How do I find the best time to leave for my Minneapolis commute?,Use a leave-time commute app that reads your actual route rather than only a live map. BoardSpy recommends when to leave for your Minneapolis route, sends pre-departure traffic and weather alerts, and tracks on-time performance and your best and worst traffic days. Download it here.
citations[4]{name,url}:
  MnDOT congestion measures,https://www.dot.state.mn.us/measures/congestion.html
  MnDOT historic bridges: Lowry Hill Tunnel,https://www.dot.state.mn.us/historicbridges/27832.html
  MnDOT MnPASS express lanes,https://www.dot.state.mn.us/ezpassmn/expresslanes.html
  MnDOT winter maintenance report,https://www.dot.state.mn.us/maintenance/pdf/2020-winter-maintenance-report.pdf
internal_links[7]{label,url}:
  departure time calculator,https://boardspy.site/tools/when-to-leave/
  how weather affects traffic,https://boardspy.site/blog/does-rain-make-traffic-worse/
  the worst day of the week varies by city too,https://boardspy.site/blog/how-much-time-traffic-adds-to-commute/
  the best time to leave Chicago,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-leave-chicago-avoid-traffic/
  it checks your saved Minneapolis route before you leave,https://boardspy.site/apps/
  best app to avoid traffic,https://boardspy.site/compare/best-app-to-avoid-traffic/
  Google Maps commute alternatives,https://boardspy.site/compare/google-maps-commute-alternative-app/