Driving in MN: How Much You Drive and What It’s Now Costing You

Ever wonder how much time—and money—Minnesotans spend behind the wheel each year? From daily commutes to heading up north to the cabin, the miles add up fast…and so does the cost.

Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but it's also the land of over 7.23 million vehicles, both private and commercial, that are currently licensed to drive on the roads, highways, and interstates here in the Bold North, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Seeing as prices have been increasing lately, Minnesotans are holding onto our vehicles longer and longer these days. So, it's not a surprise to learn that the average vehicle age here in the Gopher State and across the country has increased again and is now at a record 12.6 years old, according to new data from S&P Global Mobility.

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But just how much do we drive all those vehicles-- and what is it costing the average Minnesotan? Those are the questions the crew over at iSeeCars set out to answer in a new survey. iSeeCars analyzed the odometer readings from over 1 million 3-year-old used cars sold from November 2024 to April 2025.

And they found that the average 3-year-old vehicle in Minnesota is driven 12,176 miles per year. That's a tiny bit under the national average of 12,307 miles per year. But just what do all those miles cost us every year?

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To find out, iSeeCars noted that, for gasoline-powered vehicles, the average 3-year-old vehicle costs $43,378. When you divide that cost by the 12,176 average miles we drive in Minnesota, you get an average cost of just over $3.55 a mile.

Meanwhile, as of 2023, the average Minnesotan spent approximately $1,576 per year on gasoline and other energy goods, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. And, as of 2025, the average Minnesotan pays approximately $2,524 per year for full coverage auto insurance, Axios reported.

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