Transportation at Carleton

This Mother’s Day, my Mom came to Northfield to visit for the weekend. It was a really fun end to a hectic week, which meant that, unfortunately, I didn’t get too much work done.

We took to the Twin Cities for dining and entertainment. We watched Sinners (2025), which was fantastic, as well as participating in “puppy yoga” (which, yes, is exactly what it sounds like).

If all of this sounds fun to you, but you’re worried that you won’t be able to experience the fruits of the city whilst stuck on campus, fret not—there are a bunch of ways to get from Carleton to the Twin Cities, the airport, St. Olaf, or generally around the Northfield area.

Hiawathaland Transit

This will be your go-to for getting around Northfield on a chilly January day. The bus makes regular stops at all the places you might want—Target, Family Fare, Saint Olaf, City Hall, the YMCA, etc. When I lost my bike in the winter term (truly a tragedy) and couldn’t make the two-mile ride to Target, Hithawaland buses were there to provide much-needed support. They operate on weekdays from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, so you should be able to squeeze in a trip once you get out of class.

Northfield Lines

If small-town vibes get overwhelming, Northfield Lines are the way to get into the Twin Cities without a car (or driver’s license… I should really get that at some point!). They can drop you at the University of Minnesota, the Mall of America, or the airport for 35 dollars, and they offer additional buses at the beginning and end of Carleton terms so it’s easy to catch your flight home. Each ride is about an hour long, so it’s also a great opportunity to catch up on some homework, or even just stare out the window and contemplate life.

Zipcar

This one’s for all the responsible folks who got their driver’s license during high school (not me): Zipcar. If you have a membership, you can book a car by the hour or day. They’re parked in the Skinner Chapel lot, and there are usually enough so that at any given time one will be available for use. For students, the membership is about 35 dollars per year—so if you didn’t bring a car to campus, it can be a great option if you’re often out and about.

Biking

In the fall and late spring, biking on campus is sort of a transcendental experience: the sun is shining, you hear the birds chirping, you see the flowers blooming, you greet people as you zoom by, and you think, “can life really get much better than this?” Well, it’s a different story in the winter. But we’re not here to dwell on the negatives. Biking is a great way to get around campus quickly (if you have one, you can get up 2 minutes before class starts instead of 5!), as well as trips to the movie theater and Target when the weather is nice.

This is a short list of some of the transportation options on Carleton’s campus. However, I’m always open to new suggestions of unique ways to get around—e.g. Segways, monoskis, monster trucks, hoverboards, and ziplines.

Inigo (he/him/his) is trying very hard to turn interests in subjects like film, english, and psychology into a manageable course load. Originally from Somerville, Massachusetts, he can often be found running in the Cowling Arboretum (and getting passed by everyone on the cross country team) or rock climbing at the bouldering cave in the evening. He loves Carleton’s walkability: it didn’t even matter that he forgot to bring his bike to campus. He considers bad horror movies to be the ultimate form of entertainment.