In late April we will be flying into CDG from Madrid then taking a flight out from CDG to Minneapolis. Does anyone know if we will need to change terminals and if so how and how much time involved. I realize this is a very open ended question but any help would be appreciated.
There is no way to answer that without flight numbers and more details. You can do it yourself. Go to any of the flight tracking apps and enter you flights numbers for a few days and see where the flights leave from. Generally they are fairly consistent as to terminals used. And you can check it the week prior to leaving Madrid.
Airline reservation forms and print-out itineraries often indicate the terminal. Or phone the airline. Once you have a better idea you can look at this website for transfer information and terminal maps http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-GB/Passagers/Home/
Last-minute changes are always possible so double-check the departures tv monitor when you get off the first flight.
If you are flying a budget airline such as Vueling from Madrid, you will have to claim your luggage and check in with the trans-Atlantic airline, clearly a more time-consuming process. If it is all one airline, such as Delta, your luggage will be checked through and you might be able to make the transfer in a secure area. Either way, there will be a security check at the departure lounge, possibly scanning your hand luggage.