U.S. Route 12 in Minnesota

U.S. Highway 12

Highway 12 highlighted in red.
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length: 192.798 mi[2] (310.278 km)
Existed: November 11, 1926[1] – present
Major junctions
West end: U.S. 12 at the Minnesota — South Dakota state line
  U.S. 75 / MN 7 at Ortonville
MN 9 / MN 29 at Benson
U.S. 71 / MN 23 at Willmar
MN 22 / MN 24 at Litchfield
MN 15 at Dassel
MN 25 at Montrose
I-394 / I-494 at Minnetonka
I-94 / I-35W at Minneapolis
I-494 / I-694 at Woodbury
MN 95 at Lakeland
East end: I-94/U.S. 12 at the St. Croix River,
the Minnesota — Wisconsin state line
Location
Counties: Big Stone, Swift, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Wright, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

Minnesota Trunk Highways
Interstate • U.S. • State
Inter-County • County roads • Legislative routes

← MN 11 MN 13 →

U.S. Route 12 is a highway in west-central and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the South Dakota state line at Ortonville near Big Stone Lake and continues east to the St. Croix River at the Wisconsin state line. U.S. 12 in Minnesota is 192 miles (309 km) in length. The route connects the cities of Ortonville, Benson, Willmar, Litchfield, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul.

Contents

Route description

From the South Dakota / Minnesota state line at Ortonville, to Orono in the Twin Cities area, U.S. 12 is mostly a rural two-lane highway with a 55 MPH posted speed limit, with slower speed limits through towns and a four-lane surface arterial segment through the city of Willmar.

From Orono to Wayzata, U.S. 12 is a two-lane freeway/super-2 bypass around Long Lake.

From western Wayzata to Interstate 394 in Minnetonka, U.S. 12 is a six-lane freeway. East of Interstate 494, U.S. 12 is invisibly concurrent with Interstates 394 and 94 through Minneapolis and Saint Paul to the Minnesota / Wisconsin state line at Hudson.

U.S. 12 is invisibly concurrent with Interstate 94 in Ramsey and Washington counties.

Legally, the Minnesota section of U.S. 12 is defined as unmarked Constitutional / Legislative Routes 149, 26, and 10 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.115(80) and 161.114(2). U.S. 12 is not marked with these legislative numbers along the actual highway.

History

U.S. Highway 12 was established on November 11, 1926.[1]

In 1929, the only sections paved were between Litchfield and Willmar; and between Wayzata through the Twin Cities to Wisconsin.[3]

The entire route was paved by 1940.[3]

From 2006 to 2008, the Highway 12 two-lane freeway bypass was constructed through Orono and Long Lake. The new bypass ties into the existing Highway 12 freeway at the western edge of Wayzata.


Major intersections

County Location Mile[2] Destinations Notes
South Dakota-Minnesota state line 0.000 US 12
Big Stone
 Ortonville 0.821 MN 7 North end of MN 7 concurrency
0.950 MN 7 South end of MN 7 concurrency
1.350 US 75  
Swift
 Shible Township 21.097 MN 119  
Moyer Township 27.088 US 59  
Benson 42.633 MN 29 South end of MN 29 concurrency
42.860 MN 29
MN 9		 North end of MN 29 concurrency
West end of MN 9 concurrency
42.930 MN 9 East end of MN 9 concurrency
Kandiyohi
 Willmar 72.618 MN 40  
Kandiyohi Township 75.696-75.793 US 71 / MN 23  
Meeker
 Grove City 91.650 MN 4 West end of MN 4 concurrency
Swede Grove Township 92.261 MN 4 East end of MN 4 concurrency
Litchfield Township 98.757 MN 22 North end of MN 22 concurrency
99.945 MN 24  
Litchfield 100.777 MN 22 South end of MN 22 concurrency
Dassel Township 111.360 MN 15  
Wright
 Montrose 132.095 MN 25 West end of MN 25 concurrency
Rockford Township 134.152 MN 25 East end of MN 25 concurrency
Hennepin
 Wayzata 180.158 CR 101
(old MN 101)		  
Minnetonka 157.014 I-494, I-394 West end of I-394 concurrency, exit 1A
Minneapolis 165.654 I-94 East end of I-394 concurrency,
West end of I-94 concurrency
Unmarked concurrency with I-94 to Wisconsin state line
St. Croix River
 192.997 Interstate Bridge, I-94 / US 12 at the Minnesota-Wisconsin state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
     Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

References

  1. ^ a b Weingroff, Richard F. (January 9, 2009). "From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System". Federal Highway Administration. http://wwwcf.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm. Retrieved September 25, 2010. 
  2. ^ a b "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadway/data/reports/logpoint/statelpt.pdf. Retrieved December 22, 2011. 
  3. ^ a b Riner, Steve. "Details of routes 1-25". The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Self-published. http://www.steve-riner.com/mnhighways/r1-25.htm#12. Retrieved September 27, 2010. 
U.S. Route 12
Previous state:
South Dakota		 Minnesota Next state:
Wisconsin