U.S. Route 2 in Minnesota

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 2 in Minnesota. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 2.

U.S. Highway 2 marker

U.S. Highway 2

U.S. 2 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length: 264.07 mi[1] (424.98 km)
Existed: November 11, 1926[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: US 2 at the North Dakota state line
 

MN 220 at East Grand Forks
US 75 at Crookston
US 59 at Erskine
MN 92 at Bagley
US 71 at Bemidji
MN 371 at Cass Lake
US 169 at Grand Rapids
MN 33 at Saginaw
MN 194 at Solway Township

I-35 at Duluth
East end: US 2 at the Wisconsin state line
Location
Counties: Polk, Clearwater, Beltrami, Hubbard, Cass. Itasca, Aitkin, St. Louis
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highways
← MN 1MN 3 →

U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is a highway in northwest and northeast Minnesota, which runs from the Red River at East Grand Forks and continues east to Duluth, where the route crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay. The route connects the cities of East Grand Forks, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, and Duluth.

Of the 266 miles (428 km) of U.S. 2 in Minnesota, 146 miles (235 km) have four lanes, mostly located in the northwest part of the state.

Route description

US 2 enters the state from the west at the city of East Grand Forks, at the Red River. From the North Dakota state line to Cass Lake, US 2 is a four lane divided highway for 146 miles (235 km). This expressway portion of US 2 in northwest Minnesota passes through the cities of East Grand Forks, Crookston, Erskine, Fosston, Bagley, Bemidji, and Cass Lake.

The portion of US 2 from Bemidji to Cass Lake is officially designated the Paul Bunyan Expressway.

After Cass Lake, US 2 continues east as a two lane roadway for 40 miles to Deer River.

East of Deer River, US 2 is a four lane divided highway for seven miles (11 km) until the city of Grand Rapids, where it has a junction with US 169.

US 2 then heads southeast as a two lane roadway for 59 miles (95 km) to the unincorporated area of Saginaw, where it has an interchange with State Highway 33 (MN 33). The route then continues east for two miles to its intersection with MN 194 at Solway Township.

US 2 then continues southeast for 12 miles (19 km) before entering the city of Proctor, where it is the main street through town. The route widens to a three-lane roadway as it approaches its intersection with Boundary Avenue (County Road 14).

The route enters the city limits of Duluth, where it has a junction with Interstate 35 (I-35), US 2 joins that route's freeway. US 2 is concurrent with I-35 for two miles (3.2 km) in West Duluth, proceeding down Thompson Hill.

US 2 then exits the I-35 freeway in West Duluth and crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay, entering the state of Wisconsin and the city of Superior. US 2 then follows Belknap Street in Superior.

Legally, the Minnesota section of US 2 is defined as Constitutional Route 8 and Legislative Route 106 in the Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.114(2) and 161.115(134). The route is not marked with those numbers.

History

U.S. Highway 2 in Minnesota was authorized on November 11, 1926.[2] It followed the route of old state Trunk Highway 8 in its entirety. At the time it was marked, it was paved along a short concurrency with U.S. Route 75 north of Crookston and from its junction with then-Trunk Highway 11 (present-day U.S. 53) through Duluth. The remainder was graveled or graded, except for a section west of Bagley which was simply a maintained dirt surface.[3]

The route in Minnesota was completely paved in 1939. The last segment to be completed was between then-State Highway 94 (now Highway 194) at Solway Township and the community of Adolph.[4][5]

A few short (four-lane) divided highway segments of US 2 were constructed west of Bemidji during the 1960s.

In the present day, from East Grand Forks to Cass Lake, this route is built to expressway standards and a posted 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) speed limit. From Cass Lake to Duluth, there are only a couple of short four-lane divided highway segments, but the non-urban portions of this segment are posted 60 mph (97 km/h) speed limit.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Red River of the North0.0000.000 US 2 continues into North Dakota
PolkEast Grand Forks0.8301.336 MN 220 north – AlvaradoWest end of MN 220 concurrency
4.3937.070
US 2 Bus. west
Huntsville Township5.6259.053 MN 220 south – ClimaxEast end of MN 220 concurrency
Lowell Township23.48937.802 US 75 north – WarrenWest end of US 75 concurrency
24.36539.212 US 75 south – MoorheadEast end of US 75 concurrency
Fairfax Township28.93446.565 MN 9 south – Ada
Grove Park-Tilden Township43.03869.263 MN 32 – Fertile, Red Lake Falls
Knute Township58.19793.659 US 59 – Mahnomen, Thief River Falls
ClearwaterBagley88.349142.184 MN 92 – Zerkel, Clearbrook
BeltramiEckles Township108.149174.049 MN 89 north – Red Lake
Bemidji Township110.758–
110.827		178.248–
178.359		 MN 197 south – Bemidji
Bemidji111.905–
112.118		180.094–
180.436		 US 71 north – International FallsNorth end of US 71 concurrency
Bemidji Township115.349–
115.387		185.636–
185.697		Mississippi River
116.905188.140 US 71 south / MN 197 north – Park Rapids, BemidjiSouth end of US 71 concurrency
Hubbard
 No major junctions
CassCass Lake129.982209.186 MN 371 south – Walker
Mississippi River160.939–
160.971		259.006–
259.058
ItascaMorse Township168.032270.421 MN 46 north – Northome
Deer River169.051272.061 MN 6 north – Big FallsWest end of MN 6 concurrency
Deer Lake174.550280.911 MN 6 south – RemerEast end of MN 6 concurrency
Grand Rapids183.479295.281 MN 38 north – Bigfork, Effie
183.698295.633 US 169 south – AitkinWest end of US 169 concurrency
184.130296.329 US 169 north – HibbingEast end of US 169 concurrency
Swan River203.049326.776 MN 65 – McGregor, Nashwauk
AitkinNortheast Aitkin211.261339.992 MN 200 west – Hill City
St. LouisFloodwood220.754355.269 MN 73 north – HibbingNorth end of MN 73 concurrency
Floodwood Township221.028355.710 MN 73 south – Cromwell, Moose LakeSouth end of MN 73 concurrency
Stoney Brook Township239.099–
239.259		384.793–
385.050		Saint Louis River
Brevator Township244.837394.027 MN 33 – Cloquet, Canyon
Solway Township246.786397.164 MN 194 east – Hermantown
Duluth260.579419.361 I-35 south – St. Paul, MinneapolisWest end of I-35 concurrency
MN 23 west (Grand Ave.)
263.085423.394 I-35 north / LSCT north – DuluthEast end of I-35 concurrency
Saint Louis Bay264.089425.010Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge
US 2 continues into Wisconsin
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Weingroff, Richard F. (January 9, 2009). "From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  3. ↑ Map of Trunk Highway System, State of Minnesota (Map). Cartography by McGill-Warner Co. Minnesota Highway Department. June 1, 1927. § A6-P11. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  4. ↑ 1939 Map of Minnesota Trunk Highway System (Map). Minnesota Highway Department. May 1, 1939. § O10. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  5. ↑ 1940 Map of Minnesota Trunk Highway System (Map). Minnesota Highway Department. January 1, 1940. § O10. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

External links

Route map: Bing

U.S. Route 2
Previous state:
North Dakota		 Minnesota Next state:
Wisconsin