Interstate 90 in Minnesota

This article is about the section of Interstate 90 in Minnesota. For the entire route, see Interstate 90.

Interstate 90 marker

Interstate 90

Interstate 90 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Mn/DOT
Length: 275.70 mi[1] (443.70 km)
Major junctions
West end: I-90 at the South Dakota state line
  MN 23 near Beaver Creek
US 75 at Luverne
US 59 / MN 60 at Worthington
US 71 at Jackson
US 169 at Blue Earth
I-35 near Albert Lea
US 218 at Austin
US 63 at Stewartville
US 52 near Rochester
US 14 / US 61 near La Crescent
East end: I-90 at the Wisconsin state line
Location
Counties: Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Martin, Faribault, Freeborn, Mower, Olmsted, Winona
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highways
MN 89MN 91

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 90 traverses the southern side of the state, parallel to the Minnesota-Iowa state line. The route connects the cities of Rochester, Worthington, Albert Lea, and Austin. The city of Winona is also in close proximity to I-90, with about 10 miles away separating the interstate and the city.

Interstate 90 in Minnesota is 276 miles (444 km) in length. The route crosses the far southern parts of the state.

Route description

Interstate 90 enters the state from South Dakota near Beaver Creek. This part of Minnesota has flat to gently rolling terrain and is the beginnings of corn belt farmland. The flat terrain is often subject to blowing and drifting snow in colder months, and the western portions of the highway are closed multiple times each winter.

Rock County, where I-90 enters Minnesota, is one of the only counties in the state lacking a natural lake. The change from semi-arid to a wetter climate happens slowly moving eastbound on I-90 through southern Minnesota. The route passes through the cities of Luverne, Adrian, Worthington, Jackson, Fairmont, and Blue Earth. I-90 has a junction with I-35 at Albert Lea.

East of the city of Austin, I-90 changes direction slightly and heads towards Rochester, and the route enters a much more hilly landscape. This is the driftless area of southeast Minnesota. Unlike the rest of the state, where the most recent glaciations left terrain that is either flat or rolling under a deposit of glacial till, this area escaped the most recent glaciation. The bedrock to the top of the I-90 road cuts is noticeable at this point. The other notable feature of this area are deep, steep valleys cut by water that poured through this area as the ice cap melted.

The I-90 Bridge between La Crosse, Wisconsin and Dresbach, Minnesota

I-90 drops into the scenic Mississippi River valley just west of Dresbach. The I-90 freeway lanes split apart as you drop down, then rejoin west of the junction with U.S. Highway 61. I-90 then parallels the Mississippi River before turning east and crossing into Wisconsin.

I-90 is atypical in that just across the Minnesota / Wisconsin state line, (immediately west of the community of Dakota) the median is wide enough that farms exist between the road beds.[2]

Legally, the Minnesota section of Interstate 90 is defined as unmarked Legislative Route 391 in the Minnesota Statutes. Interstate 90 is not marked with this legislative number along the actual highway.

History

Interstate 90 in Minnesota was authorized as part of the original interstate network in 1956. The first section of I-90 in Minnesota constructed was the bypass of Austin in 1961.[3] The wayside rest area near Blue Earth, Minnesota, is where the east-building I-90 and west-building I-90 teams linked up in 1978, thus completing construction in Minnesota and joining the 3,099.07 miles of the interstate.[4] Plaques dedicating the pavement completion and describing the significance of this segment are on display at the rest area.

I-90 in Minnesota closely follows the route of old U.S. Highway 16 over most of its route except from just east of Austin, where I-90 turns toward Rochester and is constructed on a new alignment not previously covered by a highway. The section of I-90 east of Rochester was constructed just south of U.S. Highway 14 and south of the city of Winona.

I-90 served as a replacement for old U.S. 16 between the South Dakota state line and I-90's interchange with present day State Highway 16 at Dexter.

Future

A replacement of the I-90 Mississippi River Bridge near La Crescent is under construction. The new bridge is expected to be completed by 2015.

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[5]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Rock 0.0000.000 I-90 westContinuation into South Dakota
 1.0571.7011 MN 23 / CSAH 17 Jasper, PipestoneAlso leads to Manley one mile (1.6 km) to the south
Beaver Creek3.8956.2683 CSAH 4 Beaver CreekEastbound exit and westbound entrance
5.0748.1665 CSAH 6 Beaver Creek, Hills
Luverne12.47920.08312 US 75 Luverne, Rock RapidsAlso access to Pipestone
Magnolia18.48329.74618 CSAH 3 Magnolia, Kanaranzi
NoblesAdrian26.62042.84126 MN 91 Adrian, Lake Wilson
Rushmore33.70754.24633 CSAH 13 Rushmore, Wilmont
Worthington42.25568.00342 I-90 Bus. east / CSAH 25 Worthington, Wilmont
43.73970.39143 US 59 Worthington, Slayton
45.14872.65945 I-90 Bus. west / MN 60 Worthington, WindomAlso access to Mankato, Sioux City, Twin Cities
 47.79676.92047 CSAH 53Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
NoblesJackson
county line
 50.73881.65550 MN 264 / CSAH 1 Brewster, Round Lake
Jackson 57.72892.90457 CSAH 9 Heron Lake, Okabena
 64.767104.23264 MN 86 Lakefield, Spirit Lake
Jackson73.813118.79173 US 71 Jackson, Windom, Spirit Lake
Alpha80.083128.88180 CSAH 29 Alpha
MartinSherburn87.309140.51087 MN 4 Sherburn, St. James, Trimont, Estherville
Welcome93.675150.75593 MN 263 / CSAH 27 Welcome, Ceylon
Fairmont99.807160.62499 I-90 Bus. east / CSAH 39 Fairmont
102.053164.238102 I-90 Bus. west / MN 15 Fairmont, Madelia, Truman, ArmstrongAlso access to Mankato, Twin Cities
Granada107.202172.525107 CSAH 53 Granada, East ChainRoad from exit into Granada was formerly MN 262
FaribaultGuckeen113.272182.294113 CSAH 1 – Guckeen, Huntley
Blue Earth119.909192.975119 US 169 Blue Earth, Mankato, Winnebago, Elmore
 128.538206.862128 MN 254 south / CSAH 17 Easton, Frost
 134.546216.531134 MN 253 south / CSAH 21 Minnesota Lake, Bricelyn
 138.630223.103138 MN 22 Wells, Kiester
FreebornAlden146.292235.434146 MN 109 / CSAH 6 Alden, Mankato
Albert Lea154.739249.028154 MN 13 Albert Lea, Waseca
157.826253.996157 CSAH 22 Albert Lea
159.740257.077159 I-35 Albert Lea, Des Moines, Minneapolis, St. PaulSigned as exits 159A (south) and 159B (north); I-35 exits 13A-B
Hayward163.705263.458163 CSAH 26 Hayward
Oakland166.321267.668166 CSAH 46 (Oakland Road) – Petran, Oakland
MowerAustin175.488282.421175 I-90 Bus. east / MN 105 / CSAH 46 / Oakland Avenue Austin
177.188285.156177 US 218 north / 14th Street NW Austin, OwatonnaWest end of US 218 overlap
177.872286.257178A4th Street NW Austin
178.506287.278178B6th Street NE Austin
179.148288.31117911th Drive NE Austin
179.741289.265180A I-90 Bus. west / Oakland Place AustinWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
180.024289.721180B US 218 south / 21st Street Northeast AustinEast end of US 218 overlap
180.500290.48718128th Street NE  Austin
 183.562295.414183 MN 56 Brownsdale, Rose Creek
 187.338301.491187 CSAH 20
 189.584305.106189 CSAH 13 Elkton
Dexter193.048310.681193 MN 16 Dexter, Grand Meadow, Spring Valley, Preston
Olmsted 205.054330.002205 CSAH 6
Stewartville209.270336.787209 US 63 / MN 30 Stewartville, RochesterSigned as exits 209A (south/east) and 209B (north/west)
Rochester217.620350.225218 US 52 Chatfield, RochesterAlso access to Twin Cities
Eyota223.606359.859224 MN 42 north / CSAH 7 Eyota
Dover228.572367.851229 CSAH 10 Dover
WinonaSt. Charles232.291373.836233 MN 74 St. Charles, Chatfield
 242.061389.559242 CSAH 29 Lewiston
 249.103400.892249 MN 43 south RushfordWest end of MN 43 overlap
Winona252.059405.650252 MN 43 north WinonaEast end of MN 43 overlap
 257.692414.715257 MN 76 south Houston
Nodine266.017428.113267 CSAH 12 Nodine
 270.288434.986270 US 14 west / US 61 north WinonaWestbound access to US 14 west/US 61 north; west end of US 14 / US 61 overlap; no eastbound exit (use exit 271)
Dakota271.232436.506271 To US 14 west / US 61 north DakotaEastbound access to US 14 west/US 61 north; no westbound entrance (that is at exit 270)
Dresbach272.663438.809273ADresbachEastbound exit and westbound entrance (westbound exit and eastbound entrance are at exit 273B)
272.681438.838273BDresbachNo westbound entrance
La Crescent275.243442.961276 US 14 east / US 61 south La Crescent, La CrosseEast end of US 14 / US 61 overlap
Mississippi River275.701443.698I-90 Mississippi River Bridge
La Crosse  I-90 eastContinuation into Wisconsin
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 90 in Minnesota.

*Steve Riner Details of Routes 76 to 100. Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Accessed January 12, 2009.

  1. "Route Log- Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  2. Google (June 8, 2009). "Interstate 90 in Minnesota" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  3. "Construction Project Log Record" (pdf). Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  4. "MINNESOTA HIGHWAYS" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  5. Minnesota Department of Transportation (August 14, 2014). "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
Interstate 90
Previous state:
South Dakota
Minnesota Next state:
Wisconsin
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