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U.S. Highway 61 - Modern Route Data

General Information

Extent in Minnesota: From the Wisconsin State Line at the Mississippi River between La Crosse and La Crescent, to the national northern terminus at the junction with I-35 in Wyoming.

Length (in Minnesota): 165.213 miles - As of Aug 26, 2008.

Legal Authorization

Constitutional Route 1: From the north corporate limits of St. Paul to the northern terminus at the jct. with I-35 in Wyoming.
Constitutional Route 3: From the Wisconsin State Line to the south corporate limits of St. Paul.
Legislative Route 102: In St. Paul, from the west jct. with State Hwy. 5 at E 7th St and Mounds Blvd, to the north city limits.
Legislative Route 104: In St. Paul, from the south corporate limits to the jct. with I-94 (the current control section guide gives the legal route number of this stretch as Constitutional Route 3, probably an error).
Legislative Route 108: On Mounds Boulevard in St. Paul.
Legislative Route 391: Duplex with I-90 in Winona County.
Legislative Route 392: Duplex with I-94 in St. Paul.

Divided Sections (with lengths, from south to north):

From the Wisconsin State Line, to just north of the junction with County Road 10 in Wabasha - Aprox. 61 miles.
On the north side of Lake City, from the Wabasha / Goodhue County Line to just north of Central Point Road - 0.78 miles.
On the east side of Red Wing, from the State Training School to Potter Street - 1.76 miles.
From Red Wing (at Cedar Street), to just west of the junction with State Hwy. 316 in Welch Township, Goodhue County - Aprox. 13.4 miles.
Vermillion Street in Hastings, from just north of 36th Street to 3rd Street (at the Hastings High Bridge) - Aprox. 2.3 miles.
From the Hastings High Bridge (north end) to East 7th Street in St. Paul (State Hwy. 5) - 19.65 miles.
From Nebraska Avenue in St. Paul to Taylor Avenue in White Bear Township - 9.15 miles.
On the south side of Forest Lake, from just south of the junction with State Hwy. 97, to just north of 4th Ave SW / South Shore Drive - Aprox. 2 miles.
On the north side of Forest Lake, from 3rd Ave NW to just north of the junction with U.S. 8 at Forest Lake - 0.78 miles.

Total Divided Length: Aprox. 110.8 miles (about 67% of the route).

Traffic Counts (2007 MnDOT data)

Highest Traffic Count: 129,000 - Duplex with I-94 in St. Paul.
Highest Traffic Count (Non Interstate): 41,000 - in St. Paul between I-94 and Warner Road.
Lowest Traffic Count: 3700 - In Douglas and Marshan Townships, Dakota County. Between the junction with State Highway 50 and 198th Street south of Hastings.

Designations and Classifications

Great River Road (National Scenic Byway)

From Warner Road in St. Paul to the junction with I-494 in Newport.
From the south junction with U.S. 10, to the north junction with State Hwy. 316 in Hastings.
From the south junction with State Hwy. 316 in Welch Township, Goodhue County to the junction with State Highway 16 in La Crescent.

Other Marked Highway Names

(From Minnesota Statutes, 2008: 161.14 NAMES AND DESIGNATIONS OF CERTAIN HIGHWAYS)

Disabled American Veterans Highway - From the Wisconsin State Line to the south corporate limits of St. Paul (this is currently marked).
Hiawatha Pioneer Trail: From the Wisconsin State Line to the west junction with I-94 in St. Paul (I have only seen one marker for this route at the south junction with U.S. 10 north of Hastings).
Voyageur Highway - From the junction with State Hwy. 16 in La Crescent to the west junction with I-94 in St. Paul (this highway is no longer marked along U.S. 61).
American Veterans Memorial Highway - On the duplex with I-90 in Winona County.
State Trooper Theodore "Ted" Foss Memorial Highway - On the duplex with I-90 in Winona County.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway - From U.S. 63 in Lake City to State Hwy. 60 in Wabasha.
Blue Star Highway - On the duplex with I-94 in St. Paul.
Purple Heart Trail - On the duplex with I-94 in St. Paul.

National Highway System

From the Wisconsin State Line to the south junction with State Hwy. 316 in Welch Township, Goodhue County.
From the north junction with State Hwy. 316 in Hastings to the west junction with I-94 at Mounds Boulevard in St. Paul.

Functional Classifications

For an explanation of the Functional Classification System, click here.

Principal Arterials

Wisconsin State Line to the south junction with State Hwy. 316 in Welch Township, Goodhue County.
Intersection with Canon Street on the South side of Hastings to the west junction with I-94 at Mounds Boulevard in St. Paul.

Minor Arterials:

South junction with State Hwy. 316 in Welch Township, Goodhue County to the intersection with Canon Street on the south side of Hastings.
From the west junction with I-94 in St. Paul at Mounds Boulevard to the northern terminus at I-35 at Wyoming.

Interregional Corridors

For an explanation of the Interregional Corridor System, click here.

High Priority Interregional Corridors

Duplex with I-90 in Winona County.

Medium Priority Interregional Corridors

North junction with I-90 to the junction with State Hwy. 43 in Winona.
Junction with State Hwy. 58 in Red Wing to the junction with State Hwy. 50 in Douglas Township, Dakota County.

Regional Corridors

Junction with State Hwy. 43 in Winona to the junction with State Hwy. 58 in Red Wing.
From the north junction with State Hwy. 316 in Hastings to I-494 in Newport.

Statewide Roads:

From the Wisconsin State Line to the south junction with I-90 north of La Crescent.
From the junction with State Hwy. 50 in Douglas Township, Dakota County, to the north junction with State Hwy. 316 in Hastings.
From the junction with I-494 in Newport to the northern terminus at I-35 in Wyoming.

Junctions

Junction List

Junctions are listed from north to south.

Route	Junction Location	To
	Wyoming	Northbound: Duluth. Southbound: Twin Cities.
	Forest Lake	Westbound: I-35. Eastbound: Taylor's Falls.
	Forest Lake (Short Duplex)	Westbound: I-35. Eastbound: MN 95 at the St. Croix River
	White Bear Lake	Eastbound: Stillwater.
	Vadnais Heights	Westbound: New Brighton, Fridley, Brooklyn Center. Eastbound: Oakdale.
	Maplewood	Westbound: Roseville. Eastbound: Stillwater.
	St. Paul (Short Duplex)	Westbound: Downtown St. Paul. Eastbound: Stillwater.
	St. Paul (Short Duplex with I-94 and U.S. 12, junction with U.S. 12 not marked. North Junction with U.S. 10)	(I-94 and U.S. 12 only) - Westbound: Downtown St. Paul, Minneapolis. Eastbound: Hudson, Wisconsin. (U.S. 10 only) - Westbound: Anoka, St. Cloud.
	Newport	Westbound: South St. Paul. Eastbound: Woodbury.
	Cottage Grove	Northbound: Afton, Stillwater.
	Denmark Township, Washington County (South Junction).	Eastbound: Prescott, Wisconsin.
	Hastings	Westbound: Minneapolis.
	Hastings	Eastbound: Minnesota Veterans' Home.
	Hastings (North Junction)	Southbound: Red Wing.
	Douglas Township, Dakota County	Westbound: Hampton / U.S. 52
	Welch Township, Goodhue County (South Junction).	Northbound: Hastings.
	Red Wing	Westbound: Canon Falls.
	Red Wing (North Junction with U.S. 63)	U.S. 63 - Northbound: Ellsworth, Wisconsin. MN 58 - Southbound: Zumbrota.
	Red Wing (Two junctions, one at each end of Hwy. 292's short route).	State Boys' Training School.
	Lake City (South Junction).	Southbound: Rochester.
	Wabasha	Westbound: Zumbro Falls, Zumbrota. Eastbound: Wabasha, Nelson, Wisconsin.
	Kellogg	Southbound: Plainview, Eyota.
	Weaver	Southbound: Whitewater State Park, Elba, St. Charles.
	Minnesota City	Westbound: Rollingstone, Altura.
	Winona (North Junction).	Westbound: Stockton, Lewiston, St. Charles, Rochester.
	Winona	Northbound: Downtown Winona, Wisconsin. Southbound: Rushford.
	Dakota / Dresbach, Winona County (Short Duplex).	Westbound: Rochester. Eastbound: La Crosse.
	La Crescent	Westbound: Hokah, Houston, Rushford.

Concurrences

Routes that share the road with U.S. 61.

Route	Length	Location
	0.32 miles.	On the south side of Forest Lake.
	0.59 miles.	On the east side of St. Paul, on E 7th Street between Mounds Boulevard and Arcade Street.
	1.127 miles	On the east side of St. Paul.
	1.127 miles	On the east side of St. Paul (U.S. 12 is not marked on this duplex).
	16.49 miles.	From the Mounds Boulevard interchange in St. Paul, to Denmark Township in southern Washington County, just north of Hastings.
	16.807 miles.	Between Red Wing and Lake City.
	29.395 miles (in Minnesota).	Between Winona and the Wisconsin State Line (the duplex continues to Readstown, Wisconsin).
	4.671 miles.	In the Dakota / Dresbach area, southeastern Winona County.
	1.744 miles	From La Crescent to the Wisconsin State Line.

Multiple Concurrences

Locations where U.S. 61 shares the highway with multiple routes.

Routes	Length	Location
	1.127 miles.	On the east side of St. Paul (U.S. 12 is not marked on this stretch of I-94).
	4.671 miles.	In the Dakota / Dresbach area, southeastern Winona County.
	1.744 miles	From La Crescent to the Wisconsin State Line.

Places Visited

Cities are listed from south to north by county. Populations are 2005 estimates taken from the Minnesota Official Highway Map. Unincorporated places are in italics, with estimated populations taken from MnDOT county maps. County seats are underlined.

Houston County

La Crescent (5,148)

Winona County

Dresbach (180)
Dakota (328)
Donehower (40)
La Moille (40)
Homer (150)
Winona (27,295)
Goodview (3,297)
Minnesota City (223)
Whitman (20)

Wabasha County

Minneiska (105)
Weaver (70)
Kellogg (468)
Wabasha (2,649)
Reads Landing (250)
Camp Lacupolis (80)
Maple Springs (30)
Lake City (5,314)

Goodhue County

Frontenac Station (270)
Wacouta (80)
Red Wing (16,358)

Dakota County

Miesville (171)
Hastings (21,489)

Washington County (South)

Cottage Grove (33,179)
St. Paul Park (5,246)
Newport (3,738)

Ramsey County

St. Paul (287,385)
Maplewood (36,279)
Vadnais Heights (13,241)
Gem Lake (468)
White Bear Lake (24,927)