Minnesota State Highway 11 (MN 11) is a

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

in northwest and north-central

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, which runs from North Dakota Highway 66 at the

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

state line (near

Drayton, North Dakota Drayton is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 757 at the 2020 census. Drayton was founded in 1878. Geography Drayton is located at (48.561091, -97.179414). According to the United States Census Bureau, t ...

) and continues east to its eastern terminus at the community of Island View on Dove Island, near

International Falls International Falls (sometimes referred to as I-Falls) is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota. The population was 5,802 at the time of the 2020 census. International Falls is located on the Rainy River directly acro ...

. The route follows the Rainy River between Baudette and International Falls.

Route description

State Highway 11 serves as an east–west route between

Baudette Baudette is a city in, and the county seat of, Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,106, and in 2018 the population was estimated at 1,003. Baudette is known as the Walleye Capital of th ...

, Warroad,

Roseau Roseau (Dominican Creole: ''Wozo'') is the capital and largest city of Dominica, with a population of 14,725 as of 2011. It is a small and compact urban settlement, in the Saint George parish and surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, the Roseau Ri ...

, and

. The western terminus of Highway 11 is at Robbin in Teien Township, at the

state line, (near

); where Highway 11 becomes North Dakota Highway 66 upon crossing the Red River. The eastern terminus of the route is at the community of Island View at

Rainy Lake Rainy Lake ( French: '; Ojibwe: ') is a freshwater lake with a surface area of that straddles the border between the United States and Canada. The Rainy River issues from the west side of the lake and is harnessed to make hydroelectricity for ...

, east of

. The entrance to the Sha Sha Resort is at this point. The Rainy Lake Visitor Center at

Voyageurs National Park Voyageurs National Park is an American national park in northern Minnesota near the city of International Falls established in 1975. The park's name commemorates the ''voyageurs''—French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settle ...

is located 12 miles east of International Falls near Highway 11. The Visitor Center is located immediately south of the

junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film * Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film * Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002 * Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...

of Highway 11 and County Road 96. The visitor entrance is located on County Road 96. Franz Jevne State Park is located on Highway 11 in

Koochiching County Koochiching County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,062. Its county seat is International Falls. A portion of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation is in the county. A small part of Voya ...

on the Rainy River (near Birchdale), between Baudette and International Falls. Highway 11 between Warroad and

is part of the promoted route

MOM's Way MOM's Way is the name for a series of highways in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, and the U.S. state of Minnesota. The name "MOM" is an acronym for Manitoba, Ontario, and Minnesota, the two provinces and one state traversed by thi ...

History

State Highway 11 was authorized in 1920 from Donaldson east to International Falls, then south through the Iron Range to Duluth. U.S. 169 was routed along this highway from 1930 to 1934. In 1934, the north–south portion was redesignated U.S. 53, and Highway 11 was extended on the east to its current terminus east of Island View; and on the west to the Red River, to what is now

North Dakota Highway 66 North Dakota Highway 66 (ND 66) is a east–west state highway in the U.S. state of North Dakota. ND 66's western terminus is at ND 3 south of Dunseith, and the eastern terminus is a continuation as Minnesota State Highway 1 ...

. Sections of the route were still a primitive road in 1929. The last section of Highway 11 to be paved was between the North Dakota state line and U.S. 75 at Donaldson; this was paved by 1961. In response to the I-35W Bridge collapse in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

on August 1, 2007, Governor

Tim Pawlenty Timothy James Pawlenty (; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 39th governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House o ...

ordered the inspection of all Minnesota bridges. During an August 21, 2007 inspection, cracks were found in the Drayton Bridge (Highway 11 / Highway 66), which crosses the Red River between

and

Donaldson, Minnesota Donaldson is a city in Kittson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 20 at the 2020 census. U.S. Route 75 and Minnesota State Highway 11 are two of the main arterial routes in the community. History A post office called Dona ...

. The two cracks found in the structure were believed to be recent, within the previous six months. The bridge was inspected in March 2007 during which no cracks were found. The bridge is a major crossing for sugar beet trucks making their way to Drayton. The bridge was scheduled for replacement in 2009.

Major intersections

References

{{Reflist 011 Transportation in Roseau County, Minnesota Transportation in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota Transportation in Koochiching County, Minnesota Transportation in Kittson County, Minnesota