Minnesota State Highway 197 (MN 197) 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
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 its first
interchange with U.S. Highways
2 and
71 on the southeast edge of
Bemidji
Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 census. According to 2021 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,279, making it ...
and continues north and then west to its second interchange with U.S. Highways
2 and
71 on the northwest edge of Bemidji.
The route passes through the heart of the city of
Bemidji
Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 census. According to 2021 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,279, making it ...
.
Highway 197 is also known as ''Washington Avenue'', ''Bemidji Avenue'', and ''Paul Bunyan Drive'' at various points throughout its route.
Route description
Highway 197 serves as a north–south and an east–west business route through the city of Bemidji. The roadway functions essentially as a business route for U.S. Highways
2 and
71.
Highway 197 passes in between Lake Irving and
Lake Bemidji
Lake Bemidji is a small glacially-formed lake, approximately in area, in northern Minnesota in the United States. Located less than downstream from the source of the Mississippi River, it both receives and is drained by the Mississippi.
Name
L ...
on the south side of the city.
History
Highway 197 was originally numbered ''2'' and ''71'' as part of old U.S. Highways
2 and
71 through the city of Bemidji.
In the mid 1980s, the new Highway 2 / 71 four-lane bypass of Bemidji was constructed. The original route through the city was renumbered ''197'' at this time.
[
The original route through Bemidji (now 197) had been paved by the 1930s.][
197 had been marked as "Highway 197 Thru City" on both ends. In 2004, the new signs no longer read "Thru City".][
]
Major intersections
References
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