Minnesota State Highway 23 (MN 23) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
that stretches from southwestern to northeastern
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 ...
. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after
MN 1.
This route, signed east–west, runs roughly diagonally across Minnesota from southwest to northeast. It indirectly connects
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
to
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...
, and passes through the cities of
St. Cloud,
Willmar, and
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
.
MN 23 runs north from its interchange with
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
(I-90), east of Sioux Falls and then continues north and east across Minnesota to its terminus at its interchange with
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
in Duluth.
Route description
MN 23 directly serves
Pipestone,
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
,
Granite Falls,
Willmar,
Paynesville,
Cold Spring,
St. Cloud,
Foley,
Milaca
Milaca ( ) is a city and the county seat of Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. The population was 2,946 at the time of the 2010 census. It is situated on the Rum River.
History
A post office has been in operation at Milaca since 1883. The name Mila ...
,
Mora
Mora may refer to:
People
* Mora (surname)
Places Sweden
* Mora, Säter, Sweden
* Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality
* Mora Municipality, Sweden
United States
* Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community
* Mora, Minnesota, a city
* M ...
,
Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England. It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in the administrative county of Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughbor ...
,
Sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
, and
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
.
Portions of MN 23 that have been upgraded to a four-lane
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
include approximately in the Marshall area in addition to longer stretches between Willmar and New London, and between Richmond and Waite Park (St. Cloud). For a majority of the Willmar area, Highway 23 runs
concurrently with
U.S. Highway 71
U.S. Route 71 or U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) is a major north–south United States highway that extends for over 1500 miles (2500 km) in the central United States. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstat ...
(US 71), which includes a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
bypass of the city. MN 23 crosses the
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River ( dak, Mnísota Wakpá) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa.
It ris ...
at
Granite Falls, and the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
in
St. Cloud, over the
Granite City Crossing bridge.
Running over surface streets in certain towns, Highway 23 is also known as:
*Division Street in
St. Cloud
*4th Street in downtown
Milaca
Milaca ( ) is a city and the county seat of Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. The population was 2,946 at the time of the 2010 census. It is situated on the Rum River.
History
A post office has been in operation at Milaca since 1883. The name Mila ...
*Forest Avenue East in
Mora
Mora may refer to:
People
* Mora (surname)
Places Sweden
* Mora, Säter, Sweden
* Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality
* Mora Municipality, Sweden
United States
* Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community
* Mora, Minnesota, a city
* M ...
, between
MN 65 and Oslin Road
*Grand Avenue in
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
; the section of Grand Avenue that is marked MN 23 is from 59th Avenue West and
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
(in
West Duluth West Duluth refers to an official neighborhood district in the west–central part of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.
Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, Cody Street, and Interstate Highway 35 are four of the main routes in West Duluth.
Other main ...
) to Idaho Street (in the Morgan Park neighborhood)
*Commonwealth Avenue in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood of the city of Duluth
*Evergreen Memorial Highway in the Fond du Lac neighborhood of the city of Duluth
Parks and monuments
The highway serves:
*
Split Rock Creek State Park in
Pipestone County at
Ihlen
*
Pipestone National Monument
Pipestone National Monument is located in southwestern Minnesota, just north of the city of Pipestone, Minnesota. It is located along the highways of U.S. Route 75, Minnesota State Highway 23 and Minnesota State Highway 30. The quarries are sac ...
*
Camden State Park
Camden State Park is a List of Minnesota state parks, state park on the Redwood River in southwestern Minnesota near Marshall, Minnesota, Marshall. It is used for picnics, camping, hiking, and other outdoor recreation.
The park, originally known ...
in
Lyon County on the banks of the
Redwood River
The Redwood River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the drainage basin, watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of in an agricultural r ...
*
Banning State Park
Banning State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, stretched along of the Kettle River near Sandstone in Pine County. The centerpiece of the park is of churning rapids, some up to Class IV. The daring kayakers and canoeists who shoot ...
in
Pine County on the banks of the
Kettle River
Evergreen Memorial Scenic Drive
About of MN 23 that travel through
Pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...
,
Carlton
Carlton may refer to:
People
* Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname
* Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy
* Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
, and
Saint Louis counties is officially designated the ''Veterans Evergreen Memorial Scenic Drive''. This portion is between
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
near
Askov
Askov is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 364 at the 2010 census.
Minnesota State Highway 23 serves as a main route in the community, and Interstate 35 is nearby.
History
The village was originally within ...
and the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood of
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
, near
State Highway 39. The scenic roadway offers views of Banning State Park, the
Saint Louis River valley, and nearby
Jay Cooke State Park
Jay Cooke State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, protecting the lower reaches of the Saint Louis River. The park is located about southwest of Duluth and is one of the ten most visited state parks in Minnesota. The western ...
.
The 2005 Minnesota Legislature officially designated the MN 23 Bridge over the
Saint Louis River at
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
(
Fond du Lac neighborhood) as the Biauswah Bridge.
On June 28, 2008, this bridge was dedicated as such in honor of American Indian veterans.
Segment in Wisconsin
MN 23 has the rare distinction of being a state highway that passes through another state. At 133rd Avenue West, along the southern edge of
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
, MN 23 crosses the
Saint Louis River into
Douglas County, Wisconsin
Douglas County is a county located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,295 Its county seat is Superior. Douglas County is included in the Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistica ...
, in the
Town of Superior, for before re-entering Minnesota. On some maps, this section is designated "WISC-23", despite there being
another Highway 23 in southern Wisconsin. There is no signage, however, along the highway that indicates the brief route across state lines. Nearby is the junction between MN 23 and
MN 210 and
Jay Cooke State Park
Jay Cooke State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, protecting the lower reaches of the Saint Louis River. The park is located about southwest of Duluth and is one of the ten most visited state parks in Minnesota. The western ...
.
History
MN 23 was authorized November 2, 1920, from
Paynesville to
Mission Creek
Mission Creek (from Spanish: ''misión'') is a river in San Francisco, California. Once navigable from the Mission Bay inland to the vicinity of Mission Dolores, where several smaller creeks converged to form it, Mission Creek has long since bee ...
, south of
Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England. It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in the administrative county of Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughbor ...
.
By 1933, the highway was paved between Roscoe and Cold Spring and from St. Cloud to Mission Creek.
It was extended west to
Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
and east to Duluth in 1934.
Various sections of the highway were paved from the 1930s through the 1950s; the entire length was paved by 1961.
The section of present-day MN 23 from its southern terminus to Marshall was originally designated MN 39 until 1940. The section between Marshall and
Willmar was originally designated MN 17 until 1940. The MN 23 designation originally extended west from
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
*New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
** ...
to
Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
along the modern
MN 9; which was also MN 17 from around 1940 to the 1960s. MN 23 originally ran through
Sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
proper to just west of
Askov
Askov is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 364 at the 2010 census.
Minnesota State Highway 23 serves as a main route in the community, and Interstate 35 is nearby.
History
The village was originally within ...
along the route that later became
MN 123; this was redesignated 1946.
From 1934 to 1963, the northern terminus for MN 23 was its junction with old
US 61 and
US 2 in
West Duluth West Duluth refers to an official neighborhood district in the west–central part of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.
Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, Cody Street, and Interstate Highway 35 are four of the main routes in West Duluth.
Other main ...
. From 1963 to 1997, MN 23 continued farther into Duluth proper as a business route using several local arteries including Michigan Street, West 1st Street, East 2nd Street, East 3rd Street, and East Superior Street. The former northern terminus for MN 23 during this time period was at the intersection of US 61 (now MN 61) and 60th Avenue East in Duluth. In 1997, the official northern terminus changed to its junction with
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
at Grand Avenue in Duluth.
After completion of the
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
freeway, the state maintained MN 23 through
Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England. It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in the administrative county of Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughbor ...
and Sandstone; now MN 23 is
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with I-35 from Hinckley to Sandstone.
The four-lane US 71 / MN 23
bypass of Willmar was proposed in the 1960s. However a financial crisis in the early 1980s led to the northbound lanes being unpaved, and the bypass had been scaled down to a two-lane facility by the time it opened in 1985. Construction in 2001 completed the bypass to its original four-lane design.
The MN 23 expressway from
Spicer to
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
*New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
** ...
, and the expressway from
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
to
Waite Park
Waite Park is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 8,341 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Waite Park was incorporated in 1893. The city was named for He ...
(
St. Cloud), were both completed by 2005.
In February 2008, a
bus crash occurred on MN 23 near
Cottonwood when a school bus carrying 28 students from Lakeview Public Schools was struck by a driver who ran through a stop sign which caused the bus to fall onto a pickup killing four students and injuring 17 others.
The
DeSoto Bridge
DeSoto Bridge was a trussed deck-arch bridge that spanned the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It was built in 1958 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The bridge was painted black, which is typical for railroad bridges but ...
across the Mississippi River in St. Cloud was closed on March 20, 2008, after bent gusset plates were found in an inspection; similar to gusset plates that caused the
I-35W Bridge 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 ...
to collapse on August 1, 2007. The DeSoto Bridge was demolished in October 2008; with a new replacement bridge, the
Granite City Crossing, completed October 29, 2009.
The Paynesville Bypass project began on April 26, 2010. The project consists of constructing a four-lane bypass around Paynesville, running from Kandiyohi County Road 6 to Stearns County Road 123. The project was completed in July 2012. The length of the new bypass is . The project includes grading, construction of eight bridges, surfacing and lighting. The 2010 cost of the bypass is $32.2 million.
Another project expanded MN 23 to four lanes from St. Cloud eastward to
Foley, which began July 1, 2011, and finished sometime in late 2012. This project expanded an segment of the highway. While this section is technically part of the St. Cloud-to-I-35 portion of the corridor (and thus has less overall priority), the increase in traffic along this particular stretch still necessitates and warrants expansion, as there have been major safety and mobility issues the last couple decades due to growth in the St. Cloud area.
Future
MnDOT has designated MN 23 as a medium-priority Interregional Corridor along the majority of its length. As such, there are long-range plans to expand significant portions of the highway from two to four lanes. The ultimate vision for MN 23 is a four-lane expressway running from its interchange with
I-90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
in the southwest corner of Minnesota northeastward to its interchange with
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
near
Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England. It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in the administrative county of Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughbor ...
, although severe funding shortages are currently limiting expansion to certain segments.
Currently, the section of highway that has the highest overall priority for expansion is the corridor between Willmar and St. Cloud. This is due in part to the corridor carrying a heavy volume of traffic (higher than what a standard two-lane highway is designed to safely carry), plus a subsequently higher-than-average accident rate. In addition, southwest Minnesota lacks four-lane access to both the Twin Cities (
Minneapolis – Saint Paul
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 ...
) and the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
, and a MN 23 expressway from Willmar (which is the largest municipality in southwest Minnesota) to St. Cloud would greatly alleviate both these issues.
The "Gaps" project is a multi-stage project to widen MN 23 to four lanes in the two remaining two-lane sections between Willmar and St. Cloud. The North Gap started expansion in May 2022, and is expected to complete in November 2023. The South Gap is planned to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2024.
Major intersections
See also
*
Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System
The Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System is the state highway system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin, including Wisconsin's segments of the Interstate Highway System and the United States Numbered Highway System, in addition to its other state tru ...
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
MN 23 at The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page
023
Transportation in Wisconsin
Transportation in Rock County, Minnesota
Transportation in Pipestone County, Minnesota
Transportation in Lyon County, Minnesota
Transportation in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota
Transportation in Chippewa County, Minnesota
Transportation in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
Transportation in Stearns County, Minnesota
Transportation in Benton County, Minnesota
Transportation in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota
Transportation in Kanabec County, Minnesota
Transportation in Pine County, Minnesota
Transportation in Carlton County, Minnesota
Transportation in Douglas County, Wisconsin
Transportation in St. Louis County, Minnesota