U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is a

United States Numbered Highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

in northwest and northeast

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, which runs from the Red River at East Grand Forks and continues east to

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

, where the route crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay. The route connects the cities of East Grand Forks,

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 2022 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,946, makin ...

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, and

. Of the of US 2 in Minnesota, have four lanes, mostly located in the northwest part of the state.

Route description

US 2 enters the state from the west at the city of East Grand Forks, at the Red River. From the

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

state line to Crookston, US 2 is a four-lane divided highway built to expressway standards for . Upon entering Crookston, US 2 follows the city streets of North Main, North Broadway, and East Robert streets. Once US 2 leaves Crookston, it becomes a four-lane divided highway built to expressway standards for . This expressway portion of US 2 in northwest Minnesota passes through the cities of

Mentor Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...

, Erskine, Fosston, Bagley, and the west of

. After the Minnesota State Highway 197 (MN 197) interchange, US 2 becomes a four-lane

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 ...

for as it bypasses Bemidji. US 71 joins the freeway after and runs concurrently with US 2 for . The freeway crosses the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

after . The freeway ends at an at-grade junction with Animal Land Drive south of Bemidji. US 2 continues as a four-lane divided highway built to expressway standards for to Cass Lake. The portion of US 2 from Bemidji to Cass Lake is officially designated the Paul Bunyan Expressway. After Cass Lake, US 2 continues east as a two-lane roadway for to Deer River. East of Deer River, US 2 is a four-lane divided highway for until the city of

, where it has a junction with US 169. US 2 then heads southeasterly as a two-lane roadway for to the unincorporated area of

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of ...

, where it has an interchange with MN 33. The route then continues east for to its intersection with MN 194 at Solway Township. US 2 then continues southeasterly for before entering the city of

Proctor Proctor (a variant of ''wikt:procurator, procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts: # In law, a proctor is a historica ...

, where it is the main street through town. The route widens to a three-lane roadway as it approaches its intersection with Boundary Avenue ( County Road 14 R 14. The route enters the city limits of

, where it has a junction with Interstate 35 (I-35), US 2 joins that route's freeway. US 2 runs concurrently with I-35 for 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 ...

, proceeding down Thompson Hill. US 2 then exits the I-35 freeway in West Duluth and crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay, entering the state of

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

and the city of

Superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places * Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lak ...

. US 2 then follows Belknap Street in Superior. Legally, the Minnesota section of US 2 is defined as Constitutional Route 8 and

Legislative Route In the United States, a legislative route (LR) or legislative highway is a highway defined by law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise d ...

106 in the Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.114(2) and 161.115(134). The route is not marked with those numbers.

History

US 2 in Minnesota was authorized on November 11, 1926. It followed the route of old state Trunk Highway 8 in its entirety. At the time it was marked, it was paved along a short concurrency with US 75 north of Crookston and from its junction with then-Trunk Highway 11 (present-day US 53) through

. The remainder was graveled or graded, except for a section west of Bagley which was simply a maintained dirt surface. The route in Minnesota was completely paved in 1939. The last segment to be completed was between then-State Highway 94 (now MN 194) at Solway Township and the community of Adolph. A few short (four-lane) divided highway segments of US 2 were constructed west of

during the 1960s. In the present day, from East Grand Forks to Cass Lake, this route is built to expressway standards and a posted speed limit. The highway from Bemidji to Cass Lake was designated the Paul Bunyan Expressway in 1991. That designation originally extended down MN 371 to Little Falls, but that section was repealed in 2005. From Cass Lake to Duluth, there are only a couple of short four-lane divided highway segments, but the nonurban portions of this segment are a posted speed limit.

Major intersections

References

External links

Highway 2 at the Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=2, state=Minnesota, statebefore=North Dakota, stateafter=Wisconsin 02 Minnesota Transportation in Polk County, Minnesota Transportation in St. Louis County, Minnesota Transportation in Aitkin County, Minnesota Transportation in Itasca County, Minnesota Transportation in Cass County, Minnesota Transportation in Beltrami County, Minnesota Transportation in Clearwater County, Minnesota Transportation in Hubbard County, Minnesota

002 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 OO2, the minor planet 7499 L'Aquila *1990 OO2, the asteroid 9175 Graun Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *''002 Operazione Luna'' ...