Minnesota State Highway 60

Trunk Highway 60 (MN 60) is a 221.532-mile-long (356.521 km) highway in southern Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 60 at the Iowa state line (at Bigelow) and continues east-northeast to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line (at Wabasha), where the route becomes Wisconsin Highway 25 upon crossing the Mississippi River.

Trunk Highway 60 marker
Trunk Highway 60
Map
MN 60 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length221.532 mi[2] (356.521 km)
Existed1934[1]–present
Major junctions
West end Iowa 60 near Bigelow
Major intersections
East end WIS 25 near Nelson, WI
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesNobles, Jackson, Cottonwood, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Nicollet,
Le Sueur, Waseca, Rice, Goodhue, Wabasha
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
US 59 US 61

Highway 60 is the only state highway in Minnesota which runs from one border to another. The route runs in a general southwest-to-northeast direction.

Its western half forms a large portion of the four-lane expressway connecting Sioux City and the Twin Cities.

Route description

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State Highway 60 serves as an east–west marked route in southern Minnesota between Worthington, Windom, St. James, Mankato, Faribault, Zumbrota, and Wabasha.

Highway 60 runs concurrently with U.S. Highway 59 south of and into Worthington; with U.S. Highway 71 in Windom; with State Highway 4 and State Highway 30 near St. James; with State Highway 15 near Madelia; and with U.S. Highway 169 in the Mankato area.

In North Mankato, Highway 60 moves from a concurrency with U.S. 169 to another one with U.S. Highway 14, continuing east on a four lane expressway until just past Eagle Lake, where the route leaves U.S. 14 and continues briefly north to Madison Lake then northeast towards the city of Faribault. Highway 60 is a two lane highway at this point and for most of the rest of its way to Faribault and Wabasha. The route has a junction with Interstate 35 in Faribault.

From Faribault, Highway 60 continues east towards Zumbrota, where it intersects U.S. Highway 52. The route briefly runs concurrently with U.S. 52 around Zumbrota on a four lane expressway. Highway 60 then leaves U.S. 52 and continues east-northeast towards Wabasha. The route has junction with U.S. Highway 63 in Zumbro Falls and a junction with U.S. Highway 61 in Wabasha. Highway 60 crosses the Mississippi River at Wabasha on the Wabasha-Nelson Bridge. The route becomes Wisconsin Highway 25 upon crossing the river into Wisconsin.

History

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State Highway 60 was formed in 1934 by connecting three Minnesota constitutional route segments together. This formed a nearly border-to-border state highway, with its original termini at current U.S. 59 in Worthington and U.S. 61 at Wabasha. The route was extended to the Iowa state line in 1937, and was authorized onto the bridge to Wisconsin in 1943. The last gravel segment on this route was paved by 1960. Expressway segments were completed from St. James to Lake Crystal in 1980, from Worthington to Windom in 2003, from Bigelow to Worthington in 2013, from Butterfield to St. James in 2014, and from Mountain Lake to Butterfield in 2015. The final four-lane expansion from Windom to Mountain Lake was completed in 2018.[3]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[2]kmDestinationsNotes
NoblesBigelow Township0.0000.000 
 
 
 
Iowa 60 south / CSAH 2 west – Sioux City
Continuation into Iowa
4.6597.498 
 
US 59 south – Cherokee
Western end of US 59 concurrency
Worthington10.70717.231  CSAH 35 (Kragness Avenue)Formerly US 16 east
11.24918.104 
 
 
 
 
 
US 59 north (Oxford Street west) / CSAH 33 east / I-90 BL west
Eastern end of US 59 concurrency; western end of I-90 BL concurrency; formerly US 16 west
12.097–
12.120
19.468–
19.505
  I-90 – Albert Lea, Sioux FallsInterchange; I-90 exit 45; eastern end of I-90 BL
JacksonDelafield Township36.29058.403 
 
MN 86 south (450th Avenue) – Lakefield
CottonwoodWindom40.02264.409 
 
US 71 south – Jackson
Western end of US 71 concurrency
40.55465.265 
 
MN 62 west (6th Street) – Fulda
41.50566.796 
 
US 71 north
Eastern end of US 71 concurrency
WatonwanSt. James Township65.594105.563 
 
  
 
MN 4 south / CSAH 57 / Bus. MN 60 east – St. James, Sherburn
Western end of MN 4 concurrency; western end of expressway section
St. James68.105109.604 
 
 
 
 
 
MN 4 north / MN 30 west / Bus. MN 60 west – St. James
Eastern end of MN 4 concurrency, western end of MN 30 concurrency
Rosendale Township69.844112.403  CSAH 12 – St. JamesEastern end of expressway section
Fieldon Township77.789125.189 
 
 
 
MN 15 south / MN 30 east – Fairmont
Eastern end of MN 30 concurrency, western end of MN 15 concurrency; interchange
Madelia81.780–
81.826
131.612–
131.686
  CSAH 9 – MadeliaWestern end of expressway section
83.043133.645 
 
CSAH 3 west – Madelia
83.468134.329  MN 15 – New UlmEastern end of MN 15 concurrency; eastern end of expressway section
Blue EarthGarden City93.667150.742 
 
  CSAH 20 south / CSAH 6 – Industrial park
Partial interchange; westbound exit and entrance; eastbound access via 510th Avenue
South Bend Township99.183159.620 
 
US 169 south – Blue Earth
Western end of US 169 concurrency
100.863–
100.921
162.323–
162.417
 
 
CSAH 90 east
Partial interchange; entrances and eastbound exit; westbound exit via at-grade left turn
102.095164.306 
 
MN 68 west / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway – New Ulm, Campground
Mankato103.494166.557Frontage RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance; western end of expressway section
104.378167.980Riverfront DriveFormer MN 66
NicolletNorth Mankato104.356167.945Lookout Drive, Center StreetCenter Street not signed westbound
105.005168.989North Mankato, Mankato, DowntownEastern end of expressway section
North MankatoMankato line107.096172.354 
 
 
 
US 14 west / US 169 north – New Ulm, Minneapolis
Eastern end of US 169 concurrency, western end of US 14 concurrency; interchange; western end of freeway section
Blue EarthMankato108.228174.176  CSAH 5 (3rd Avenue) / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway
108.836175.155Riverfront Drive
109.881–
109.913
176.836–
176.888
  CSAH 3 (Victory Drive)
110.846178.389  MN 22 – Mankato
113.713183.003  CSAH 12Eastern end of freeway section
Le Ray Township117.454189.024 
 
US 14 east – Waseca
Eastern end of US 14 concurrency
Waseca
No major junctions
Le SueurWaterville134.590216.602  MN 13 – New Prague, Waseca
RiceWarsaw Township145.834234.697  
 
 
CSAH 17 / I-35 Alt. south
Western end of Alt. I-35 concurrency
Faribault148.856239.561  I-35 – Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Albert LeaI-35 exit 56
149.828241.125 
 
   
 
 
MN 21 north (Lyndale Avenue) / I-35 BL / CSAH 48 / I-35 Alt. north – Saint Paul, Owatonna
Eastern end of Alt. I-35 concurrency
148.965239.736Central AvenueFormerly MN 3; previously US 65 / MN 218
151.659244.072 
 
 
 
MN 299 north (6th Avenue NE) / MN 298 south (6th Avenue SE) – Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, Minnesota State Academy for the Blind
GoodhueKenyon165.464266.288 
 
  MN 56 south / CSAH 12 – Dodge Center
Western end of MN 56 concurrency
166.018267.180 
 
MN 56 north – Hampton
Eastern end of MN 56 concurrency
Wanamingo175.922283.119  MN 57 – Wanamingo, Mantorville
Zumbrota181.266291.719 
 
US 52 north – Cannon Falls
Western end of US 52 concurrency; interchange; western end of freeway section
182.655293.955 
 
  MN 58 north / CSAH 10 – Zumbrota, Red Wing
183.703295.641 
 
US 52 south – Rochester
Eastern end of US 52 concurrency; interchange; eastern end of freeway section
WabashaZumbro Falls196.051315.514  US 63 – Lake City, Rochester
Wabasha220.051354.138   US 61 / Great River Road – Lake City, Winona
Mississippi River221.532356.521Michael Duane Clickner Memorial Bridge
 
 
WIS 25 north – Nelson
Continuation into Wisconsin
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ Riner, Steve. "Details of Routes 51-75". The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Retrieved 2006-12-16.[self-published source]
  2. ^ a b Minnesota Department of Transportation (May 10, 2016). "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  3. ^ Fischenich, Mark. "After lifetimes of work, Hwy 60 is complete". Mankato Free Press. Retrieved 2023-01-29.