Minnesota State Highway 11 (MN 11) is a 209.971-mile-long (337.916 km) highway in northwest and north-central Minnesota, which runs from North Dakota Highway 66 at the North Dakota state line (near Drayton, North Dakota) and continues east to its eastern terminus at the community of Island View on Dove Island, near International Falls.

Trunk Highway 11 marker
Trunk Highway 11
Map
MN 11 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length209.971 mi[1] (337.916 km)
Existed1920–present
Major junctions
West end ND 66 at the Red River in Robbin
Major intersections
East endSha Sha Resort at Dove Island
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesKittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Koochiching
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
US 10 US 12

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

Route description

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State Highway 11 serves as an east–west route between International Falls, Baudette, Warroad, Roseau, and Drayton, North Dakota.

The western terminus of Highway 11 is at Robbin in Teien Township, at the North Dakota state line, (near Drayton, North Dakota); 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, east of International Falls. The entrance to the Sha Sha Resort is at this point.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center at Voyageurs National Park is located 12 miles east of International Falls near Highway 11. The Visitor Center is located immediately south of the junction 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 on the Rainy River (near Birchdale), between Baudette and International Falls.[2]

Highway 11 between Warroad and Baudette is part of the promoted route MOM's Way.[3]

History

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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.[4]

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.[4]

In response to the I-35W Bridge collapse in Minneapolis on August 1, 2007, Governor Tim Pawlenty 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 Drayton, North Dakota and Donaldson, Minnesota. 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.[5]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Red River of the North0.0000.000 
 
ND 66 west
Continuation into North Dakota
MinnesotaNorth Dakota line
KittsonTeien Township1.9093.072 
 
MN 220 south – MN 1, East Grand Forks
Northern terminus of MN 220
Donaldson11.53718.567  US 75 – Warren, Hallock
Karlstad28.86846.459  US 59 / Waters of the Dancing Sky Scenic Byway west – Canada, Thief River Falls
RoseauGreenbush48.23177.620 
 
MN 32 south – Strathcona
Northern terminus of MN 32
Ross Township63.582102.325 
 
MN 308 north – Canada
Southern terminus of MN 308
64.577103.927 
 
MN 89 north – Canada
Western end of MN 89 concurrency
Roseau70.679113.747 
 
 
 
MN 89 south / MN 310 north – Bemidji, Northwest Angle
Eastern end of MN 89 concurrency; southern terminus of MN 310
Warroad91.670147.529 
 
MN 313 north – Canada
Lake of the WoodsBaudette Township128.197206.313 
 
MN 172 north – Wheeler's Point
Baudette129.170207.879 
 
MN 72 north – Rainy River
West end of MN 72 concurrency
130.864210.605 
 
MN 72 south – Kelliher, Blackduck
East end of MN 72 concurrency
KoochichingPelland186.822300.661 
 
US 71 south – Bemidji
West end of US 71 concurrency
Rainy Lake193.730311.778  CSAH 332Formerly MN 332
International Falls197.991318.636 
 
US 71 north (3rd Street east)
East end of US 71 concurrency
198.056318.740 
 
US 53 south (3rd Avenue West south)
West end of US 53 concurrency
198.125318.851 
 
US 53 north – Canada
East end of US 53 concurrency
198.500319.455  CSAH 332Formerly MN 332
Dove Island210.109338.138Sha Sha ResortEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ a b "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  2. ^ "Franz Jevne State Park - Minnesota DNR". www.dnr.state.mn.us.
  3. ^ MOM's Way tourism website - Link Archived August 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b Riner, Steve. "Details of routes 1–25". The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Retrieved September 26, 2010.[self-published source]
  5. ^ "News related to the sugar and sugar beet growing industry on www.beetseed.com - August 22, 2007". Archived from the original on July 7, 2011.