Minnesota State Highway 5

Minnesota State Highway 5 (MN 5) is a 76.347-mile-long (122.869 km) highway in Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with MN 19 and MN 22 in Gaylord and continues east and northeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with MN 120 in Maplewood. The route passes through downtown Saint Paul.

Trunk Highway 5 marker
Trunk Highway 5
Fort Road
Map
MN 5 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length76.347 mi[1] (122.869 km)
Existed1934–present
Major junctions
West end MN 19 / MN 22 at Gaylord
Major intersections
East end MN 120 / CSAH 6 at Maplewood/Oakdale
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesSibley, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
MN 4 MN 6

Route description

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Looking east on MN 5 into Victoria, MN

State Highway 5 serves as a northeast–southwest route between Gaylord, Norwood Young America, Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Richfield, downtown Saint Paul, and Maplewood. The State Highway runs though 5 counties. The highway is officially marked as an east–west route by its highway shields from beginning to end.

Part of Highway 5 is designed as a freeway near the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. Just to the west of that segment, Highway 5 runs concurrent with I-494 for 11 miles (18 km) between its junction with I-494 near the Airport and the Minnesota River to its junction with I-494 and U.S. 212 in Eden Prairie.

Highway 5 is considered a significant transit corridor, known as the Riverview Corridor, to downtown Saint Paul from the airport and points farther south and west. There has been discussion of creating a bus rapid transit or light rail line along the highway, much like the METRO Blue Line currently runs rails into downtown Minneapolis along State Highway 55.

Highway 5 is also known as Fort Road and West 7th Street in the city of St. Paul.

45 miles (72 km) of Highway 5 is officially designated the Augie Mueller Memorial Highway. This designation is signed from its intersection with State Highway 101 in Chanhassen southwesterly to its intersection with State Highway 19 in Gaylord.

Legally, State Highway 5 is defined as legislative routes 45, 52, 102, 109, 111, and 121 in the Minnesota Statutes. The route is not marked with those numbers.

History

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State Highway 5 was authorized in 1934. The route was completely paved by 1953.

When Highway 5 was slated for expansion in 1956, the construction threatened to demolish the remains of historic Fort Snelling, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. As a result of public outcry, the highway was built in a short tunnel underneath the Fort Snelling site, sparing the fort from destruction. This effort led to archaeological research into the remains of Fort Snelling and its eventual rebuilding as a state park.[2]

From 1934 to 1982, the eastern section of the highway between Saint Paul and Stillwater was originally marked as Minnesota 212, as it once reached old U.S. 212 in Saint Paul, but that segment was re-numbered as an extension of Highway 5 c. 1983.[3] This segment is still marked with the mileposts from 212,[1] which were a continuation of those from U.S. 212.

In the concurrency with I-494, the MN 5 shield is placed at most, but not all, interchanges. In 2007, new gore signs placed on France Avenue in Bloomington at its interchange with I-494 do not mention the Highway 5 concurrency, whereas the older signs they replaced did. The more recent interchange with Lyndale Ave (2009) displays the names of both highways.

In June 2015, it was announced that Highway 5 will be shortened by 8.3 miles by the state of Minnesota, giving the portion from Minnesota 120 to its eastern conterminous at Minnesota 36 to Washington County. The road is known as 34th St. between Jamaca Ave and Highway 120 and Stillwater Blvd. between Jamaca Ave. and Highway 36. The road is an extension of Washington County Roads 14 and 15. This road is designated from the county line to Manning Ave. as County Road 14 and from Manning Ave. to Highway 36 as County Road 15. This piece of the highway that will be returned to the county was originally marked as Minnesota 212. This portion of highway is now marked with county highway signs as well as Old Highway 5 signs.[4]

In May 2023, a 7-mile (11 km) section of Highway 5 in the vicinity of Chanhassen was designated the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway in honor of musician Prince, whose Paisley Park Studios are located along the route.[5]

Major intersections

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All exits are unnumbered except for the I-494 overlap.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
SibleyGaylord0.0000.000 
 
 
 
MN 19 west / MN 22 north – Winthrop, Glencoe
Western terminus; west end of MN 19 / MN 22 concurrencies
0.1410.227 
 
MN 22 south – St. Peter
East end of MN 22 concurrency
1.3502.173 
 
MN 19 east – Henderson
East end of MN 19 concurrency
Green Isle14.40023.175 
 
MN 25 south (McGrann Street) – Belle Plaine
South end of MN 25 concurrency
CarverYoung America Township21.05533.885 
 
  US 212 west / CR 131 – Glencoe
West end of US 212 concurrency
Norwood Young America23.61037.997 
 
  US 212 east / CSAH 33 – Chaska
East end of US 212 concurrency
Young America Township26.24242.232 
 
MN 25 north – Watertown
North end of MN 25 concurrency
Waconia32.16751.768 
 
MN 284 south (Olive Street) – Cologne
Chanhassen42.42268.272  MN 41 (Hazeltine Boulevard) – Excelsior, Chaska
45.48673.203  CSAH 101 (Market Boulevard)Former MN 101 south
46.13274.242 
 
MN 101 north / Dakota Avenue
HennepinEden Prairie48.95478.784 
 
US 212 west
West end of US 212 concurrency; west end of freeway section
  CSAH 60 (Mitchell Road)
Prairie Center Drive
50.77981.721 
 
 
 
I-494 north / US 212 east
East end of US 212 concurrency; west end of I-494 concurrency; I-494 exits 11B-C
See I-494
Unorganized Territory of Fort Snelling61.184–
61.930
98.466–
99.667
 
 
  I-494 east / 34th Avenue – Terminal 2
East end of I-494 concurrency; 34th Avenue and Terminal 2 not signed eastbound; I-494 exit 1A
  Post Road
  Terminal 1
64.053103.083   MN 55 / MN 62 – Hastings, Minneapolis, Fort Snelling Historic SiteExits to MN 55 north include direct exit ramps to Bloomington Road
Mississippi River64.243–
64.469
103.389–
103.753
Fort Road Bridge
RamseySt. Paul64.530103.851Edgcumbe Road / Shepard Road / Mississippi River BoulevardEastbound exit and westbound entrance
Norfolk AvenueEastbound exit only; east end of freeway
66.353106.785 
 
MN 51 north (Montreal Avenue)
66.686107.321  I-35EI-35E exit 103B
70.886114.080  I-94 / US 12 / US 52 westI-94 east exit 241B
70.905114.111 
 
US 52 south (Lafayette Freeway)
Interchange
71.349114.825 
 
US 61 south
West end of US 61 concurrency
71.939115.775 
 
US 61 north (Arcade Street)
East end of US 61 concurrency
Maplewood76.347122.869  
 
MN 120 (Century Avenue) / CSAH 6 east (Stillwater Boulevard)
Eastern terminus; road continues into Washington County as CSAH 6 (Stillwater Blvd.)
WashingtonOakdale77.834125.262  MN 120Former east end of MN 120 concurrency
79.070127.251  I-694
Oak Park Heights86.042138.471   MN 36 / CSAH 5Former eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ a b c Staff (February 2, 2012). "Statewide Logpoint Listing" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  2. ^ "Old Fort Snelling". From Site to Story. Institute for Minnesota Archaeology. June 29, 1999. Retrieved March 26, 2006.
  3. ^ Riner, Steve. "Details of routes 1–25". The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Retrieved September 19, 2010.[self-published source]
  4. ^ "MnDOT handing over stretch of Minnesota 5 to Washington County". TwinCities.com.
  5. ^ Ki, Nicole (May 9, 2023). "'A gift to Minnesotans:' Prince's home state names part of highway after him". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
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