Interstate 35 (I-35) is a north–south
Interstate Highway
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
that stretches from
Laredo, Texas
Laredo ( ; ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, Webb County, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Founded in 1755, Laredo grew from a villag ...
, to
Duluth, Minnesota
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 ...
. In the US state of
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 ...
, I-35 enters from Iowa and heads north toward the twin cities of
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
and
Saint Paul
Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
. South of the metropolitan area, I-35 splits into two branches; I-35E runs through Saint Paul and I-35W through Minneapolis. These two branches rejoin north of the Twin Cities, and the highway continues north to Duluth, where it terminates at
State Highway 61 (MN 61). The highway was authorized in 1956 and the first segment opened in 1958. It reached Duluth in 1971, and the final segment to east Duluth opened in 1992.
Route description
I-35 enters the state from Iowa near
Albert Lea Albert Lea may refer to:
*Albert Lea, Minnesota, U.S.
*Albert Lea Township, Freeborn County, Minnesota
Albert Lea Township ( ) is a township in Freeborn County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 808 at the 2000 census.
Myre-Big Islan ...
. It heads roughly due north toward the
Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
, where it splits into
I-35E Interstate 35E may refer to:
*Interstate 35E (Texas), a long branch route serving Dallas, Texas
*Interstate 35E (Minnesota), a long branch route serving St. Paul, Minnesota
See also
* Interstate 35W (disambiguation) Interstate 35W may refer to:
...
and
I-35W. The two halves of I-35 rejoin north of the Twin Cities. From there, I-35 travels north-northeast; south of
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 ...
, it becomes more northeasterly. The route ends near the shore of
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...
in Duluth. The entire route is officially designated the Red Bull Highway, named after the
34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division.
[ Legally, I-35 is defined as Routes 390, 395, and 396 in the Minnesota Statutes §161.12(2), but the route is not marked with those numbers. The I-35 legislative route designation and mileposts follow ]I-35E Interstate 35E may refer to:
*Interstate 35E (Texas), a long branch route serving Dallas, Texas
*Interstate 35E (Minnesota), a long branch route serving St. Paul, Minnesota
See also
* Interstate 35W (disambiguation) Interstate 35W may refer to:
...
in the Twin Cities area.
Southern segment
I-35 enters the state in Freeborn County
Freeborn County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 30,895. Its county seat is Albert Lea, Minnesota, Albert Lea. Freeborn County compri ...
south of Albert Lea Albert Lea may refer to:
*Albert Lea, Minnesota, U.S.
*Albert Lea Township, Freeborn County, Minnesota
Albert Lea Township ( ) is a township in Freeborn County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 808 at the 2000 census.
Myre-Big Islan ...
. The first northbound contains a rest area
A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, Limited-access road, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names ...
and Minnesota welcome center
A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center or tourist information centre is a physical location that provides information to tourists.
Types
A visitor center may be a Civic ce ...
. Shortly after the first exit, for County Road 5 (CR 5), there is a sweeping S-curve to the northwest and back to the north. The exit for CR 13 marks the last exit before Albert Lea. Up to here, the Interstate roughly marked the halfway point between U.S. Route 65 (US 65) and US 69. Both U.S. Highways end in Albert Lea.
In Albert Lea, it curves to the northeast and meets US 65, which passes beneath the Interstate. US 65 picks up Business Loop Interstate 35 (BL I-35), which follows the US Highway through the city. It then crosses Albert Lea Lake of a pair of bridges. It straightens back to the north to meet CR 46, which follows the former route of US 16. Shortly after that interchange, it intersects the national northern end of US 65; access to US 65 there is limited to the southbound lanes of I-35, and traffic from US 65 can only access the northbound lanes of I-35. At the northeastern edge of Albert Lea, there is an 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 states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
, which directs traffic toward La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 202 ...
, or Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls ( ) is the List of cities in South Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the List of United States cities by population, 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha Coun ...
.
I-35 continues north through the rolling hills of southern Minnesota. At Clarks Grove, it intersects MN 251. Between there and the CR 35 exit to Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
, it passes to the west of Geneva Lake. Just east of Ellendale is an interchange with MN 30. Exit 32, CR 4 to Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large.
As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...
, is the last interchange before Owatonna. On the southern edge of Owatonna is a cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...
with US 14. North of CR 45, the CR 34 exit serves northern Owatonna and provides access to the Owatonna Degner Regional Airport
Owatonna Degner Regional Airport is three miles northwest of Owatonna, Minnesota, Owatonna, in Steele County, Minnesota. Its IATA identifier "OWA" comes from the first three letters of the city of Owatonna. The airport is used for general avi ...
. The CR 9 exit serves Clinton Falls and a Cabela's
Cabela's Inc. is an American retailer that specializes in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, and other outdoor recreation merchandise. The chain was founded by Richard N. Cabela and Jim Cabela in 1961. Cabela's was acquired by Springfield, Mi ...
store.
Further north, I-35 meets CR 12 and CR 23 in Medford. Along CR 23, which serves as a western frontage road
A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. Where parallel high-speed roads are provided as part of a maj ...
to I-35, lies an outlet mall
An outlet store, factory outlet or factory store is a brick and mortar or online store where manufacturers sell their merchandise directly to the public. Products at outlet stores are usually sold at reduced prices compared to regular stores du ...
. Now in Rice County
Rice is a cereal grain and in its domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much less commonly, ' ...
, the Interstate approaches Faribault. Exit 55 only serves exiting northbound traffic and entering southbound traffic. MN 60 is the main east–west street through Faribault, and MN 21 provides access to Faribault from the north of town. To the south, MN 21 ends at MN 60, but the road continues south and reconnects to I-35 at exit 55.
North of Faribault, the Interstate heads due north before the two directions are briefly separated when they enter a corridor of trees. The route straightens out again and intersects CR 1 and MN 19 at diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade separation, grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. ...
s spaced apart. It briefly enters Scott County Scott County is the name of eleven counties in the United States of America:
*Scott County, Arkansas
*Scott County, Illinois
*Scott County, Indiana
*Scott County, Iowa, the most populous county on the list
*Scott County, Kansas, the least populous ...
where it meets CR 2 near Elko New Market. It then enters Dakota County and the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.
In southwestern Lakeville, there is a folded diamond interchange with CR 70. Right before a partial cloverleaf interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange.
The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also bee ...
with CR 60, the Interstate crosses Marion Lake. Shortly after an interchange with CR 5 and CR 50, there is a park and ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail transport, r ...
complex on the northbound side of the Interstate. An entrance and exit ramp provide access to the Interstate while two entrances from Kendrick Avenue, a frontage road, provide non-Interstate access to the complex. After the CR 46 interchange, the Interstate enters Burnsville. A half diamond interchange, with only northbound exit and southbound entrance ramps, immediately precedes the split. I-35 splits into I-35W and I-35E Interstate 35E may refer to:
*Interstate 35E (Texas), a long branch route serving Dallas, Texas
*Interstate 35E (Minnesota), a long branch route serving St. Paul, Minnesota
See also
* Interstate 35W (disambiguation) Interstate 35W may refer to:
...
(signed for Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
and Saint Paul
Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
, respectively).
Northern segment
I-35W and I-35E join again at Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio
* Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
, near Forest Lake. The route then continues as I-35. In contrast to the rolling terrain of I-35 south of the Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
area, this region is quite flat. This is the Anoka Sand Plain, an area that was formed by outwash under the last glaciers that lay over this area as they melted. This is an extensive region that continues north for another . The urban sprawl of the northern Twin Cities continues along I-35 to North Branch.
In Pine City and Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughborough, and is about halfway between L ...
, there are museums near I-35: the Pine City one at a refurbished fur trading post and interpretive center and the Hinckley one commemorating the Great Hinckley Forest Fire that occurred in 1894. Motorists who take BL I-35 through Pine City can experience a quintessential all-American main street.
Between Sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
and Moose Lake, the landscape around I-35 makes a dramatic change. Exposed granite can be seen at the surface, and the deciduous forest changes to evergreens.
I-35 climbs Thompson Hill as it approaches the city of 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 ...
. As the highway enters the city limits at Boundary Avenue, the Saint Louis Bay and Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...
are in view. I-35 then descends Thompson Hill into Duluth, with numerous exits. The freeway has an interchange
Interchange may refer to:
Transport
* Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways
* Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies
* Interchange station, a rai ...
with I-535
Interstate 535 (I-535) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway spur route of I-35 in the US states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is paired with U.S. Highway 53 (US 53) along its entire route. The Interstate was part of the original 1956 I ...
/ US 53, known locally as the "Can of Worms". The junction features a pair of left exits from I-35, a stoplight, and lane drops over the I-35 bridge.
I-35 then proceeds to downtown Duluth
The downtown of Duluth, Minnesota, United States, is situated between Mesaba Avenue ( Highway 194) and 4th Avenue East; and located on Michigan, Superior, First, Second, and Third streets.
The downtown area is home to a number of the city's cul ...
. After multiple exits, I-35 leaves the downtown area and follows the Lake Superior shoreline for to its national northern terminus at its junction with MN 61 and 26th Avenue East. At this junction where I-35 ends, MN 61 begins its route northeast along the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Transit
Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States.
History
The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...
provides intercity bus service along the length of I-35 in Minnesota serving over a dozen communities along the route with transfer locations in Albert Lea Albert Lea may refer to:
*Albert Lea, Minnesota, U.S.
*Albert Lea Township, Freeborn County, Minnesota
Albert Lea Township ( ) is a township in Freeborn County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 808 at the 2000 census.
Myre-Big Islan ...
, the Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
, and 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 ...
.
History
I-35 in Minnesota was authorized as part of the primary Interstate network in 1956. It was mostly constructed in the 1960s. The route in Minnesota replaced portions of old US 61 and old US 65.
I-35 was generally constructed along former routes of US 65 south of the Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
and US 61 north of the Twin Cities.
The first section to be constructed (the first Interstate Highway opened in Minnesota) was about north of Owatonna, immediately west of present-day Steele CR 45 and Rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
CR 45, which opened August 21, 1958.
By 1961, the section of I-35 around Hinckley
Hinckley is a market town in south-west Leicestershire, England, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is the third largest settlement in Leicestershire, after Leicester and Loughborough, and is about halfway between L ...
and Sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
was under construction.
Three lanes each way have been constructed on I-35 between the I-35E Interstate 35E may refer to:
*Interstate 35E (Texas), a long branch route serving Dallas, Texas
*Interstate 35E (Minnesota), a long branch route serving St. Paul, Minnesota
See also
* Interstate 35W (disambiguation) Interstate 35W may refer to:
...
/ I-35W split at Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio
* Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
to US 8 at Forest Lake. Three lanes have also been constructed on I-35 northbound at Thompson Hill, right before entering the city of 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 ...
. Additionally, three lanes have been constructed on I-35 southbound in Duluth at Thompson Hill between Central Avenue and US 2 westbound. Three lanes in each direction have also been constructed on I-35 in Duluth between the Can of Worms interchange (I-535
Interstate 535 (I-535) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway spur route of I-35 in the US states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is paired with U.S. Highway 53 (US 53) along its entire route. The Interstate was part of the original 1956 I ...
/ US 53) and the Mesaba Avenue interchange.
From November 1971 to October 1987, the national northern terminus for I-35 was its interchange with Mesaba Avenue in Duluth.
The last section of I-35 in Minnesota to be constructed was around downtown Duluth
The downtown of Duluth, Minnesota, United States, is situated between Mesaba Avenue ( Highway 194) and 4th Avenue East; and located on Michigan, Superior, First, Second, and Third streets.
The downtown area is home to a number of the city's cul ...
. The I-35 extension to Lake Avenue in Duluth was open to traffic in October 1987. The temporary I-35 extension to 10th Avenue East in Duluth was open to traffic in November 1989. The I-35 extension to its present-day junction with 26th Avenue East and MN 61 in Duluth was open to traffic in October 1992 after the construction of the Leif Erickson Tunnel. The section marked the final segment of the I-35 to be opened, and one of the last segments of the original Interstate Highway System.
In 2002, all of I-35 in the state of Minnesota, from the Iowa state line to the city of Duluth, was officially designated the Red Bull Highway, after the 34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division,[2000 Minn. Laws ch. 281, codified at Minn. Stat. 161.14 subd. 46.] though plans to create signage never came to fruition. In practice, this name is seldom, if ever, used.
In 2021, a new group, the Duluth Waterfront Collective, proposed to replace the riverfront highway portion of I-35 in Duluth with an at-grade boulevard and green space.
Exit list
References
External links
Interstate 35 at the Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page
{{3di, 35
Minnesota
35
Transportation in Freeborn County, Minnesota
Transportation in Steele County, Minnesota
Transportation in Rice County, Minnesota
Transportation in Scott County, Minnesota
Transportation in Dakota County, Minnesota
Transportation in Anoka County, Minnesota
Transportation in Washington County, Minnesota
Transportation in Chisago County, Minnesota
Transportation in Pine County, Minnesota
Transportation in Carlton County, Minnesota
Transportation in St. Louis County, Minnesota