Legislative route (Minnesota)

This sign, at a rest area on Interstate 35 just north of the Iowa border, describes the process that went into creating Minnesota's highway system.

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, a legislative route is a highway number defined by the Minnesota State Legislature. The routes from 1 to 70 are constitutional routes, defined as part of the Babcock Amendment to the Minnesota State Constitution, passed November 2, 1920. All of them were listed in the constitution until a 1974 rewrite. Though they are now listed separately in §161.114 of the Minnesota Statutes, the definitions are legally considered to be part of the constitution, and cannot be altered or removed without an amendment. Legislative routes with numbers greater than 70 can be added or deleted by the legislature.

Until 1933 Constitutional Routes corresponded exactly to the number marked on the highways, but this is no longer necessarily the case. In fact it's common for CR highways to be composed of several different trunk highways. When the U.S. Highway system was created in 1926, many of these roads were made up of one or more U.S. highways. Today, they now use a mix of Minnesota state highways, U.S. highways, and Interstate highways.

Constitutional Route 1 is currently one of the most complex routes, composed of:

• U.S. Highway 65 from the Iowa border to Albert Lea, Minnesota
• Interstate 35 to Faribault
• Minnesota State Highway 3 and MN-149 to Saint Paul
• U.S. Highway 61 to Wyoming
• Interstate 35 to Rush City
• Minnesota State Highway 361 to Rock Creek
• Minnesota State Highway 23 through Hinckley
• the MN-73/27 loop through Moose Lake
• Interstate 35 between Moose Lake and MN-210
• the MN-210/45 loop through Carlton
• Interstate 35 to Duluth
• Minnesota State Highway 61 to the Canadian border

However, the route can be considered to be superseded along almost its entire length by Interstate 35 (and I-35E) and Minnesota State Highway 61. By contrast, Constitutional Route 58 still has the same marked number and extent that it did in 1920.

There is some ambiguity in how literally the Minnesota Department of Transportation must interpret the constitutional routes. In some cases, the routes no longer directly serve communities they were once designated for, but are routed along nearby highways instead.

List of routes

Constitutional Routes 1–70

• Constitutional Route 1: Iowa to Ontario via Albert Lea, Owatonna, Faribault, Northfield, Farmington, St. Paul, White Bear, Forest Lake, Wyoming, Rush City, Pine City, Hinckley, Sandstone, Moose Lake, Carlton, Duluth, Two Harbors, and Grand Marais
• Constitutional Route 2: Duluth to North Dakota via Carlton, McGregor, Aitkin, Brainerd, Motley, Staples, Wadena, Detroit, and Moorhead
• Constitutional Route 3: Wisconsin to North Dakota via La Crescent, Winona, Kellogg, Wabasha, Lake City, Red Wing, Hastings, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Osseo, Champlin, Anoka, Elk River, Big Lake, St. Cloud, Albany, Sauk Centre, Alexandria, Elbow Lake, Fergus Falls, and Breckenridge
• Constitutional Route 4: Iowa to International Falls via Jackson, Windom, Sanborn, Redwood Falls, Morton, Olivia, Willmar, Paynesville, Sauk Centre, Long Prairie, Wadena, Park Rapids, Itasca State Park, and Bemidji
• Constitutional Route 5: Iowa to Swan River via Blue Earth, Winnebago, Mankato, St. Peter, Le Sueur, Jordan, Shakopee, Minneapolis, Cambridge, Mora, and McGregor
• Constitutional Route 6: Iowa to Manitoba via Luverne, Pipestone, Lake Benton, Ivanhoe, Canby, Madison, Bellingham, Odessa, Ortonville, Graceville, Dumont, Wheaton, Breckenridge, Moorhead, Kragnes, Georgetown, Perley, Hendrum, Ada, Crookston, Warren, Donaldson, and Hallock
• Constitutional Route 7: Winona to South Dakota via St. Charles, Rochester, Kasson, Dodge Center, Claremont, Owatonna, Waseca, Mankato, St. Peter, New Ulm, Springfield, Tracy, and Lake Benton
• Constitutional Route 8: Duluth to North Dakota via Floodwood, Swan River, Grand Rapids, Cass Lake, Bemidji, Bagley, Erskine, Crookston, and East Grand Forks
• Constitutional Route 9: La Crescent to South Dakota via Hokah, Houston, Rushford, Lanesboro, Preston, Fountain, Spring Valley, Austin, Albert Lea, Blue Earth, Fairmont, Jackson, Worthington, and Luverne
• Constitutional Route 10: Minneapolis to Wheaton via Montrose, Cokato, Litchfield, Willmar, Benson, Morris, and Herman
• Constitutional Route 11: Duluth to Donaldson via Eveleth, Virginia, Cook, Orr, Cusson, International Falls, Baudette, Warroad, Roseau, and Greenbush
• Constitutional Route 12: Wisconsin to Madison via St. Paul, Minneapolis, Hopkins, Norwood, Glencoe, Olivia, Granite Falls, Montevideo, and Dawson
• Constitutional Route 13: Albert Lea to Jordan via Waseca, Waterville, Montgomery, and New Prague
• Constitutional Route 14: Ivanhoe to Gaylord via Marshall, Redwood Falls, Morton, and Winthrop
• Constitutional Route 15: Iowa to Winthrop via Fairmont, Madelia, and New Ulm
• Constitutional Route 16: southwest of Mankato to Worthington via Madelia, St. James, Windom, and Fulda
• Constitutional Route 17: Fulda to Granite Falls to Slayton, Garvin, and Marshall
• Constitutional Route 18: Elk River to east of Brainerd via Princeton, Milaca, and Onamia
• Constitutional Route 19: Brainerd to Cass Lake via Pine River and Walker
• Constitutional Route 20: Iowa to Douglas via Canton, Harmony, Preston, Fountain, Chatfield, Oronoco, Pine Island, Zumbrota, and Cannon Falls
• Constitutional Route 21: Zumbrota to St. Peter via Kenyon, Faribault, Le Sueur Center, and Cleveland
• Constitutional Route 22: St. Peter to Paynesville via Gaylord, Glencoe, Hutchinson, and Litchfield
• Constitutional Route 23: Paynesville to south of Hinckley via St. Cloud, Foley, Milaca, Ogilvie, and Mora
• Constitutional Route 24: Litchfield to St. Cloud
• Constitutional Route 25: Belle Plaine to Big Lake via Norwood, Watertown, Montrose, Buffalo, and Monticello
• Constitutional Route 26: Benson to Ortonville
• Constitutional Route 27: St. Cloud to Brainerd via Sauk Rapids, Royalton, and Little Falls
• Constitutional Route 28: Little Falls to South Dakota via Sauk Centre, Glenwood, Starbuck, Morris, Graceville, and Browns Valley
• Constitutional Route 29: Glenwood to west of Wadena via Alexandria, Parkers Prairie, and Deer Creek
• Constitutional Route 30: Fergus Falls to Erskine via Pelican Rapids, Detroit Lakes, and Mahnomen
• Constitutional Route 31: Ada to Mahnomen
• Constitutional Route 32: east of Crookston to Greenbush via Red Lake Falls, Thief River Falls, and Middle River
• Constitutional Route 33: Thief River Falls to Warren
• Constitutional Route 34: Detroit to west of Grand Rapids via Park Rapids, Walker, and Remer
• Constitutional Route 35: Mille Lacs Lake to Ely via Aitkin, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Chisholm, Buhl, Mountain Iron, Virginia, Gilbert, McKinley, Biwabik, Aurora, and Tower
• Constitutional Route 36: Fergus Falls to east of Henning
• Constitutional Route 37: Little Falls to Motley
• Constitutional Route 38: Montevideo to Starbuck via Benson
• Constitutional Route 39: Mankato to west of Albert Lea via Mapleton, Minnesota Lake, and Wells
• Constitutional Route 40: Iowa to Owatonna via Lyle, Austin, and Blooming Prairie
• Constitutional Route 41: Blooming Prairie to Hayfield
• Constitutional Route 42: east of Rochester to Kellogg via Elgin and Plainview
• Constitutional Route 43: Rushford to Winona
• Constitutional Route 44: Hokah to Canton via Caledonia
• Constitutional Route 45: Wisconsin to St. Paul via Stillwater and Lake Elmo
• Constitutional Route 46: Wisconsin to Wyoming via Taylors Falls and Center City
• Constitutional Route 47: Slayton to Pipestone
• Constitutional Route 48: west of Granite Falls to Canby via Clarkfield
• Constitutional Route 49: east of Montevideo to south of Willmar via Clara City
• Constitutional Route 50: Cannon Falls to Minneapolis via Farmington
• Constitutional Route 51: Shakopee to north of Shakopee
• Constitutional Route 52: south of Minneapolis to Fort Snelling towards St. Paul
• Constitutional Route 53: Hastings to South St. Paul
• Constitutional Route 54: Elbow Lake to Herman
• Constitutional Route 55: northwest of Carlton to Cloquet
• Constitutional Route 56: east of Austin to Kenyon via Brownsdale, Hayfield, Dodge Center, and West Concord
• Constitutional Route 57: Mantorville to south of Mantorville
• Constitutional Route 58: Zumbrota to Red Wing
• Constitutional Route 59: Iowa to Lake City via Spring Valley, Stewartville, Rochester, Zumbro Falls
• Constitutional Route 60: Faribault to Madison Lake via Morristown and Waterville
• Constitutional Route 61: Deer River to Big Falls
• Constitutional Route 62: Anoka to St. Paul
• Constitutional Route 63: south of Forest Lake to Minneapolis
• Constitutional Route 64: north of Fergus Falls to south of Moorhead via Rothsay and Barnesville
• Constitutional Route 65: Bagley to south of Red Lake Falls via Clearbrook, Gonvick, Gully, Brooks, and Terrebonne
• Constitutional Route 66: Montevideo to north of Appleton
• Constitutional Route 67: Echo to Granite Falls
• Constitutional Route 68: Marshall to Canby via Minneota
• Constitutional Route 69: Buffalo to Paynesville via Maple Lake, Annandale, and Eden Valley
• Constitutional Route 70: west of New Ulm to Hector via Fort Ridgely and Fairfax

Legislative Routes 71–140

• Legislative Route 71: Little Falls, Onamia, Isle, McGrath, and Moose Lake
• Legislative Route 72: Bemidji, Waskish, Baudette
• Legislative Route 73: Zumbrota, Mazeppa, Zumbro Falls, and Wabasha
• Legislative Route 74: Weaver, St. Charles, and Chatfield
• Legislative Route 75: Winona to Wisconsin
• Legislative Route 76: Wilson, Houston, and Caledonia to Iowa
• Legislative Route 77: Rushford, Chatfield, Stewartville, and Hayfield
• Legislative Route 78: Rushford to Mabel
• Legislative Route 79: Harmony to Iowa
• Legislative Route 80: Wykoff to Preston
• Legislative Route 81: Austin to LeRoy
• Legislative Route 82: Blooming Prairie, Ellendale, Mapleton, and St. James
• Legislative Route 83: Mankato to New Ulm
• Legislative Route 84: Sleepy Eye, St. James, and Sherburn to Iowa
• Legislative Route 85: Windom, Worthington, and Bigelow to Iowa
• Legislative Route 86: Iowa to Lakefield, Windom
• Legislative Route 87: Wells, Kiester to Iowa
• Legislative Route 88: South Dakota to Jasper, Pipestone, Marshall, and Montevideo
• Legislative Route 89: Pipestone to South Dakota
• Legislative Route 90: Ivanhoe to South Dakota
• Legislative Route 91: Iowa to Adrian, Lake Wilson, and Russell
• Legislative Route 92: Currie, Jeffers
• Legislative Route 93: Redwood Falls, Sleepy Eye
• Legislative Route 94: Hastings to Wisconsin
• Legislative Route 95: Point Douglas, Bayport, Stillwater, Taylors Falls
• Legislative Route 96: Stillwater, New Brighton
• Legislative Route 97: Forest Lake, Taylors Falls
• Legislative Route 98: Forest Lake, Center City
• Legislative Route 99: Le Center, Shields Lake
• Legislative Route 100: Gaylord, Henderson, New Prague, Northfield, Cannon Falls and Red Wing
• Legislative Route 101: Faribault, Lakeville
• Legislative Route 102: Connects Constitutional Route 1 through St. Paul
• Legislative Route 103: Connects Constitutional Route 1 through Duluth
• Legislative Route 104: Connects Constitutional Route 3 through St. Paul
• Legislative Route 105: Connects Washington Avenue with Constitutional Route 5 through Minneapolis
• Legislative Route 106: Connects Constitutional Route 8 through Duluth, via the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge.
• Legislative Route 114: Discontinued and removed
• Legislative Route 126: Repealed
• Legislative Route 127: Discontinued and removed
• Legislative Route 128: Mantorville, Wanamingo, and Hader
• Legislative Route 129: Discontinued and removed
• Legislative Route 130: Minneapolis, and Fort Snelling via Broadway Ave and Hiawatha Ave
• Legislative Route 131: Randall, and Camp Ripley Junction
• Legislative Route 132: St. Cloud, Princeton, Cambridge, and Taylors Falls
• Legislative Route 133: Braham, West Rock, and Rock Creek, to Wisconsin.
• Legislative Route 134: Grasston, and Brook Park
• Legislative Route 135: Little Falls, Long Prairie, and Osakis
• Legislative Route 136: Bemidji, and Roseau
• Legislative Route 137: Garrison, Deerwood, Crosby, and Remer
• Legislative Route 138: Walker, and Kabekona
• Legislative Route 139: Pine River, and Walker
• Legislative Route 140: Baudette, and Wheelers Point

Legislative Routes 141–210

• Legislative Route 141: Connects Constitutional Route 4 and Constitutional Route 28 through Sauk Centre
• Legislative Route 142: Paynesville, Glenwood, and Elbow Lake to South Dakota
• Legislative Route 143: Sunburg, and Glenwood
• Legislative Route 144: Madison, Appleton, Morris, and Barrett

Legislative Routes 351–396

Routes 380 to 385 were defined in and after 1975, and "may be added by order of the commissioner of transportation to the trunk highway system"; only 383, 384, and 385 have been added, and 385 no longer exists.

• Legislative Route 380: Shepard Road in St. Paul
• Legislative Route 381: deleted from the statutes (was a planned extension of the Lafayette Freeway northwest to I-35E)
• Legislative Route 382: part of I-35E in St. Paul (actually covered by Route 390)
• Legislative Route 383: Bloomington to Brooklyn Park
• Legislative Route 384: Eden Prairie to southeast of Minneapolis
• Legislative Route 385: deleted from the statutes (was Washington Avenue in Minneapolis)

Routes 390 to 396 were defined in and after the 1950s as portions of the Interstate Highway System "to take advantage of federal aid made available by the United States to the state of Minnesota for highway purposes".

• Legislative Route 390: Iowa to Wisconsin (I-35, I-35E, and I-535)
• Legislative Route 391: South Dakota to Wisconsin (I-90)
• Legislative Route 392: North Dakota to Wisconsin (I-94)
• Legislative Route 393: loop around the Twin Cities (I-494 and I-694)
• Legislative Route 394: alternate to Route 390 through Minneapolis (I-35W)
• Legislative Route 395: Duluth (part of I-35)
• Legislative Route 396: Duluth (extension of I-35)

Interstate 394 is not a separate legislative route, instead being parts of Route 10 and Route 107, which carried U.S. Highway 12 along the same alignment before I-394 was built.

See also

• County state aid highway (CSAH)

References

• Mn/DOT Roadway Data, accessed August 2007; the Control Section Report includes a full cross-reference of current trunk highways and legislative route numbers.

External links

• Minnesota Statutes §161.114: Constitutional trunk highways
• Minnesota Statutes §161.115: Additional trunk highways (legislative routes)
• Steve Riner (January 12, 2003). Legal Basis for Establishment of Minnesota Trunk Highways. The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page.