U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota

U.S. Highway 169
U.S. 169 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length	359.523 mi[1] (578.596 km)
Existed	1931[2]–present
Tourist routes	Great River Road Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end	US 169 in Elmore at the Minnesota–Iowa state line
Major intersections	I-90 in Blue Earth US 14 / MN 60 in Mankato I-494 / MN 5 in Bloomington US 212 / MN 62 in Edina I-394 / US 12 in St. Louis Park I-94 / I-694 / US 52 in Brooklyn Park US 10 / MN 47 in Anoka US 10 / MN 101 in Elk River US 2 in Grand Rapids MN 65 near Pengilly
North end	US 53 in Virginia
Location
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Faribault, Blue Earth, Nicollet, Sibley, Le Sueur, Scott, Hennepin, Anoka, Sherburne, Mille Lacs, Crow Wing, Aitkin, Itasca, St. Louis
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Minnesota Trunk Highway System Interstate US State Legislative Scenic
← MN 165 → MN 169

U.S. Highway 169 (U.S. 169) is a major north–south highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, connecting the Minnesota River valley with the Twin Cities and the Iron Range. Much of the route is built to expressway or freeway standards.

U.S. 169 enters Minnesota near Elmore as a two-lane, undivided highway, continuing as such through the majority of Blue Earth. Near the northern outskirts of the town, it expands to a four-lane, divided highway, subsequently crossing Interstate Highway 90. Soon after, it reverts to its original two-lane size. Roughly 5 miles southwest of Mankato, U.S. 169 and State Highway 60 merge to a single expressway through Mankato. In North Mankato, Highway 60 moves from a concurrency with U.S. 169 to another one with U.S. 14.

In Mankato and North Mankato, U.S. 169 functions as an arterial highway, passing directly through the cities' downtown area. From Mankato north to Jackson Township, the route remains an expressway, except for the section passing through St. Peter, where U.S. 169 is the main street through town.

55 miles (89 km) of U.S. 169 from St. Peter to I-494 in Bloomington is officially designated the John A. Johnson Memorial Highway. This includes the Bloomington Ferry Bridge between Shakopee and Bloomington. This designation is marked as "Johnson Memorial Drive" on some maps, but not marked as such on directional signs, nor commonly known by this name.

In the Twin Cities area, the route is constructed to freeway standards between State Highway 41 in Jackson Township and 109th Avenue North in Brooklyn Park . The freeway between Interstate 494 and Interstate 694 was originally built by Hennepin County as County Road 18. In 1988, County Road 18 was transferred to the state of Minnesota and became the new alignment for Highway 169 in the Minneapolis area. In exchange, Hennepin County took over maintenance of two other highways that were formerly state routes. In the Minneapolis area, U.S. 169 is often congested, but the freeway passes close to residential neighborhoods in many locations, so any expansion of the freeway would disrupt housing stock in the surrounding area.

From 109th Avenue North to the Mississippi River, U.S. 169 remains an expressway until Anoka, where it becomes a street. It then joins U.S. 10 west to Elk River. Those highways diverge at Babcock Wayside on the Mississippi River.

North of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, U.S. 169 continues as an expressway to Mille Lacs Lake, an important resort area. The highway skirts the western shore of the lake. 74 miles (119 km) of U.S. 169 from Elk River to Garrison is officially designated the POW / MIA Memorial Highway. From Mille Lacs Lake, U.S. 169 continues northward to its junction with U.S. 2 at Grand Rapids. Here, 169 turns northeasterly to reach the cities of the Mesabi Iron Range.

At the eastern end of Grand Rapids, U.S. 169 becomes an expressway and remains such for 8 miles. An additional 1.5 miles, from Taconite to Itasca County Road 7 was completed in 2016. It passes through the cities of Hibbing, Chisholm, and Mountain Iron before reaching U.S. 53 at the city of Virginia. This four-lane stretch of 169 is also known as the Highway 169 Cross Range Expressway, with the highway shifted south between Mountain Iron and Virginia to allow for expansion of the U.S. Steel Minntac iron ore mine. The northern terminus of U.S. 169 is at the city of Virginia.

State Highway 169 begins immediately north of Virginia in Wuori Township; and continues northeast for 49 miles (79 km) to the cities of Tower, Ely, and Winton. State Highway 169 is numbered as an extension of U.S. 169.

U.S. 169 is one of three Minnesota U.S. marked highways to carry the same number as an existing state marked highway within the state. The others being Highways 61 and 65.

Legally, the Minnesota section of U.S. 169 is defined as all or part of Routes 5, 7, 383, 3, 18, and 35 in the Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.114(2) and 161.117(4).[1],[2] The route is not marked with those numbers.

U.S. 169 was extended into Minnesota c. 1931.^[2] The route in Minnesota was paved by 1940.^[2]

Previously, U.S. 169 served as the northern terminus of U.S. 53 in Virginia. U.S. 169 then continued north into International Falls. Today, U.S. 53 serves as the terminus of U.S. 169 in Virginia.

U.S. 169, between the junction with State Highway 60 (south of Mankato) and the Twin Cities, was upgraded to at least expressway status over several stages. The freeway section around Mankato and the adjoining expressway sections were completed in the early 1960s, along with bypasses of Le Sueur, Jordan and Belle Plaine.^[2]

The U.S. 169 freeway bypass around Shakopee was built in the mid-1990s along a new alignment, which included the newly constructed Bloomington Ferry Bridge. Prior to this realignment, U.S. 169 crossed the Minnesota River from downtown Shakopee where it had been co-signed with State Highway 101. North of the river crossing, U.S. 169 had previously been co-signed with what was then U.S. 212 (Flying Cloud Drive) through Eden Prairie until 1996.

A new U.S. 169 interchange with State Highway 19, near Henderson, was completed in 2002.^[2]

An expressway section of Highway 169 through southern Hennepin County was converted to full freeway in 2006, with new interchanges constructed at Pioneer Trail and Anderson Lakes Parkway. At-grade intersections with traffic signals have been removed at the recently constructed Interstate 494 interchange, which was previously a point of frequent congestion.

North of the Twin Cities, Highway 169 has been upgraded to an expressway between Elk River and the southern end of Mille Lacs Lake, with bypasses of Princeton and Milaca built in the late 1980s.

U.S. 169 between Hill City and Grand Rapids has been built to super-2 standards.

The expressway section between Pengilly and the city of Virginia was built in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

In 2008, construction began on a new Highway 169 interchange with County Road 81 and 85th Avenue North in Brooklyn Park. This interchange is also known as The Devil's Triangle, or simply as "The Triangle", because of the major traffic congestion during rush hour, especially in the afternoon. Construction was completed on August 11, 2011.

During the flooding of September 2010, flood waters destroyed a 150-foot section of the northbound lanes of Highway 169 between St. Peter and Le Sueur. MnDOT believes, "when the flood waters rose up it found a weak spot in the slope or the dirt bank and got under the grass and started mining under the pavement. Finally, it just sucked all the dirt out and the pavement just dropped into a hole." Traffic was detoured to the southbound lanes of 169 for a month, resulting in a temporary two lane expressway, until the northbound section was repaired.

In November 2010, construction began on a completely redesigned Highway 169 interchange at Interstate 494, where three traffic signals had existed. The new interchange features six roundabouts, new flyover bridges, and two new bridges over I-494 that will carry West 78th Street and Washington Avenue. Major construction began in March 2011. Construction continued in spring 2012 with the completion of reconstructing surrounding roads and remaining ramps. MnDOT completed the entire project in November 2012. The 2010 cost of the construction project was $140 million.^{[3] [4]}

In 2016, exit numbers have started appearing on the Shakopee portion of the freeway section in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area.

Between 2022 and 2024, the section of Highway 169 between U.S. 10 and 197th Ave. in Elk River is being rebuilt as a freeway, with four new interchanges and a replacement of the northbound bridge over Highway 10.^[5] In 2023, the cloverleaf interchange at Rockford Rd. in Plymouth was replaced with a folded-diamond interchange and a new, wider bridge to accommodate for both bicyclists and pedestrians.^[6]

A study to convert U.S. 169 to a freeway between U.S. 10 in Elk River to 277th Avenue north of Zimmerman was completed in late 2009. A complete review of the project by MnDOT will occur in 2011. A complete construction schedule and timeline will then by released by MnDOT. Allocation of funds for the project is currently underway and the only thing holding back from starting the project. The project is expected to cost around $178 Million. In the meantime, the 14 miles between U.S. 10 in Elk River to 277th Avenue north of Zimmerman will be resurfaced during the 2012 construction season. The construction will begin in May 2012.^[7]

County	Location	mi[8]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Faribault	Elmore	0.000	0.000		US 169 south – Algona	Continuation into Iowa
	Blue Earth	9.599	15.448		CSAH 16 east / CSAH 53 (7th Street)	South end of CSAH 16 overlap; formerly US 16; access to United Hospital District Hospital
		10.189	16.398		CSAH 16 west (Leland Parkway) / 1st Street	North end of CSAH 16 overlap; formerly US 16
		11.308– 11.365	18.198– 18.290		I-90 – Fairmont, Albert Lea	I-90 exit 119
	Winnebago	19.595	31.535		MN 109 east – Wells
Blue Earth	Amboy	28.506	45.876		MN 30 east – Mapleton	Southern end of MN 30 overlap
		28.852	46.433		MN 30 west – St. James	Northern end of MN 30 overlap
	South Bend Township	47.746	76.840		MN 60 west – Lake Crystal, Sioux City	Southern end of MN 60 overlap
		49.426– 49.484	79.543– 79.637	–	CSAH 90 east	Partial interchange; entrances and northbound exit; southbound exit via at-grade left turn
		50.658	81.526		MN 68 west / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway – New Ulm, Campground	At-grade intersection
	Mankato	52.057	83.778	—	Frontage Road	Southern end of expressway section; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		52.941	85.200	—	Riverfront Drive	Former MN 66
Nicollet	North Mankato	52.919	85.165	—	Lookout Drive / Center Street	Center Street not signed southbound
		53.568	86.209	—	North Mankato, Mankato, Downtown	Northern end of expressway section
	Mankato–North Mankato line	55.659	89.574	–	MN 60 east / US 14 / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway – New Ulm, Waseca	Interchange; northern end of MN 60 overlap
	St. Peter	64.726	104.166	–	MN 295 – St. Peter Regional Treatment Center	Former southbound exit, northbound intersection
		64.839	104.348		MN 99 west – Nicollet	At-grade intersection; southern end of MN 99 overlap
		64.985	104.583		MN 22 south / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway	At-grade intersection; southern end of MN 22 overlap
		65.954	106.143		MN 99 east (Broadway Avenue) / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway to CSAH 5 – Le Center	At-grade intersection; northern end of MN 99 overlap
		67.705	108.961		MN 22 north – Gaylord	At-grade intersection; northern end of MN 22 overlap
Sibley	Henderson Township	76.194	122.622	–	MN 93 south / CSAH 8 west (336th Street) / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway – Le Sueur	Southern end of MN 93 overlap
		77.166	124.187		MN 93 north / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway – Henderson	At-grade intersection; northern end of MN 93 overlap
Le Sueur	Le Sueur	78.383	126.145	–	CSAH 22 south – Le Sueur	Interchange; formerly MN 112
Le Sueur–Scott county line	Tyrone–Blakeley township line	83.821	134.897	–	MN 19 – New Prague, Gaylord
Scott	Belle Plaine	90.714	145.990	–	CSAH 3 (Meridian Street)	RIRO interchange
		91.855	147.826	–	MN 25 north (Main Street) / CSAH 64 east
	Jackson Township	96.209	154.833	–	CSAH 55 (Delaware Avenue)	At-grade intersection; interchange in progress
	Jordan	98.201	158.039		MN 282 east / CSAH 9 to MN 21	At-grade intersection; to be replaced with an interchange in 2025-2026
		99.100	159.486	–	MN 21 south – Jordan, New Prague	Partial interchange; MN 21 only signed southbound
	Jackson Township	103.614	166.751	—	CSAH 14 north (150th Street)	RIRO Interchange
		105.963	170.531	106	MN 41 north / CSAH 78 south – Chaska	Southern end of freeway section, Diverging diamond interchange
	Shakopee	107.252	172.605	107	CSAH 69 (Old Brick Yard Road) / US 169 Bus. north	US 169 Business only signed northbound
		108.203	174.136	108	CSAH 15 (Marystown Road)
		109.948	176.944	110	CSAH 17 (Marschall Road)	Access to St. Francis Regional Medical Center and Marschall Road Transit Station
		111.691	179.749	112	CSAH 83 (Canterbury Road)
		113.689– 113.749	182.965– 183.061	113	MN 13 / CSAH 21 – Burnsville	Northbound exit and southbound entrance only; access to Eagle Creek Park and Ride
		114.236– 114.307	183.845– 183.959	114	CSAH 21 to CSAH 18	No northbound exit; northbound entrance includes direct entrance ramp from Stagecoach Road
		114.636– 115.379	184.489– 185.685	115	CSAH 101 / US 169 Bus. south to MN 13 – Savage, Shakopee	Southbound exit and northbound entrance only
Minnesota River		115.698– 116.128	186.198– 186.890	Bloomington Ferry Bridge; Scott–Hennepin county line
Hennepin	Bloomington	116.369	187.278	117	CSAH 1 east (Old Shakopee Road) / Riverview Road	Southern end of CSAH 1 overlap
		117.121	188.488	—	CSAH 1 west (Pioneer Trail)	Northern end of CSAH 1 overlap
		118.436	190.604	—	Bloomington Ferry Road, Anderson Lakes Parkway
		119.969	193.071	—	Washington Avenue, Marth Road	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		120.023	193.158	—	I-494 / MN 5	I-494 exits 10A-B
	Bloomington–Edina line	120.801	194.410	—	78th Street	Southbound exit only
	Edina	120.971	194.684	—	Valley View Road
	Edina–Eden Prairie line	122.189– 122.198	196.644– 196.659	—	US 212 west / MN 62 (Crosstown Highway)
		122.784	197.602	—	Londonderry Road, Bren Road
	Hopkins–Edina line	123.789	199.219	—	5th Street South, Lincoln Drive
	Hopkins	124.384	200.177	—	CSAH 3 – Downtown Hopkins
		125.289	201.633	—	MN 7 – Minneapolis, Excelsior
	St. Louis Park	125.653	202.219	—	36th Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance only
	Minnetonka–St. Louis Park line	126.128	202.983	—	CSAH 5 (Minnetonka Boulevard)
		126.706	203.914	—	Cedar Lake Road
		127.611	205.370	—	16th Street	Northbound exit and entrance only
	St. Louis Park–Golden Valley line	128.022	206.031	—	I-394 – Minneapolis	I-394 exit 3
	Plymouth–Golden Valley line	128.417	206.667	—	Betty Crocker Drive, Shelard Parkway
		128.690	207.106	—	MN 55 – Minneapolis, Buffalo
		129.369	208.199	—	13th Avenue, Plymouth Avenue
	Plymouth–Golden Valley– New Hope tripoint	130.371	209.812	—	CSAH 70 (Medicine Lake Road)
	Plymouth–New Hope line	131.376	211.429	—	36th Avenue North
		132.158	212.688	—	CSAH 9 (Rockford Road)
		132.891	213.867	—	49th Avenue North
	Maple Grove–Brooklyn Park line	133.861	215.428	—	CSAH 10 (Bass Lake Road)
		134.654	216.705	—	63rd Avenue North
		135.601	218.229	—	I-94 / I-694 / US 52	I-94/694 exits 29A-B
		136.398	219.511	—	CSAH 130 (Elm Creek Boulevard, Brooklyn Boulevard)
	Brooklyn Park	137.572	221.401	—	CSAH 81 (Bottineau Boulevard) / CSAH 109 (85th Avenue North)
		138.819	223.408	—	CSAH 30 (93rd Avenue North)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		139.328	224.227	—	MN 610
		139.808	224.999	—	101st Avenue North	Northern end of freeway section
	Champlin	142.816	229.840		Great River Road (National Route) south / West River Road / Dean Avenue	Southern end of Great River Road overlap
		142.900	229.975		CSAH 12 / Great River Road (National Route) north / Dayton Road / Miller Road	Northern end of Great River Road overlap
Mississippi River		143.339– 143.535	230.682– 230.997	Anoka–Champlin Mississippi River Bridge
Anoka	Anoka	144.400	232.389	224B	US 10 east / MN 47	Southern end of US 10 overlap; southern end of freeway section; access to Anoka station (Northstar Line)
		144.923	233.231	224A	Main Street, Greenhaven Road	Northern end of freeway section
				223	Cutters Grove Avenue / Thurston Avenue
	Ramsey			222	CSAH 57 (Sunfish Lake Boulevard NW)	Future interchange to begin construction in 2024-2025 to replace traffic signal
				221	CSAH 56 (Ramsey Boulevard NW)	Future interchange to begin construction in 2024-2025 to replace traffic signal
				220	CSAH 83 (Armstrong Boulevard NW)	Access to Ramsey station (Northstar Line)
Sherburne	Elk River	155.703	250.580	—	US 10 west / MN 101 south – Elk River, Rogers	Northern end of US 10 overlap
		156.642	252.091	–	CSAH 12 (Main Street)	Interchange opened in 2024; former at-grade intersection with traffic lights
		157.261	253.087	–	School Street / Elk Hills Drive	Interchange opened in 2023; former at-grade intersection with traffic lights
		157.991	254.262	–	Jackson Street / 193rd Avenue	Interchange opened in 2023; former at-grade intersection with traffic lights
		158.491	255.067	–	197th Avenue	Southbound exit and northbound entrance opened in 2022; former at-grade intersection with traffic lights
		159.349	256.447	—	CSAH 33	Interchange
	Baldwin Township	170.726	274.757	—	CSAH 9	Interchange
	Princeton	174.343	280.578	—	CSAH 29 north (Rum River Drive)	Interchange; access to M Health Fairview Northland Medical Center
Mille Lacs		176.205	283.574	—	MN 95 – St. Cloud, Princeton	Interchange
		177.423	285.535	—	CSAH 29 south (Rum River Drive)	Interchange
	Milaca	189.035	304.222	—	MN 23 – Milaca	Interchange
	Onamia	211.156	339.823		MN 27 west – Pierz	Southern end of MN 27 overlap; access to Onamia Hospital
	Cove	213.745	343.989		MN 27 east / Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway – Wahkon, Isle	Northern end of MN 27 overlap
Crow Wing	Garrison	231.395	372.394		MN 18 west to MN 6 – Deerwood, Brainerd	Southern end of MN 18 overlap
Aitkin	Hazelton Township	236.536	380.668		MN 18 east / Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway – Malmo	Northern end of MN 18 overlap
	Aitkin	249.648	401.770		MN 47 south – Malmo	Access to Aitkin Hospital
		250.159	402.592		MN 210 west – Crosby, Brainerd	Southern end of MN 210 overlap
	Hassman	258.066	415.317		MN 210 east – McGregor, Duluth	Northern end of MN 210 overlap
	Morrison Township	261.361	420.620		CSAH 21 / Great River Road (National Route) south	Southern end of Great River Road overlap
		262.685	422.751		CSAH 10 / Great River Road (National Route) north	Northern end of Great River Road overlap
	Hill City	284.599	458.018		MN 200 – Remer, Jacobson
Itasca	Grand Rapids	302.803	487.314		US 2 west (NW 4th Street) – Bemidji	Southern end of US 2 overlap
		303.234	488.008		US 2 east – Duluth	Northern end of US 2 overlap
	Pengilly	321.160	516.857		MN 65 south	Southern end of MN 65 overlap
	Nashwauk	323.814	521.128		MN 65 north – Littlefork	Northern end of MN 65 overlap
St. Louis	Hibbing	334.057	537.613		MN 73 south – Floodwood
		335.055	539.219	–	1st Avenue (US 169 Bus.)
		335.763	540.358		MN 37 east (40th Street) – Eveleth
		337.698	543.472		Howard Street (US 169 Bus.)
	Chisholm	342.391	551.025	–	MN 73 north – Chisholm	Northern end of MN 73 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Mountain Iron	356.922	574.410	–	CR 102
	Virginia	359.462	578.498		US 53 – Duluth, International Falls	Interchange; national northern end of US 169; access to Virginia Hospital
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Proposed       Incomplete access

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U.S. Route 169
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