Interstate 90 in Minnesota

Interstate 90 (I-90) in the US state of Minnesota runs for 276 miles (444 km) across the southern side of the state, parallel to the Iowa state line. The route connects the cities of Worthington, Albert Lea, Austin, and Rochester. The city of Winona is also in close proximity to I-90, with about 10 miles (16 km) between the Interstate and the city.

Interstate 90 marker

Interstate 90

American Veterans Memorial Highway
I-90 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length275.70 mi[1] (443.70 km)
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-90 at the South Dakota state line
Major intersections US 75 at Luverne
US 59 / MN 60 at Worthington
US 71 at Jackson
US 169 at Blue Earth
I-35 near Albert Lea
US 218 at Austin
US 63 at Stewartville
US 52 near Rochester
US 14 / US 61 near La Crescent
East end I-90 at the Wisconsin state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesRock, Nobles, Jackson, Martin, Faribault, Freeborn, Mower, Olmsted, Winona
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
MN 89 MN 91

Route description

I-90 enters the state from South Dakota near Beaver Creek. This part of Minnesota has flat to gently rolling terrain and is the beginnings of Corn Belt farmland. The flat terrain is often subject to blowing and drifting snow in colder months, and the western portions of the highway are closed multiple times each winter.

Rock County, where I-90 enters Minnesota, is one of the only counties in the state lacking a natural lake. The change from semiarid to a wetter climate happens slowly moving eastbound on I-90 through southern Minnesota. The route passes through the cities of Luverne, Adrian, Worthington, Jackson, Fairmont, and Blue Earth. I-90 has an interchange with I-35 at Albert Lea.

I-90 in Minnesota by St. Charles

East of the city of Austin, I-90 changes direction slightly and heads toward Rochester, and the route enters a much more hilly landscape. This is the Driftless Area of southeast Minnesota. Unlike the rest of the state, where the most recent glaciations left terrain that is either flat or rolling under a deposit of glacial till, this area escaped the most recent glaciation. The bedrock to the top of the I-90 road cuts is noticeable at this point. The other notable feature of this area are deep, steep valleys cut by water that poured through this area as the ice cap melted.

I-90 drops into the scenic Mississippi River valley just west of Dresbach. The carriageways split apart as they descend, and they rejoin west of the junction with US Highway 61 (US 61). I-90 then parallels the Mississippi River before turning east and crossing the Dresbach Bridge over the river into Wisconsin.

Dresbach Bridge crossing the Mississippi River from Minnesota

I-90 is atypical in that, just across the Minnesota–Wisconsin state line, (immediately west of the community of Dakota) the median is wide enough that farms exist between the road beds.[2]

Legally, the Minnesota section of I-90 is defined as unmarked Legislative Route 391 in the Minnesota Statutes. I-90 is not marked with this legislative number along the actual highway.

History

Golden Spike Rest Area near the I-90 midpoint

I-90 in Minnesota was authorized as part of the original Interstate network in 1956. The first section of I-90 in Minnesota constructed was the bypass of Austin in 1961.[3] The wayside rest area near Blue Earth is where the east-building I-90 and west-building I-90 teams linked up in 1978, thus completing construction in Minnesota and joining the 3,099.07 miles (4,987.47 km) of the Interstate.[4] Plaques dedicating the pavement completion and describing the significance of this segment are on display at the rest area.[5] Since being overlaid with bituminous paving in 2006,[6] the original four-foot-wide (1.2 m) gold-colored cement concert line marking the completion of I-90 has been replaced with gold paint on just the shoulder portions of the roadway at the same location.

I-90 in Minnesota closely follows the route of old US 16 over most of its route except from just east of Austin, where I-90 turns toward Rochester and is constructed on a new alignment not previously covered by a highway. The section of I-90 east of Rochester was constructed just south of US 14 and south of the city of Winona.

I-90 served as a replacement for old US 16 between the South Dakota state line and I-90's interchange with present-day Minnesota State Highway 16 (MN 16) at Dexter.

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[7]kmExitDestinationsNotes
RockBeaver Creek Township0.0000.000
I-90 west Sioux Falls
Continuation into South Dakota
1.0571.7011 MN 23 / CSAH 17 Jasper, Pipestone
Beaver Creek3.8956.2683 CSAH 4 Beaver CreekEastbound exit and westbound entrance
5.0748.1665 CSAH 6 Beaver Creek, Hills
Luverne12.47920.08312 US 75 Luverne, Rock RapidsAlso access to Pipestone
Magnolia18.48329.74618 CSAH 3 Magnolia, Kanaranzi
NoblesAdrian26.62042.84126 MN 91 Adrian, Lake WilsonAlso access to Ellsworth, Lismore
Rushmore33.70754.24633 CSAH 13 Rushmore, Wilmont
Worthington42.25568.00342
I-90 BL east / CSAH 25 Worthington, Wilmont
Road from exit into Wilmont was formerly MN 266
43.73970.39143 US 59 Worthington, SlaytonAlso access to Fulda
45.14872.65945
I-90 BL west / MN 60 Windom
Also access to Sioux City
Lorain Township47.79676.92047 CSAH 53Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
NoblesJackson
county line
LorainEwington
township line
50.73881.65550 MN 264 / CSAH 1 Brewster, Round Lake
JacksonRost Township57.72892.90457 CSAH 9 Heron Lake, Okabena
Hunter Township64.767104.23264 MN 86 Lakefield, Spirit Lake
Jackson73.813118.79173 US 71 Jackson, Spirit Lake
Alpha80.083128.88180 CSAH 29 Alpha
MartinSherburn87.309140.51087 MN 4 Sherburn, St. James, Trimont, Estherville
Welcome93.675150.75593 MN 263 / CSAH 27 Welcome, Ceylon
Fairmont99.807160.62499
I-90 BL east / CSAH 39 Fairmont
102.053164.238102
I-90 BL west / MN 15 Madelia, Fairmont
Also access to Armstrong, Truman
Granada107.202172.525107 CSAH 53 Granada, East ChainRoad from exit into Granada was formerly MN 262
FaribaultGuckeen113.272182.294113 CSAH 1 – Guckeen, Huntley
Blue Earth119.909192.975119 US 169 Blue Earth, Mankato, Winnebago, ElmoreGreen Giant
Emerald Township128.538206.862128
MN 254 south / CSAH 17 Easton, Frost
Brush Creek Township134.546216.531134
MN 253 south / CSAH 21 Minnesota Lake, Bricelyn
Foster Township138.630223.103138 MN 22 Wells, Kiester
FreebornAlden146.292235.434146 MN 109 / CSAH 6 Alden, Mankato
Albert Lea154.739249.028154 MN 13 to US 69 Albert Lea, Waseca
157.826253.996157 CSAH 22 Albert Lea
Bancroft Township159.740257.077159 I-35 Albert Lea, Des Moines, Minneapolis, St. PaulSigned as exits 159A (south) and 159B (north); I-35 exits 13A-B
Hayward163.705263.458163 CSAH 26 Hayward
Oakland166.321267.668166 CSAH 46 (Oakland Road) – Petran, Oakland
MowerAustin175.488282.421175
I-90 BL east / MN 105 / CSAH 46 / Oakland Avenue
177.188285.156177
US 218 north / 14th Street NW Owatonna
West end of US 218 overlap
177.872286.257178A4th Street NW 
178.506287.278178B6th Street NE 
179.148288.31117911th Drive NE 
179.741289.265180A
I-90 BL west / Oakland Place
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
180.024289.721180B
US 218 south / 21st Street Northeast
East end of US 218 overlap
180.500290.48718128th Street NE 
Windom Township183.562295.414183 MN 56 Brownsdale, Rose Creek
Marshall Township187.338301.491187 CSAH 20
Dexter Township189.584305.106189 CSAH 13 Elkton
Dexter193.048310.681193 MN 16 Dexter, Grand Meadow, Spring Valley, Preston
OlmstedHigh Forest Township205.054330.002205 CSAH 6
Stewartville209.270336.787209 US 63 / MN 30 Stewartville, RochesterSigned as exits 209A (south/east) and 209B (north/west)
Marion Township217.620350.225218 US 52 Chatfield, RochesterAlso access to Twin Cities; Chatfield only appears on eastbound signage, Rochester only appears on westbound signage
Eyota223.606359.859224
MN 42 north / CSAH 7 Eyota
Dover228.572367.851229 CSAH 10 Dover
WinonaSt. Charles232.291373.836233 MN 74 St. Charles, Chatfield
Fremont Township242.061389.559242 CSAH 29 Lewiston
Warren Township249.103400.892249
MN 43 south Rushford
West end of MN 43 overlap
Wilson Township252.059405.650252
MN 43 north Winona
East end of MN 43 overlap
Pleasant Hill Township257.692414.715258
MN 76 south Houston
Nodine266.017428.113267 CSAH 12 Nodine
New Hartford Township270.288434.986269


US 14 west / US 61 north / Great River Road north Winona
Westbound access to US 14 west/US 61 north; west end of US 14 / US 61 overlap; eastbound exit via exit 270
Dakota271.232436.506270



To US 14 west / US 61 north Dakota
US 14 and US 61 signed eastbound only; westbound entrance via exit 269
Dresbach272.663–
272.681
438.809–
438.838
273DresbachSigned as exits 273A (first exit) and 273B (second exit) eastbound
La Crescent275.243442.961276


US 14 east / US 61 south / Great River Road south La Crescent, La Crosse
East end of US 14 / US 61 overlap
Mississippi River275.701443.698I-90 Mississippi River Bridge

I-90 east Tomah
Continuation into Wisconsin
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Template:Attached KML/Interstate 90 in Minnesota
KML is from Wikidata

*Steve Riner Details of Routes 76 to 100. Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Accessed January 12, 2009.

  1. Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  2. Google (June 8, 2009). "Interstate 90 in Minnesota" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  3. "Construction Project Log Record" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  4. Roethele, Sue (October 1978). "Last Segment of I-90 Opens in Minnesota" (PDF). DOT Scene. Minnesota Department of Transportation. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 4, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  5. A Golden Dedication for I-90 (Minnesota Historical Marker). Minnesota Historical Society; Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  6. "Construction Project Log Record" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 4, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  7. Minnesota Department of Transportation (August 14, 2014). "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
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