Minnesota State Highway 22
Encyclopedia
Minnesota State Highway 22 is a highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 in south-central and central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, which runs from Winnebago
Winnebago County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,866 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,194 housing units, of which 4,597 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 County Road R50 at the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

 state line near Kiester
Kiester, Minnesota
Kiester is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 501 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

 and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...

 with State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 23 is a state highway that stretches from southwest to northeast Minnesota. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1....

 in Richmond
Richmond, Minnesota
Richmond is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census. Richmond is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, west of St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...

.

Highway 22 is 166 miles (267.2 km) in length.

Route description

State Highway 22 serves as a north–south route between Wells
Wells, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,494 people, 1,032 households, and 665 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,846.5 people per square mile . There were 1,097 housing units at an average density of 812.2 per square mile...

, Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...

, St. Peter
St. Peter, Minnesota
St. Peter is a city in Nicollet County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,196 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nicollet County.St...

, Gaylord
Gaylord, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,279 people, 897 households, and 592 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,435.3 people per square mile . There were 930 housing units at an average density of 585.7 per square mile...

, Glencoe
Glencoe, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,453 people, 2,103 households, and 1,446 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,045.6 people per square mile . There were 2,169 housing units at an average density of 813.7 per square mile...

, Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Minnesota
According to the 2000 United States Census , there were 13,080 people, 5,333 households, and 3,418 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,763.6 people per square mile . There were 5,667 housing units at an average density of 764.1 per square mile...

, Litchfield
Litchfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,562 people, 2,624 households, and 1,653 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,748.4 people per square mile . There were 2,741 housing units at an average density of 730.3 per square mile...

, and Richmond
Richmond, Minnesota
Richmond is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census. Richmond is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

.

Highway 22 parallels State Highway 15
Minnesota State Highway 15
Minnesota State Highway 15 is a highway in south-central and central Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 15 at the Iowa state line and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with U.S. Highway 10 outside of Sartell and Sauk Rapids, north of St...

 throughout its route. Highway 22 also intersects with Highway 15 at Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Minnesota
According to the 2000 United States Census , there were 13,080 people, 5,333 households, and 3,418 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,763.6 people per square mile . There were 5,667 housing units at an average density of 764.1 per square mile...

.

The route crosses the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....

 between St. Peter
St. Peter, Minnesota
St. Peter is a city in Nicollet County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,196 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nicollet County.St...

 and Kasota
Kasota, Minnesota
Kasota is a city in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 675 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

.

Highway 22 is built as a four-lane divided highway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...

 on the east side of Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...

.

The southern terminus for Highway 22 is at the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

 state line, near Kiester
Kiester, Minnesota
Kiester is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 501 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

, where Highway 22 becomes Winnebago
Winnebago County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,866 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,194 housing units, of which 4,597 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 County Road R50 (140th Avenue) upon crossing the state line.

History

State Highway 22 was authorized in 1920 from St. Peter to Paynesville
Paynesville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,267 people, 934 households, and 594 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,715.2 people per square mile . There were 984 housing units at an average density of 744.5 per square mile...

. In 1934, it was extended south to the Iowa state line, and its northernmost section between Eden Valley and Paynesville became part of State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55 is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...

.

The section of Highway 22 between Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...

 and St. Peter
St. Peter, Minnesota
St. Peter is a city in Nicollet County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,196 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nicollet County.St...

 follows the original route of U.S. Highway 169
U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota
U.S. Route 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.-Route description:U.S...

. When the parallel route west of the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....

 was first completed in the late 1950s, it originally carried the Highway 22 designation for a few years until it was redesignated U.S. 169
U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota
U.S. Route 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.-Route description:U.S...

 and Highway 22 reverted to its original alignment.

From 1934 to 1961, the northern terminus for Highway 22 was at its intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...

 with State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55 is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...

 in Eden Valley
Eden Valley, Minnesota
Eden Valley is a city in Meeker and Stearns counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 1,042 at the 2010 census. Most of Eden Valley is located in Meeker County.The Stearns County portion of Eden Valley is part of the St...

. The Highway 22 designation was extended north to Richmond
Richmond, Minnesota
Richmond is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census. Richmond is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

 in 1961.

Highway 22 was paved in its entirety by 1953.

The new alignment section of Highway 22 on the southeast side of Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...

 to U.S. Highway 14
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14 , an east–west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles , but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles . For much of its length, it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90.As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in...

 was constructed circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...

 1990.

Major intersections

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|colspan=2 align='center'|Minnesota-Iowa state line
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|colspan=2 align='center'|Le Sueur-Nicollet county line
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|colspan=2 align='center'|Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....


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