Minnesota State Highway 68
Encyclopedia
Minnesota State Highway 68 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 southwest and south-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 South Dakota Highway 22
South Dakota Highway 22
South Dakota Highway 22 is a state route in northeast South Dakota. It begins at the town of Hazel, and terminates at the Minnesota border west of Canby, Minnesota, where it becomes Minnesota State Highway 68. It is 53 miles in length....

 at the South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

 state line near Canby
Canby, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 1,903 people, 842 households, and 453 families residing in the city. The population density is 876.5 people per square mile . There are 918 housing units at an average density of 422.8 per square mile...

, and continues east to its eastern 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 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...

 and State Highway 60
Minnesota State Highway 60
Minnesota State Highway 60 is a highway in southern Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 60 at the Iowa state line and continues east-northeast to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line , where the route becomes Wisconsin Highway 25 upon crossing the Mississippi River.Highway 60 is...

 in South Bend Township near 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...

.

Highway 68 is 141 miles (226.9 km) in length.

Route description

State Highway 68 serves as an east–west route in southwest and south-central Minnesota between Canby
Canby, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 1,903 people, 842 households, and 453 families residing in the city. The population density is 876.5 people per square mile . There are 918 housing units at an average density of 422.8 per square mile...

, Minneota
Minneota, Minnesota
Minneota is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,392 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

, Marshall
Marshall, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile...

, Morgan
Morgan, Minnesota
Morgan is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 896 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

, Sleepy Eye
Sleepy Eye, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,515 people, 1,479 households, and 942 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,099.9 people per square mile . There were 1,591 housing units at an average density of 950.5 per square mile...

, New Ulm
New Ulm, Minnesota
New Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brown County....

, and 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...

.

Minneopa State Park
Minneopa State Park
Minneopa State Park is a state park in Minnesota, USA. The park is located on the Minnesota River west of Mankato. It was established in 1905 to preserve Minneopa Falls, the largest waterfall in southern Minnesota, which had already been a popular visitor attraction since the 1850s. Minneopa is...

 is located five miles (8 km) west 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 park entrance is located on Highway 68 near its intersection with 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...

.

Highway 68 has concurrencies
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...

 with:
  • State Highway 19
    Minnesota State Highway 19
    Minnesota State Highway 19 is a highway in southwest and southeast Minnesota, which runs from South Dakota Highway 30 at the South Dakota state line near Ivanhoe and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...

    , east of Marshall
    Marshall, Minnesota
    As of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile...

    .
  • 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...

    , west of New Ulm
    New Ulm, Minnesota
    New Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brown County....

    .
  • 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...

    , south of New Ulm.

History

Highway 68 was authorized in 1920 between Canby and Marshall.

Its western terminus was extended to the South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

 state line in 1934.

In 1963, Highway 68 was expanded easterly between Marshall and Mankato by consolidating former State Highway 93 and State Highway 83, and re-numbering them 68.

Highway 68 was paved from Marshall
Marshall, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile...

 to Canby
Canby, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 1,903 people, 842 households, and 453 families residing in the city. The population density is 876.5 people per square mile . There are 918 housing units at an average density of 422.8 per square mile...

by 1940. Many remaining sections of the present day Highway 68 were still gravel by 1953. The present day route was completely paved by 1960.

Major intersections

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