Minnesota State Highway 72 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Minnesota State Highway 72 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 northwest 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 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. 71

U.S. Route 71

U.S. Route 71 is a north–south United States highway. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstate highways. Currently, the highway's northern terminus is in International Falls, Minnesota at the Canadian border, at the southern end of the Fort...

in Blackduck

Blackduck, Minnesota

Blackduck is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 785 as of the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and is water. -Demographics:...

and continues north to its northern terminus at the Canadian border in Baudette

Baudette, Minnesota

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,104 people, 490 households, and 271 families residing in the city. The population density was 334.1 people per square mile . There were 540 housing units at an average density of 163.4 per square mile...

. The road continues as Ontario Highway 11

Highway 11 (Ontario)

King's Highway 11 is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. At , it is the second longest highway in the province after Highway 17. Highway 11 begins at Highway 400 in Barrie, and arches through northern Ontario, around Lake Superior, to the Ontario–Minnesota border...

upon entering the town of Rainy River, Ontario

Rainy River, Ontario

The Canadian town of Rainy River is situated on the Ontario-Minnesota border, along the Rainy River opposite Baudette, Minnesota, USA, and southeast of the Lake of the Woods...

at the Baudette-Rainy River International Bridge

Baudette-Rainy River International Bridge

The Baudette – Rainy River International Bridge is an international bridge connecting Rainy River, Ontario, Canada with Baudette, Minnesota, USA across the Rainy River....

.

Highway 72 is 77 miles (123.9 km) in length.

Route description

State Highway 72 serves as a north–south route between the communities of Blackduck

Blackduck, Minnesota

, Shooks

Shooks, Minnesota

Shooks is a small unincorporated community in Shooks Township, Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located northeast of Bemidji at the junction of Minnesota State Highways 1 and 72.-Further reading:...

, Kelliher

Kelliher, Minnesota

Kelliher is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 262 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....

, and Baudette

Baudette, Minnesota

.

The roadway passes through the Red Lake State Forest

Red Lake State Forest

The Red Lake State Forest is a Minnesota state forest located primarily in Beltrami County, although portions extend into Koochiching County. The forest borders the Pine Island State Forest to the east and Upper Red Lake to the west...

in northeast Beltrami County

Beltrami County, Minnesota

Beltrami County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 44,442. Its county seat is Bemidji. Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows...

between Kelliher

Kelliher, Minnesota

and Waskish. Big Bog State Recreation Area

Big Bog State Recreation Area

Big Bog State Recreation Area, a recent addition to the Minnesota state park system, is located on Minnesota State Highway 72, north of Waskish, Minnesota. It covers 9,459 acres , primarily swamps, bogs, and upland "islands"....

is located on Highway 72, immediately north of Waskish

Waskish Township, Minnesota

Waskish Township is a township in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 116 as of the 2000 census, primarily in the community of Waskish...

.

Highway 72 crosses the Rainy River

Rainy River (Minnesota-Ontario)

The Rainy River is a river, approximately long, which forms part of the U.S.-Canada border separating northern Minnesota and Northwestern Ontario....

at Baudette

Baudette, Minnesota

History

State Highway 72 was authorized as one of the first two Minnesota legislative routes in 1923. This portion of the route was located between Blackduck

Blackduck, Minnesota

and Baudette

Baudette, Minnesota

.

The route was paved by 1942.

At one time, Highway 72 had continued farther north, extending over what is now State Highway 172

Minnesota State Highway 172

Minnesota State Highway 172 is a highway in far northern Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 11 at Baudette and continues north to its northern terminus in Wheeler's Point at the Lake of the Woods....

in Lake of the Woods County

Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota

Lake of the Woods County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 4,045. Its county seat is Baudette. The county contains the Northwest Angle, the northernmost point of the Lower 48 States, and includes the U.S. portion of Lake of the Woods, shared with...

. The section of present day Minnesota 172 between State Highway 11

Minnesota State Highway 11

Minnesota State Highway 11 is a highway in northwest and north-central Minnesota, which runs from North Dakota Highway 66 at the North Dakota state line and continues east to its eastern terminus at the community of Island View at Rainy Lake, near International Falls.The route follows the Rainy...

(at Baudette

Baudette, Minnesota

) and Wheeler's Point

Wheeler's Point, Minnesota

Wheeler's Point is a small unincorporated community in Wheeler Township, Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, United States. It lies 12 miles north of Baudette.County Highway 8 and Minnesota State Highway 172 are two of the main routes in the community....

(at Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Township can only be reached from the rest of...

) was originally designated Minnesota 72 as well between 1934 and 1963.

Major intersections

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Rainy River (Minnesota-Ontario)

The Rainy River is a river, approximately long, which forms part of the U.S.-Canada border separating northern Minnesota and Northwestern Ontario....

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