Interstate 94 in Minnesota - Route Description

Route Description

Interstate 94 enters the state from North Dakota at the city of Moorhead and immediately heads southeast.

Traveling southeast from Moorhead, there are several places where the elevation of I-94 rises slightly; these are "beaches" that formed as the glacial lake rose or fell. Finally, at Rothsay, I-94 climbs the last beach line and enters terrain more typical for Minnesota. From Rothsay to the Twin Cities, the terrain of I-94 is rolling with frequent lakes visible from the highway.

I-94 traverses by Fergus Falls, Alexandria, and Sauk Centre on its way to St. Cloud. The "original main street" in Sauk Centre near I-94 commemorates the Sinclair Lewis novel that skewered this town.

From St. Cloud to Minneapolis, it's difficult to tell where the sprawl from one city ends and the other begins. Monticello is roughly the midpoint, and is an exurb for both St. Cloud and Minneapolis. Between exits 201 (Albertville) and 194 (Monticello) sits the Minnesota Road Research Facility.

Upon arrival to the Twin Cities, I-94 approaches first Minneapolis from the north, then the highway turns east after passing through the Lowry Hill Tunnel and heads to Saint Paul. Upon leaving Saint Paul, the route travels through suburban Washington County and exits the state into Wisconsin.

Legally, the Minnesota section of Interstate 94 is defined as unmarked Legislative Route 392 in the Minnesota Statutes § 161.12(4). Interstate 94 is not marked with this legislative number along the actual highway.