Minnesota State Highway 72

Trunk Highway 72
Route information
Maintained by Mn/DOT
Length:	76.810 mi[2] (123.614 km)
Existed:	1923[1] – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 71 at Blackduck
	MN 1 at Shooks MN 11 at Baudette
North end:	Highway 11 at Rainy River, ON
Location
Counties:	Beltrami, Lake of the Woods
Highway system
Minnesota Trunk Highways Interstate • U.S. • State Inter-County • County roads • Legislative routes ← US 71 MN 73 →

Minnesota State Highway 72 is a highway in northwest Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with U.S. 71 in Blackduck and continues north to its northern terminus at the Canadian border in Baudette. The road continues as Ontario Highway 11 upon entering the town of Rainy River, Ontario at the Baudette-Rainy River International Bridge.

Highway 72 is 77 miles (124 km) in length.

Route description

State Highway 72 serves as a north–south route between the communities of Blackduck, Shooks, Kelliher, and Baudette.

The roadway passes through the Red Lake State Forest in northeast Beltrami County between Kelliher and Waskish. Big Bog State Recreation Area is located on Highway 72, immediately north of Waskish.

Highway 72 crosses the Rainy River at Baudette.

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 and Baudette.

The route was paved by 1942.

At one time, Highway 72 had continued farther north, extending over what is now State Highway 172 in Lake of the Woods County. The section of present day Minnesota 172 between State Highway 11 (at Baudette) and Wheeler's Point (at Lake of the Woods) was originally designated Minnesota 72 as well between 1934 and 1963.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[2]	Destinations	Notes
Beltrami	Blackduck	0.000	US 71
	Hines Township	1.829	CR 32
	Hornet Township	6.895	CR 41
	Shooks Township	9.910	MN 1, CR 36 north	West end of MN 1 overlap
	Shooks	14.970	MN 1	East end of MN 1 overlap
	Kelliher	19.586	CR 36 west
		19.696	CR 36 east
	Shotley Brook	29.752	CR 23
Lake of the Woods	Swiftwater Township	59.889	CR 1
	Township 158-30	62.375	CR 16 (Hay Creek Road)
	Boone Township	62.873	CR 16 (51st Street SE)
	Rapid River Township	65.878	CR 7 (39th Street SE)
	Gudrid Township	71.875	CR 19 (15th Street SE)
	Baudette	73.880	CR 35
		74.680	MN 11	East end of MN 11 overlap
		76.377	MN 11	West end of MN 11 overlap
		76.518	CR 26 (2nd Street NE)
Rainy River		76.864	Highway 11
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

References

1. ^ Riner, Steve. "Details of Routes 51-75". The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. http://www.steve-riner.com/mnhighways/r51-75.htm#72. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Trunk Highway Log Point Listing - Construction District 2" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. August 23, 2010. http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadway/data/reports/logpoint/d2.pdf. Retrieved October 26, 2010.