Minnesota State Highway 4
{{short description|State highway in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{redirect-synonym|MN 4|Minnesota's 4th congressional district or to MN 4 (biostratigraphic zone)}}
{{Infobox road
|state=MN
|type=MN
|route = 4
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Minnesota State Highway 4}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=MN 4 highlighted in red
|established= 1920
|length_mi = 167.136
|direction_a = South
|direction_b = North
|terminus_a = {{Jct|state=IA|IA|4}} at the Iowa state line near Dunnell
|terminus_b = {{Jct|state=MN|I|94|US|52}} near Sauk Centre and Melrose
|junction=
- {{Jct|state=MN|I|90}} at Sherburn
- {{Jct|state=MN|MN|30|MN|60}} at St. James
- {{Jct|state=MN|US|14|MN|68}} at Sleepy Eye
- {{Jct|state=MN|MN|19}} at Fairfax
- {{Jct|state=MN|US|212}} at Hector
- {{Jct|state=MN|MN|7}} at Cosmos
- {{Jct|state=MN|US|12}} at Grove City
- {{Jct|state=MN|MN|23|MN|55}} at Paynesville
|counties=Martin, Watonwan, Brown, Nicollet, Renville, Meeker, Kandiyohi, Stearns |
|previous_type=MN
|previous_route=3
|next_type=MN
|next_route=5
}}
Minnesota State Highway 4 (MN 4) is a {{convert|167.136|mi|km|-long|adj=mid}} highway in southwest and west-central Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 4 at the Iowa state line (near Dunnell, MN and Estherville, IA), and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with Interstate Highway 94 near Sauk Centre and Melrose.
Route description
State Highway 4 serves as a north–south route between Sherburn, Saint James, Sleepy Eye, Fairfax, Hector, Paynesville, and Meire Grove in southwest and west-central Minnesota.
Highway 4 parallels U.S. Highway 71 and State Highway 15 throughout its route.
Fort Ridgely State Park is located on Highway 4 in Nicollet County on the Minnesota River. The park is located south of Fairfax and northwest of New Ulm.[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fort_ridgely/index.html Minnesota DNR website for Fort Ridgely State Park - Link]
History
The segment of Highway 4 between Paynesville and Interstate 94 is part of Minnesota Constitutional Route 4, established in 1920; the remainder of Highway 4 was authorized in 1933. Between Saint James and the Iowa border, Highway 4 followed very closely the former Minneapolis & St Louis Railway the remains of which are clearly visible on the west side of the highway between Minnesota Highway 60 and Sherburn, Minnesota. Grain elevators in Echols, Ormsby, Trimont, and Sherburn are aligned with the former M&StL route through each of these towns.{{riner |route=4 |access date=September 18, 2010}}
The route was completely paved by 1961.
{{Clear}}
Major intersections
{{MNint
|county=Martin
|cspan=4
|township=Lake Fremont
|ctdab=Martin
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=IA|IA|4|dir1=south|city1=Estherville}}
|notes=Continuation into Iowa}}
{{MNint
|township=Jay
|ctdab=Martin
|type=concur
|mile=10.147
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|26|county1=Martin|dir1=west}}
|notes=Southern end of CSAH 26 concurrency; formerly US 16
}}
{{MNint
|location=Sherburn
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|mile=12.512
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|26|county1=Martin|dir1=east}}
|notes=Northern end of CSAH 26 concurrency; formerly US 16
}}
{{MNint
|mile=13.367
|mile2=13.535
|road={{jct|state=MN|I|90|city1=Fairmont|city2=Jackson}}
|notes=I-90 Exit 87}}
{{MNint
|county=Watonwan
|cspan=4
|location=St. James Township
|lspan=2
|mile=34.378
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|60|dir1=west|CSAH|57|county2=Watonwan|MN-Bus|60|dir3=east|city1=Windom}}
|type=concur
|notes=Interchange; southern end of MN 60 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|mile=35.510
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|60|MN|30|dir1=east|MN-Bus|60|dir3=ends|city1=Mankato}}
|type=concur
|notes=Northern end of MN 60 concurrency
Southern end of MN 30 / MN 60 Bus. concurrency}}
{{MNint
|location=St. James
|type=concur
|mile=36.807
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN-Bus|60|dir1=west|CSAH|56|county2=Watonwan}}
|notes=Northern end of MN 60 Bus. concurrency}}
{{MNint
|location=Nelson Township
|mile=42.092
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|30|dir1=west|CSAH|3|county2=Watonwan|city1=Darfur|city2=La Salle}}
|type=concur
|notes=Northern end of MN 30 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|county=Brown
|cspan=2
|location=Sleepy Eye
|mile=62.998
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MN|US|14|MN|68}}
|notes=Southern end of MN 68 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|location=Home Township
|mile=66.020
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|68|dir1=west|city1=Morgan}}
|notes=Northern end of MN 68 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|county=Nicollet
|township=Ridgely
|ctdab=Nicollet
|mile=73.519
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|21|county1=Nicollet|name1=Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway|location1=Harkin's General Store|location2=Fort Ridgely State Park}}
}}
{{MNint
|county=Renville
|cspan=2
|location=Cairo Township
|mile=79.399
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|19|city1=Winthrop|city2=Redwood Falls}}}}
{{MNint
|location=Hector
|mile=94.212
|road={{jct|state=MN|US|212|city1=Glencoe|city2=Olivia}}}}
{{MNint
|county=Meeker
|cspan=4
|location=Cosmos
|mile=108.147
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|7|city1=Hutchinson|city2=Montevideo}}}}
{{MNint
|location=Grove City
|mile=123.011
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MN|US|12|dir1=west|city1=Willmar}}
|notes=Western end of US 12 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|location=Swede Grove Township
|mile=123.620
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MN|US|12|dir1=east|city1=Litchfield}}
|notes=Eastern end of US 12 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|location=Union Grove Township
|mile=135.633
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|55|dir1=east|city1=Eden Valley}}
|notes=Eastern end of MN 55 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|county=Stearns
|cspan=2
|location=Paynesville
|lspan=2
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|66|name1=Lake Avenue|extra=hospital}}
|notes=Former MN 124
}}
{{MNint
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|23|city1=St. Cloud|city2=Willmar}}
|notes=Interchange}}
{{MNint
|county=Kandiyohi
|location=Roseville Township
|ctdab=Kandiyohi
|mile=143.193
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|55|dir1=west|city1=Belgrade}}
|notes=Western end of MN 55 concurrency}}
{{MNint
|county=Stearns
|location=Melrose Township
|mile=165.719
|mile2=165.804
|road={{jct|state=MN|I|94|CSAH|65|county2=Stearns|name1=US 52|city1=St. Cloud|city2=Alexandria}}
|notes=I-94 Exit 131}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}
References
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
{{reflist}}
Category:Transportation in Stearns County, Minnesota
Category:Transportation in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
Category:Transportation in Meeker County, Minnesota
Category:Transportation in Renville County, Minnesota
Category:Transportation in Brown County, Minnesota
Category:Transportation in Watonwan County, Minnesota