Minnesota State Highway 72
{{Short description|Highway in Minnesota}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=MN
|type=MN
|route = 72
|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 72}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=MN 72 highlighted in red
|length_mi = 76.810
|direction_b = North
|direction_a = South
|terminus_b = {{jct|state=ON|ON|11}} at Rainy River, ON
|terminus_a = {{jct|state=MN|US|71}} at Blackduck
|junction= {{jct|state=MN|MN|1}} at Shooks
{{jct|state=MN|MN|11}} at Baudette
|counties=Beltrami, Lake of the Woods
|previous_type=US
|previous_route=71
|next_type=MN
|next_route=73
}}
Minnesota State Highway 72 (MN 72) is a {{convert|76.810|mi|km|-long|adj=mid}} highway in northwest Minnesota, which runs from its
intersection with U.S. 71 in Blackduck and continues north to its northern terminus at the Canada–US 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.
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
{{Jcttop|length_ref={{cite web |url=http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadway/data/reports/logpoint/d2.pdf |title=Trunk Highway Log Point Listing – Construction District 2 |format=PDF |publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation |date=August 23, 2010 |accessdate=October 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204174621/http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadway/data/reports/logpoint/d2.pdf |archivedate=December 4, 2008 }}}}
{{MNint
|county=Beltrami
|cspan=8
|location=Blackduck
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=MN|US|71|city1=Bemidji}}}}
{{MNint
|location=Hines Township
|mile=1.829
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|32|county1=Beltrami|dir1=west|city1=Nebish}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Hornet Township
|mile=6.895
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|41|county1=Beltrami|dir1=east}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Shooks Township
|type=concur
|mile=9.910
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|1|dir1=west|city1=Redby}}
{{jct|state=MN|CSAH|36|county1=Beltrami|dir1=north}}
|notes=West end of MN 1 overlap}}
{{MNint
|location=Shooks
|type=concur
|mile=14.970
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|1|dir1=east|city1=Northome}}
|notes=East end of MN 1 overlap}}
{{MNint
|location=Kelliher
|lspan=2
|mile=19.586
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|36|county1=Beltrami|dir1=west}}
}}
{{MNint
|mile=19.696
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|36|county1=Beltrami|dir1=east}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Shotley Brook
|mile=29.752
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|23|county1=Beltrami|dir1=west|city1=Shotley}}
}}
{{MNint
|county=Lake of the Woods
|cspan=9
|location=Swiftwater Township
|mile=59.889
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|1|county1=Lake of the Woods|dir1=west|name1=Wilderness Drive}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Township 158-30
|mile=62.375
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|16|county1=Lake of the Woods|dir1=east|name1=Hay Creek Road}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Boone Township
|mile=62.873
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|16|county1=Lake of the Woods|dir1=west|name1=51st Street SE}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Rapid River Township
|mile=65.878
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|7|county1=Lake of the Woods|dir1=east|name1=39th Street SE}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Gudrid Township
|mile=71.875
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|19|county1=Lake of the Woods|dir1=east|name1=15th Street SE}}
}}
{{MNint
|location=Baudette
|lspan=4
|mile=73.880
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|35|county1=Lake of the Woods}}
}}
{{MNint
|type=concur
|mile=74.680
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|11|dir1=east|city1=International Falls}}
|notes=East end of MN 11 overlap}}
{{MNint
|type=concur
|mile=76.377
|road={{jct|state=MN|MN|11|dir1=west|city1=Warroad|city2=Roseau}}
|notes=West end of MN 11 overlap}}
{{MNint
|mile=76.518
|road={{jct|state=MN|CSAH|26|county1=Lake of the Woods|dir1=west|name1=2nd Street NE}}
}}
{{jctbridge
|river=Rainy River
|mile=76.864
|bridge={{jct|state=ON|ON|11|dir1=east|city1=Rainy River}}}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}
References
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
{{Reflist}}
Category:Transportation in Beltrami County, Minnesota
Category:Transportation in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota