MINNESOTA STATE HIGHWAY 18

'Minnesota State Highway 18' is a highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from the interchange of Interstate Highway 35 and Minnesota 18 in Finlayson Township (immediately north of Sandstone and west of Askov) and continues west to its western terminus at the intersection of Minnesota Highway 25 and Minnesota 18 in Brainerd.
For part of its route (9-miles), it runs together with Minnesota Highway 47 in Aitkin and Mille Lacs counties around the northeast side of Mille Lacs Lake.
Highway 18 also runs together with U.S. Highway 169 for 5-miles in Aitkin and Crow Wing counties around the northwest side of Mille Lacs Lake.
Minnesota Highway 18 is 84-miles in length and passes through the communities of:

★ Finlayson Township ★ Finlayson

★ Garrison ★ Bay Lake Township ★ Brainerd

Contents

Notes

Landmarks

Termini

History

References

Notes

Minnesota Highway 18 serves as an east-west arterial route between Sandstone, Mille Lacs Lake, Garrison, and Brainerd in east-central Minnesota.
Minnesota 18 passes through the counties of:

★ Pine County

★ Aitkin County

★ Mille Lacs County

★ Crow Wing County

Landmarks

★ Banning State Park is located immediately east of the junction of Highways 18, 23, and I-35 (near Sandstone and Askov).

(Banning State Park website - Link)

★ Highway 18 passes through the Wealthwood State Forest in Aitkin County.

★ The section of Highway 18 from Garrison to Brainerd is officially designated the ''POW / MIA Memorial Highway''. A section of U.S. Highway 169 in Minnesota also takes on this same memorial name designation.

Termini

The eastern terminus for Minnesota 18 is its interchange with Interstate Highway 35 in Finlayson Township (immediately north of Sandstone and west of Askov) in east-central Minnesota.
The western terminus for Minnesota 18 is its intersection with Minnesota Highway 25 in Brainerd.

History

The section of Highway 18 between Brainerd and U.S. 169 at Garrison was authorized in 1920. The remaining route was authorized in 1933.
Highway 18 previously ended at the current junction of Minnesota Highway 27 and Minnesota Highway 47 (then ''Minnesota Highway 56'') until the mid 1950s.
The current section of Highway 18 between Minnesota Highway 47 and Minnesota Highway 65 was then designated Minnesota Highway 27, and the current section of Highway 18 between Minnesota Highway 65 and Minnesota Highway 23 (north of Sandstone) was first designated ''Minnesota Highway 66'' (essentially east of Mille Lacs Lake).
By 1940, the only paved section of Highway 18 was between Brainerd and Garrison. The last unpaved section of Highway 18 was east of Minnesota Highway 47 to Minnesota Highway 65, paved in the late 1960s.
At one time, Highway 18 had continued farther west of Minnesota Highway 25 in Brainerd. This section was turned back to the city of Brainerd maintenance in 2001 after completion of the Highway 371 Brainerd bypass.

References

1. Details of Routes 1-25 Riner, Steve