MINNESOTA STATE HIGHWAY 210

'Minnesota State Highway 210' is a highway in west-central, central, and northeast Minnesota, which runs from the intersection of Minnesota Highway 23 and Minnesota 210 in Duluth (Fond du Lac) and continues west to its western terminus at the North Dakota state line (at Breckenridge, Minn. and Wahpeton, ND), where it becomes North Dakota Highway 210.
This route runs across Minnesota from west-central to northeast, connecting Fergus Falls, Brainerd, and Duluth.
Minnesota Highway 210 is 228-miles in length and passes through the communities of:

★ Duluth ★ Thomson ★ Carlton (at I-35) ★ Iverson ★ Sawyer ★ Fond du Lac Indian Reservation ★ Cromwell ★ Wright

★ Tamarack ★ McGregor ★ Aitkin ★ Deerwood ★ Crosby ★ Ironton ★ Riverton

★ Brainerd ★ Baxter ★ Pillager ★ Motley ★ Staples ★ Hewitt ★ Henning

★ Vining ★ Clitherall ★ Battle Lake ★ Underwood ★ Fergus Falls (at I-94) ★ Foxhome ★ Breckenridge

Contents

Notes

State Parks

Termini

History

Section of Minnesota 210 previously U.S. 210

U.S. 210 and U.S. 208

Route Description History

References

Notes

Minnesota Highway 210 serves as an east-west arterial route between Breckenridge, Fergus Falls, Staples, Baxter, Brainerd, Carlton, and Duluth in west-central, central, and northeast Minnesota.
For part of its route (7-miles), Highway 210 overlaps with U.S. Highway 10 between Motley and Staples in central Minnesota.
Minnesota Highway 210 passes through the counties of:

★ St. Louis County (briefly) ★ Carlton County ★ Aitkin County ★ Crow Wing County

★ Cass County ★ Todd County ★ Otter Tail County ★ Wilkin County

Highway 210 passes through the Cuyuna Range in Crow Wing County and the ''Fond du Lac State Forest'' in Carlton County.
Highway 210 crosses the Washington Street Bridge at the Mississippi River in Brainerd.
Highway 210 crosses the St. Louis River in Thomson.
The portion of Highway 210 in Aitkin County is officially designated the ''Dale Wayrynen Memorial Highway''. This same designation is also signed on Highway 210 in Carlton County from Cromwell westbound to the county line with Aitkin County.
Highway 210 is also known as:

★ ''Second Avenue North'' and ''Sixth Street'' in Staples.

★ ''Washington Street'' in Brainerd.

★ ''Rushing Rapids Parkway'' (for 9-miles) between Carlton and Fond du Lac (Duluth).

State Parks

★ Jay Cooke State Park is located on Highway 210 in Carlton County.^[2]The park is located between Carlton and Fond du Lac (Duluth).
(Minnesota DNR website for Jay Cooke State Park - Link)

★ Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area is located on Highway 210 in Crow Wing County. The park is located near Ironton and northeast of Brainerd.
(Minnesota DNR website for Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area - Link)

Termini

The eastern terminus for Minnesota 210 is its intersection with Minnesota Highway 23 in the Fond du Lac area of Duluth.
The western terminus for Minnesota 210 is at the North Dakota state line (at Breckenridge, Minn. and Wahpeton, ND), where it becomes North Dakota Highway 210 upon crossing the Red River.

History

The section of Minnesota Highway 210 between Carlton and Motley was designated and signed in 1973.

Section of Minnesota 210 previously U.S. 210

Minnesota 210 from Carlton to Motley (the eastern portion of the present day highway) was originally part of ''U.S. Route 210'' from 1926 to 1973.
During 1973, ''U.S. Route 210'' was decommissioned from Carlton to Motley and re-designated ''Minnesota 210'' that same year.
''U.S. Route 210'' was originally commissioned in 1926 by AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, as one of the original U.S. Routes.^[3]

U.S. 210 and U.S. 208

Originally, ''U.S. Route 210'' from Carlton to Motley was slated to be re-numbered ''U.S. Route 208'' in the 1934 numbering plan. The road was almost re-numbered because of a routing change in its parent road (U.S. Route 10). Ultimately, U.S. Route 10 was routed along former U.S. Route 10N in Minnesota. ''U.S. Route 208'' was shown on some maps in the mid 1930s running from Carlton to Motley in Minnesota, but the number was not officially commissioned or signed, and Highway 210 kept its number.

Route Description History

Highway 210 runs along the original mainline of the Northern Pacific Railway as built westward from Carlton to Staples. Between Henning and Breckenridge, the highway runs along a former branch line of the Northern Pacific Railway. Most of the branch line has since been abandoned.
The western section of the highway, between Breckenridge and Fergus Falls, was originally part of Constitutional Route 3. Between Fergus Falls and Henning, the highway was part of Constitutional Route 36. The section between Carlton and Motley was part of Constitutional Route 2.

References

1. Details of Routes 152-218 Riner, Steve
2. Official Railroad Map of Minnesota, 1886. Reprinted by the Minnesota Historical Society, 1994.
3. 1927 U.S. Numbered Highways