Minnesota State Highway 72

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Trunk Highway 72
Length:	78 mi[1] (126 km)
Formed:	1923[1]
South end:	U.S. 71 at Blackduck
Major junctions:	MN 1 at Shooks MN 11 at Baudette
North end:	ONT 11 at Baudette and Rainy River
Minnesota State Highways < US 71 TH 73 >

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

Minnesota Highway 72 is 78-miles in length and passes through the communities of:

• Blackduck
• Shooks
• Kelliher
• Waskish
• Baudette

[edit] Notes

Minnesota Highway 72 serves as a north-south arterial route between the communities of Blackduck, Shooks, Kelliher, and Baudette.

Minnesota 72 passes through Beltrami and Lake of the Woods counties.

Highway 72 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.

(Minnesota DNR web page for Big Bog State Recreation Area - Link)

Highway 72 crosses the Rainy River at Baudette.

[edit] History

Highway 72 was authorized as one of the first two Minnesota legislative routes in 1923. This portion of the route was between Blackduck and Baudette.

Highway 72 was paved by 1942.

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

[edit] References