MN 61 serves as a northeast–southwest route in northeast Minnesota between Duluth, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, and the Canadian border. of MN 61 from Duluth to Two Harbors is a four-lane expressway officially designated the Arthur Rohweder Memorial Highway. There are no markers on the highway showing this designation, but there is a plaque at a wayside. The roadway is located close to and in many places next to Lake Superior. Sights include forests, wildlife, cliffs, state parks, and a national monument. Highway 61 passes through the Superior National Forest and the Grand Portage State Forest in Cook County. The following state parks are located on Highway 61:
Gooseberry Falls State Park is located northeast of Two Harbors in Lake County.
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is located in Lake County between Two Harbors and Silver Bay.
Tettegouche State Park is located in Lake County at the base of the Baptism River. The park is located immediately northeast of Silver Bay.
Temperance River State Park is located immediately northeast of Schroeder in Cook County.
Cascade River State Park is located in Cook County between Lutsen and Grand Marais.
Judge C. R. Magney State Park is located on the banks of the Brule River. The park is located northeast of Grand Marais in Cook County.
Grand Portage State Park is located in Cook County on the banks of the Pigeon River. The community of Grand Portage is nearby.
The Grand Portage National Monument is located adjacent to the community of Grand Portage on Highway 61. The southern terminus for MN 61 is its junction with I-35 in Duluth in northeast Minnesota. The national northern terminus for I-35 is also located at this same junction with 26th Avenue East. The northern terminus for MN 61 is at the Canadian border, near Grand Portage, where it becomes Ontario Highway 61 upon entering Canada at the Pigeon River Bridge. The roadway continues to Thunder Bay.
History
Minnesota Highway 61 was designated and signed in 1991. The roadway was originally part of US 61 from 1926 to 1991. After construction of I-35 in the 1960s, US 61 was co-signed with I-35 until 1991. During that year, US 61 was decommissioned from the Canadian border south to its present-day junction with I-35 at the city of Wyoming near Forest Lake. The section of US 61 north of Duluth was redesignated MN 61 that same year. MN 61 is one of three state marked highways to carry the same number as an existing U.S. Highway within the state, the others are MN 65 and MN 169. From 1991 to 1997, MN 61 continued southwest on London Road beyond I-35 to 14th Avenue East, where southbound traffic then turned northwest to end at MN 23 which followed a one-way pair of 2nd Street East and 3rd Street East ; northbound MN 61 began following 12th Avenue East south to London Road. Both routes were turned back to end at their respective I-35 junctions in Duluth in 1997.
Early history
MN 61, between Duluth and the Canadian border, was commissioned as part of US 61 in 1926, ready for use by 1929, and paved by 1940. The section of MN 61 from Hovland to the Pigeon River formerly ran inland, bypassing the community of Grand Portage. The new highway alignment and border crossing were constructed in the early 1960s. The MN 61 expressway between Duluth and Two Harbors was constructed inland in the 1960s. The state then turned over maintenance of the original US 61 between Duluth and Two Harbors to Saint Louis and Lake counties. The two counties then redesignated this section as CR 61 or Scenic 61.
