# Minnesota State Highway 27

Minnesota State Highway 27 (MN 27) is a 247.623-mile-long (398.511 km) state highway in west-central and east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with MN 28 in Browns Valley and continues east to its interchange with Interstate 35 (I-35) in Moose Lake. For part of its route (23 miles), it runs concurrently with MN 65 in Kanabec and Aitkin counties between Woodland and Rice River Township.

## Route description

MN 27 serves as an east–west route between Browns Valley, Wheaton, Alexandria, Long Prairie, Little Falls, Mille Lacs Lake, and Moose Lake.
The western terminus for MN 27 is its intersection with MN 28 in Browns Valley, near the Minnesota–South Dakota state line at the Little Minnesota River. The Sam Brown Memorial State Wayside Park is located at the western terminus of MN 27 in Browns Valley.
MN 27 crosses the Broadway Bridge at the Mississippi River in Little Falls.
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park is located immediately south of MN 27 and Little Falls on the Great River Road (CR 52).
Father Hennepin State Park is located on MN 27 at the southeast corner of Mille Lacs Lake, one mile (1.6 km) west of Isle.
MN 27, together with MN 65, passes through the Solana State Forest in Aitkin County.

## History

Highway 27 was marked in 1934. It replaced part of former State Highway 10 between Wheaton and Herman and part of State Highway 54 from Herman to Roseville Township; the remainder consisted of either concurrencies or new highways authorized in 1933. At this time, it was paved from Wheaton to Herman, along its overlap with U.S. 52 from Alexandria to Osakis, and from its junction with State Highway 28 to Pierz.
It was paved from Long Prairie to its junction with Highway 28 in 1938, and from U.S. 169 to then-State Highway 56 along the south side of Mille Lacs Lake in 1939.
In the early 1940s, paving was done along short segments west of Wheaton, east of Osakis, west of Lastrup, and west of Moose Lake.
After the end of World War II, the remainder of the highway west of Mille Lacs Lake was paved in stages, with these portions complete by 1955.
In 1958, the roadway was realigned; instead of turning northeastward to travel through McGrath, it continued directly east to intersect Highway 65 at a four-way junction with then-State Highway 66.
Highway 27 was relocated in 1961 along the routing of former State Highway 66 from State Highway 47 south of Isle to Highway 65 at Woodland. The 66 designation was simultaneously reused on another highway in Blue Earth County. Its former alignment from 47 to 65 was renumbered as part of State Highway 18. Also in 1961, the highway was paved from the Aitkin-Carlton county line to the existing pavement near its crossing of the Kettle River.
In 1970, the highway was extended through Moose Lake along former U.S. 61 and County Road 8 to an interchange with the newly built Interstate 35.
The last remaining unpaved section, from Highway 65 to the Aitkin-Carlton county line, was paved in 1974.
In 2012, Highway 27 was moved to overlap with I-94 from Alexandria to Osakis, with the old route turned over to Douglas County maintenance and renamed County Road 82. The highway was then routed along what had previously been State Highway 127 to connect with its existing alignment in Osakis.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Traverse | Folsom Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | MN 28 – Browns Valley, Sisseton | Western terminus |
| Traverse | Lake Valley Township | 17.551 | 28.246 | MN 117 west – Rosholt SD | |
| Traverse | Wheaton | 24.007 | 38.636 | US 75 north – Breckenridge | Western end of US 75 concurrency |
| Traverse | Wheaton | 24.108 | 38.798 | US 75 south – Ortonville | Eastern end of US 75 concurrency |
| Grant | Herman | 40.957 | 65.914 | MN 9 | |
| Grant | Roseville Township | 49.160 | 79.115 | CR 54 north – Elbow Lake | Former MN 54 |
| Grant | Roseville Township | 54.167 | 87.173 | US 59 – Barrett, Morris | |
| Grant | Hoffman | 58.291 | 93.810 | MN 55 – Glenwood | |
| Douglas | La Grand Township | 63.666 | 102.460 | MN 114 / I-94 Alt. west – Garfield, Lowry | |
| Douglas | La Grand Township | 72.615 | 116.863 | I-94 west (US 52 west) / CSAH 45 / CSAH 46 – Fergus Falls | Western end of I-94 concurrency; I-94 exit 100 |
| Douglas | Alexandria | 78.879 | 126.943 | MN 29 – Alexandria, Glenwood | Exit 103 on I-94/MN 27 |
| Douglas | Osakis | 92.200 | 148.382 | I-94 east (US 52 east) / CSAH 3 – Westport, St. Cloud | Eastern end of I-94 concurrency; I-94 exit 114 |
| Douglas–Todd county line | Osakis | 92.843 | 149.416 | CSAH 82 / CSAH 51 / I-94 Alt. – West Union, Osakis | Former MN 27 west / MN 127 south; previously US 52 |
| Todd | Round Prairie Township | 105.191 | 169.289 | US 71 south – Sauk Centre | Western end of US 71 concurrency |
| Todd | Long Prairie | 110.863 | 178.417 | MN 287 – Grey Eagle | |
| Todd | Long Prairie | 111.329 | 179.167 | US 71 north – Wadena | Eastern end of US 71 concurrency |
| Morrison | Culdrum Township | 123.234 | 198.326 | MN 28 west – Swanville | Western end of MN 28 concurrency |
| Morrison | Pike Creek Township | 133.330 | 214.574 | MN 238 south – Albany | Northern terminus of MN 238 |
| Morrison | Little Falls | 135.150 | 217.503 | MN 28 end / Great River Road south (Lindbergh Drive) – Lindbergh State Park, Lindbergh Historic Site, Weyerhaeuser Museum | Eastern end of MN 28 concurrency; western end of GRR concurrency |
| Morrison | Little Falls | 135.243 | 217.653 | Great River Road north (Paul Larson Memorial Drive) | Eastern end of GRR concurrency |
| Morrison | Little Falls | 135.257– 135.361 | 217.675– 217.842 | Broadway Bridge over the Mississippi River | Broadway Bridge over the Mississippi River |
| Morrison | Little Falls | 136.672– 136.761 | 219.952– 220.095 | US 10 to MN 371 – St. Cloud, Motley, Brainerd | Interchange |
| Morrison | Genola | 148.071 | 238.297 | MN 25 south – Foley | Western end of MN 25 concurrency |
| Morrison | Buh Township | 152.081 | 244.751 | MN 25 north – Brainerd | Eastern end of MN 25 concurrency |
| Mille Lacs | Onamia | 175.634 | 282.656 | US 169 south – Milaca | Western end of US 169 concurrency |
| Mille Lacs | South Harbor Township | 178.306 | 286.956 | US 169 north – Garrison | Eastern end of US 169 concurrency |
| Mille Lacs | Isle | 188.445 | 303.273 | MN 47 north – Aitkin | Western end of MN 47 concurrency |
| Mille Lacs | Isle Harbor Township | 190.615 | 306.765 | MN 47 south – Ogilvie | Eastern end of MN 47 concurrency |
| Kanabec | Ford Township | 194.248 | 312.612 | MN 65 south – Mora | Western end of MN 65 concurrency |
| Aitkin | Williams Township | | | MN 18 – Finlayson, MN 47 | |
| Aitkin | Rice River Township | 221.259 | 356.082 | MN 65 north – McGregor | Eastern end of MN 65 concurrency |
| Carlton | Silver Township | 240.765 | 387.474 | MN 73 north – Cromwell | Western end of MN 73 concurrency |
| Carlton | Moose Lake | 245.545 | 395.166 | MN 73 south – Twin Cities | Eastern end of MN 73 concurrency |
| Carlton | Moose Lake Township | 247.182– 247.371 | 397.801– 398.105 | I-35 north / CSAH 8 east – Duluth | Interchange, no access to I-35 south; road continues as CSAH 8 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access ||||||