US Route 2

**Western Section**
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington

**US Route 2** is an east-west highway running from Houlton, Maine to Everett, Washington. It also is split into two parts, thanks to Ontario's southern peninsula. The eastern section runs from Houlton, Maine to Rouses Point, New York, and then the western section runs from Saint Ignace, Michigan to Everett, Washington. US 2 also serves cities such as Bangor, Maine, Montpelier, Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, Escanaba, Michigan, Iron Mountain, Michigan, Superior, Wisconsin, Duluth, Minnesota, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Bemidji, Minnesota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Minot, North Dakota, Glasgow, Montana, Havre, Montana, Shelby, Montana, Kalispell, Montana, Sandpoint, Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Spokane, Washington, and lastly Everett, Washington.

## Route Description

### Maine

US 2 begins at I-95 directly after the Canadian Border, then passes to the north of Houlton Airport, then passes through downtown Houlton. After Houlton, US 2 parallels I-95 all the way down through northern Maine, passing through towns such as Lincoln, Old Town, and Orono. US 2 then passes through downtown Bangor as State Street and Hammond Street, then passes I-95 and Bangor Airport and moves straight west, passing Newport, Skowhegan, Farmington, Rumford, and Bethel, then enters New Hampshire.

### New Hampshire

In Gorham, US 2 meets NH 16, and holds a short concurrency with it through downtown Gorham as Main Street. After splitting off from NH 16, US 2 continues west, passing Randolph, Jefferson, and Lancaster, where it meets US 3, then crosses the Connecticut river into Vermont.

### Vermont & New York

After 27 miles, US 2 passes through Saint Johnsbury as Portland Street and Western Avenue, also holding a short concurrency with US 5 in Downtown, then meets I-91, and continues west. In Montpelier, US 2 acts as Memorial Drive and State Street in Downtown, then meets I-89 and closely parallels the highway all the way to Burlington. In Burlington, it meets I-89 again, then goes into downtown and acts as Main Street and South Willard Street, also begins a concurrency with US 7. South of Cozy Corner, US 2 splits from US 7 and crosses over the islands of Vermont. It crosses over the many islands of Lake Champlain and the Alburgh Peninsula, then enters New York, and acts as Bridge Road in Rouses Point, then ends at US 11, and continues as US 11.

### Michigan

US 2 begins at I-75 and I-75B near Saint Ignace, then begins to parallel Lake Michigan, passing through the Sault Ste Marie State Forest Area and Hiawatha National Forest along the way. After passing through the forests of the UP, US 2 begins a concurrency with US 41 in Rapid River, then passes through Gladstone and Escanaba, then moves west with US 41. In Powers, it splits with US 41, and continues through the forest and meets US 8 in Norway, US 141 in Quinnesec, then passes through downtown Iron Mountain. After Iron Mountain, it enters Wisconsin for a short time, passing WI 70 in Florence, then re-enters Michigan. It meets US 141 again in Crystal Falls, and passes Iron River. It meets US 45 in Watersmeet, then passes through Ottawa National Forest until it meets the UP's other major east-west highway, M28 in Wakefield, then passes Ironwood and enters Wisconsin.

### Wisconsin

Only 500 feet after entering Wisconsin, US 2 meets US 51. In Wisconsin, US 2 follows Lake Superior, passing The Bad River Reservation, Ashland, where it meets US 63, then, after passing through many forests, US 2 merges onto US 53 north. It splits off in Superior and turns into Belknap Street and passes through downtown, then crosses the Saint Louis River into Duluth, Minnesota.

### Minnesota

After entering Minnesota, US 2 moves onto I-35 south, and follows it through southern Duluth. It then splits near Proctor and US 2 continues west. It passes through many forests, meeting US 169 in Grand Rapids, US 71 in Bemidji, and US 59 in Erskine. US 2 meets US 75 in Crookston, then enters North Dakota.

### North Dakota

After crossing the Red River, US 2 enters Grand Forks as Gateway Drive. It meets I-29 and US 81 west of Grand Forks, then passes Grand Forks International Airport and Grand Forks Air Force Base then continues west, passing ND 20 and ND 19 in Devil's Lake, US 281 in Churchs Ferry, Rugby, US 52 and US 83 in Minot, Stanley, US 85 in Williston, then enters Montana west of Williston.

### Montana

US 2 acts as the main northern highway of Montana, passing Culbertson, Poplar, Wolf Point, Glasgow, Saco, Malta, Harlem, US 87 in Havre, I-15 in Shelby, then passes US 89 in Browning and enters Glacier National Park. After Glacier National Park, US 2 meets US 93 in Kalispell, then enters Kootenai National Forest. It passes through the forest, then enters Idaho.

### Idaho

After entering Kootenai National Forest in Montana, it turns into Kaniksu National Forest in Idaho, and begins a concurrency with US 95. near Bonners Ferry. It passes through the forest, then splits with US 95 and meets ID 200 (formerly MD 200) in Sandpoint. It then continues passing through the forest and enters it's final state, Washington.

### Washington

After entering Washington, US 2 enters Newport, then moves south towards Spokane. North of Spokane, in Mead, it meets US 395, then passes through Spokane as Division Street. US 395 and US 2 then get onto I-90, meeting US 195 along the way, then US 2 splits with I-90 and US 395 west of Spokane. US 2 then passes through the desert parts of western/central Washington, passing places such as Davenport, Wilbur, Coulee City, Waterville, then merges onto US 97 in Orondo. US 2 passes north of Wenatchee, then splits with US 97 in Peshastin. US 2 then passes throuhg Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, then meets WA 9 near Snohomish, and then ends just east of Everett at I-5.