Minnesota State Highway 97 is a highway

Highway

A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 in Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, which runs from its junction

Junction (traffic)

A junction, when discussed in the context of transport, is a location where traffic can change between different routes, directions, or sometimes modes, of travel.-Historical significance:...

 with Interstate 35

Interstate 35 in Minnesota

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...

 and Anoka County Road 23 in Columbus, near Forest Lake

Forest Lake, Minnesota

Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 18,375 at the 2010 census. It is located on Minnesota's 94th largest lake .Interstate 35 and U.S...

, and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection

Intersection (road)

An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...

 with State Highway 95

Minnesota State Highway 95

Minnesota State Highway 95 is a highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 23 near St. Cloud and continues east and south to its southern terminus at its intersection with U.S...

 in Scandia, near Marine on St. Croix

Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota

Marine on St. Croix is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 689 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Minnesota State Highway 95 serves as a main...

.

Highway 97 is also known as Scandia Trail.

Route description

State Highway 97 serves as an east–west arterial route between the communities of Columbus, Forest Lake

Forest Lake, Minnesota

Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 18,375 at the 2010 census. It is located on Minnesota's 94th largest lake .Interstate 35 and U.S...

, and Scandia.

Highway 97 intersects U.S. Highway 61

U.S. Route 61 in Minnesota

U.S. Highway 61 is a highway in southeast and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the River Bridge over the Mississippi River at La Crescent and continues north to its northern terminus at its junction with Interstate 35 at the city of Wyoming....

 in Forest Lake.

The route is legally defined as Legislative Route 97 in the Minnesota Statutes, except for the short portion between I-35 and U.S. 61, which is part of unmarked Minnesota Constitutional Route

Constitutional route

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, a legislative route is a highway number defined by the Minnesota State Legislature. The routes from 1 to 70 are constitutional routes, defined as part of the Babcock Amendment to the Minnesota State Constitution, passed November 2, 1920. All of them were listed in...

 62.

History

State Highway 97 was authorized in 1933 between State Highway 95

Minnesota State Highway 95

Minnesota State Highway 95 is a highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 23 near St. Cloud and continues east and south to its southern terminus at its intersection with U.S...

 in Scandia and U.S. Highway 61

U.S. Route 61 in Minnesota

U.S. Highway 61 is a highway in southeast and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the River Bridge over the Mississippi River at La Crescent and continues north to its northern terminus at its junction with Interstate 35 at the city of Wyoming....

 in Forest Lake

Forest Lake, Minnesota

Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 18,375 at the 2010 census. It is located on Minnesota's 94th largest lake .Interstate 35 and U.S...

.

The route was completely paved by 1941.

Highway 97 was extended west of U.S. 61

U.S. Route 61 in Minnesota

U.S. Highway 61 is a highway in southeast and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the River Bridge over the Mississippi River at La Crescent and continues north to its northern terminus at its junction with Interstate 35 at the city of Wyoming....

 in the mid 1960s to connect with Interstate 35

Interstate 35 in Minnesota

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...

. This expanded section was originally part of U.S. Highway 8

U.S. Route 8

U.S. Highway 8 is a United States Highway that runs primarily east–west for , mostly within the state of Wisconsin. It runs from Interstate 35 in Forest Lake, Minnesota to US 2 at Norway in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near the border with Wisconsin. Except for the short freeway...

.

Major intersections