Trunk Highway 169
Length:	49 mi (79 km)
Formed:	1933
South end:	U.S. 53/U.S. 169 at Wuori Township, north of Virginia
Major junctions:	St. Louis CR 21 at Pike Township MN 1 at Vermilion Lake Township MN 135 at Tower MN 1 at Ely
North end:	Lake CR 18 at Fall Lake Township, east of Ely
Major cities:	Tower Ely
Minnesota State Highways < US 169 MN 171 >

Minnesota State Highway 169 is a highway in northeast Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with U.S. Highway 53 in Wuori Township (immediately north of the city of Virginia) and continues northeast to its northern terminus at the intersection of Lake County Road 18 and Power Dam Road in Fall Lake Township (6-miles east of Ely). State Highway 169 becomes Lake County Road 18 at this point.

The route is one of three Minnesota state marked highways to carry the same number as an existing U.S. marked highway within the state, the others being Highways 61 and 65.

State Highway 169 is numbered as an extension of U.S. Highway 169, using the same mileage that began at the Iowa state line.

The route runs concurrent with State Highway 1 for 26 miles (42 km) from Vermilion Lake Township (west of Tower) to Ely.

Minnesota State Highway 169 is 49 miles (79 km) in length.

[edit] Route description

State Highway 169 serves as a north-south arterial route between the cities of Virginia, Tower, Ely, and Winton in northeast Minnesota.

Most of the route is located in Saint Louis County. A short segment of the highway is in Lake County. The route passes through the Superior National Forest at two different points.

Soudan Underground Mine State Park is located near State Highway 169, two miles east of Tower.^[1]

Bear Head Lake State Park is located 7 miles south of the junction of State Highway 169 and County Road 128 (in Breitung Township, 9 miles east of Tower). The park entrance is located on County Road 128.^[2]

[edit] History

State Highway 169 was numbered as an extension of U.S. 169 (until U.S. 53 was added in 1934, U.S. 169 previously ran to International Falls).

The route was authorized in 1934 from the city of Virginia to the junction with State Hwy.135 (formerly State Hwy.35) in Tower, where the highway terminated until 1953.

The six-mile (10 km) segment running from Ely to Fall Lake Township was authorized in 1949 and originally designated State Highway 221 until 1953, when State Highway 169 was extended over State Highway 1 to Ely.

State Highway 169 was paved by 1940. The segment east of Ely was paved by 1950.

[edit] References

1. ^ Minnesota DNR website for Soudan Underground Mine State Park - Link
2. ^ Minnesota DNR website for Bear Head Lake State Park - Link

*Steve Riner Details of Routes 152 to 218. Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Accessed August 28, 2009.

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