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Interstate 94 in North Dakota

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This article is about the section of Interstate 94 in North Dakota. For the entire route, see Interstate 94.

Interstate 94 marker
Interstate 94
Map
I-94 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NDDOT
Length352.39 mi[1] (567.12 km)
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-94 at Montana state line
Major intersections
East end I-94 / US 52 at Minnesota state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Dakota
CountiesGolden Valley, Billings, Stark, Morton, Burleigh, Kidder, Stutsman, Barnes, Cass
Highway system
  • North Dakota State Highway System
← ND 89→ ND 97

Interstate 94 (I-94) runs east–west for 352.4 miles (567.1 km) through the southern half of the US state of North Dakota, from the Montana state line east to the Red River at Fargo. The route generally follows the route of the Northern Pacific Railway.

Route description

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Eastbound, the route enters from Montana just west of Beach and passes Dickinson, Bismarck, Jamestown, Valley City, and West Fargo before entering Fargo, where it exits the state at the Red River of the North and continues into Minnesota at Moorhead, then turns southeast to Minneapolis.

The route passes to the south of Theodore Roosevelt National Park's southern unit; access to the northern unit is by US Highway 85 (US 85) north from Belfield. Eastbound, I-94 changes timezones at the Stark–Morton county line southwest of Hebron. Mountain time (UTC−7) is observed in Stark County (and west) and Central time (UTC−6) in the rest of the state.

The speed limit on I-94 is 75 mph (121 km/h) in rural areas. Between exits 152 and 159 in the Bismarck–Mandan area, the speed limit is 60 mph (97 km/h). In the West Fargo–Fargo area, the speed limit is 65 mph (105 km/h) between exits 346 and 347, and 55 mph (89 km/h) from exit 347 to the Red River of the North.

I-94 has two lanes in each direction through most of the state, expanding briefly to three lanes in each direction in the Bismarck–Mandan area (from exit 155 to 156) and in Fargo from 45th Street (exit 348) to the Red River of the North.

The elevation of the highway at the Montana border is approximately 2,820 feet (860 m) above sea level, and approximately 900 feet (270 m) at its crossing of the north-flowing Red River, entering Minnesota at Moorhead.

Points of interest

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The route enters at Beach and passes through the badlands near Medora and the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. A public rest area about seven miles (11 km) east of Medora provides an awe-inspiring view, especially at sunset, and an opportunity to hike through some of the scenery on the Painted Canyon Trail. Further east, I-94 provides access to the north unit of the national park, then passes through the cities of Dickinson, Mandan–Bismarck, Jamestown, and Valley City on the way to West Fargo and Fargo, where it leaves the state and crosses into Minnesota.

Through North Dakota, I-94 travels nearly due east–west, generally following both the railroad route and the former route of US 10 (called "The Old Red Trail" or "The National Parks Trail") to exit 343 in West Fargo, where the current US 10 has its western terminus.

The highway intersects with the Enchanted Highway 11 miles (18 km) east of Dickinson at exit 72. At New Salem, it passes Salem Sue, a 38-foot-high (12 m) sculpture of a Holstein cow that is clearly visible on the south side of the highway; the road to Sue allows a vantage point to view a panoramic landscape. Between Mandan and Bismarck, I-94 crosses the Missouri River with a view of the Northern Pacific (now BNSF) Railway Bridge to the south. At Steele, it passes the world's largest sculpture of a sandhill crane, 40 feet (12 m) tall and named "Sandy", on the south side of I-94, just east of exit 200. At Jamestown, it passes the world's largest sculpture of a buffalo (actually bison) named "Dakota Thunder", 28 feet (8.5 m) in height and on the north of the highway.

Laurentian Divide sign, westbound on I-94

At approximately milemarker 275 on the westbound lanes between Jamestown and Valley City, the highway crosses the Laurentian Divide, at an elevation of 1,490 feet (450 m) above sea level. The rivers that are west of this divide flow south into the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico, while the rivers that are east of the divide flow north into Hudson Bay. The James River, that flows through Jamestown, feeds into the Atlantic Ocean, while the Sheyenne River, that flows through Valley City (36 miles (58 km) east of Jamestown), feeds into Hudson Bay.

In Fargo, a well-known yet unnamed pedestrian bridge crosses over I-94; opened 48 years ago in 1976, in time for the US Bicentennial. While providing a unique crossing for the surrounding neighborhoods, it serves as a landmark for commuters and travelers. Westbound, it is one of the first North Dakota landmarks visible from the highway.[2]

History

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East bound on I-94, the main highway east–west through North Dakota[3]

Through the state, I-94 follows the route once taken by US 10 west from Fargo. This route was originally called "The Old Red Trail". Prairie Public Television in North Dakota produced a documentary about US 10 and the building of I-94 through the state.[citation needed]

I-94 roughly follows the route of the former Northern Pacific Railway mainline (now a BNSF Railway route) across North Dakota. Many of the towns and cities that I-94 serves first grew as railroad towns in the 19th and early 20th centuries.[citation needed]

The first section of I-94 completed with funds from the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was a 39-mile (63 km) section between Jamestown and Valley City. It was opened on October 16, 1958, and cost $15 million (equivalent to $122 million in 2023[4]) to construct.[5][6] On October 7, 1964, a 112-mile (180 km) section of I-94 between North Dakota Highway 25 and Fryburg was dedicated, with traffic permitted to use the section from New Salem to Dickinson.[7]

Future

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In January 2024, the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDOT) announced that they had begun a study to replace the Great Marsh Bridge over the Missouri River in Bismarck. The bridge was built in 1965 and has not seen any major improvements since that time. NDOT engineers will look into what some possible replacements for the bridge could be, including the possibility of demolishing the bridge and replacing it with a tunnel. NDOT also said that the study will also include improving some of the ramps and surrounding roadways. The study is projected to be completed by the end of the year.[8]

Exit list

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CountyLocationmi[1][9]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Golden ValleyBeach Township0.0000.000
 I-94 west – Billings		Continuation into Montana
Beach1.8492.9761 ND 16 – BeachRest area just south of exit
Beach Township7.36811.8587Home on the Range
Sentinel Township10.47816.86310Camel Hump Lake, Sentinel Butte
18.45229.69618Buffalo Gap
BillingsNorth Billings–South Billings line23.00137.01723West River RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance
24.31539.13124
 I-94 BL east – Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora
27.24343.84327
 I-94 BL west – Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora		Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
32.96353.04932Painted Canyon Visitor Center
36.86159.32236Fryburg
StarkBelfield42.36668.18142 US 85 – Watford City, Belfield, North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National ParkInterchange with the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway; also access to Williston
West Stark–Dickinson North line51.47682.84351South Heart
Dickinson North56.41490.79056 ND 22 (North Bypass)
Dickinson59.48595.73259
 I-94 BL west / ND 22 (South Bypass) – Dickinson		Access to Dickinson State University, CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson Medical Center
61.47698.93661 ND 22 – Killdeer, Dickinson
64.204103.32664
 I-94 BL east – Dickinson
Dickinson NorthFormer rest area[10]
Dickinson North–East Stark line72.253116.28072Gladstone, LeforEnchanted Highway exit
East Stark78.901126.97978Taylor
84.885136.60984 ND 8 – Richardton, Mott
90.110145.01890No name exit
MortonWest Morton97.188156.40997Hebron
102.914165.624102Glen Ullin, HebronHalf-cloverleaf exit
108.354174.379108Glen Ullin
110.367177.618110 ND 49 – Beulah, Glen Ullin
113.389182.482113No name exit
117.197188.610117No name exit
120.204193.450120No name exit
123.200198.271123Almont
New Salem127.662205.452127
 ND 31 north – Hazen, New Salem
West Morton–East Morton line134.115215.837134Sweet Briar Lake, JudsonScenic View just east of exit on westbound side
East Morton140.118225.498140Crown Butte Dam
147.183236.868147

 I-94 BL east to ND 6 – Mandan

 ND 25 north – Center, Stanton		Western terminus of I-94 BL; southern terminus of ND 25
Mandan152.329245.150152Sunset Drive – MandanAlso access to City Center
153.988247.820153 ND 1806 (Mandan Avenue)
155.026249.490155

 Main Street to I-94 BL / ND 6		Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
156.069251.169156
 Bismarck Expressway (I-194) to I-94 BL – Bismarck, Mandan		Western terminus of Bismarck Expwy.
Missouri RiverGrant Marsh Bridge
BurleighBismarck157.344253.221157Divide AvenueModified half-cloverleaf interchange
159.419256.560159
 US 83 north (ND 1804) – Bismarck, Minot		Western end of US 83 concurrency; access to State Capitol, CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck
161.439259.811161Bismarck Expressway (I-94 BL west) – LincolnEastern terminus of I-94 BL/Bismarck Expwy.
Menoken170.519274.424170Menoken
McKenzie Township176.501284.051176McKenzie
Sterling Township182.488293.686182

 US 83 south / ND 14 north – Wing, Sterling		Eastern end of US 83 concurrency
Driscoll Township190.110305.952190Driscoll
KidderPleasant Hill Township195.090313.967195No name exit
Steele200.760323.092200
 ND 3 north – Tuttle, Steele		Western end of ND 3 concurrency
Woodlawn–Sibley
township line		205.071330.030205Robinson
Dawson208.702335.873208
 ND 3 south – Dawson		Eastern end of ND 3 concurrency
Tappen214.126344.602214Tappen
Crystal Springs–Tappen
township line		217.145349.461217Pettibone
Crystal Springs Township221.733356.845221Crystal Springs
StutsmanSt. Paul Township228.321367.447228
 ND 30 south – Streeter
Chicago Township230.288370.613230Medina
233.343375.529233No name exit
Cleveland238.793384.300238Cleveland, Gackle
Windsor–Moon Lake
township line		242.672390.543242Windsor
245.191394.597245No name exit
Eldridge–Lippert
township line		248.991400.712248No name exit
251.686405.049251Eldridge
Jamestown256.224412.353256



 US 52 Truck west (By-pass) / US 281 Truck north (By-pass)		Western end of US 52 Truck Byp./US 281 Truck Byp. concurrency; access to Jamestown Regional Medical Center
257.002413.605257JamestownEastbound left exit and westbound entrance
258.055415.299258
 US 52 west / US 281 – Jamestown




 US 52 Truck ends (By-pass) / US 281 Truck ends (By-pass)		Eastern end of US 52 Truck Byp./US 281 Truck Byp. concurrency; western end of US 52 concurrency
260.125418.631260JamestownAlso access to State Hospital
262.361422.229262 BloomAccess to Jamestown Regional Airport
Spiritwood–Winfield
township line		269.355433.485269Spiritwood
BarnesEckelson–Mansfield
township line		272.369438.335272No name exit
276.385444.799276Eckelson, Marion
Potter Township281.640453.256281Sanborn, Litchville
283.139455.668283
 ND 1 north – Rogers		Western end of ND 1 concurrency
Hobart Township288.636464.515288
 ND 1 south – Verona, Oakes		Eastern end of ND 1 concurrency; also access to Fort Ransom State Park
Valley City290.803468.002290
 I-94 BL east – Valley City
292.072470.044292 Valley CityAlso access to Baldhill Dam, Valley City State University, Kathryn, Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway
294.283473.603294
 I-94 BL west – Valley City
Alta Township296.741477.558296No name exit
298.746480.785298No name exit
Oriska302.712487.168302 ND 32 – Oriska, Fingal
Tower City307.679495.161307Tower City
CassHill Township310.456499.631310No name exit
Hill–Howes
township line		314.863506.723314
 ND 38 north – Buffalo, Alice		Southern terminus of ND 38
Howes Township317.846511.524317Ayr
Howes–Gill
township line		320.837516.337320Embden
Gill Township322.827519.540322Absaraka
324.821522.749324Wheatland, Chaffee
Everest Township328.710529.007328Lynchburg
Casselton331.226533.057331 ND 18 – Casselton, Leonard
Mapleton338.737545.144338Mapleton
Mapleton Township340.717548.331340Kindred
342.721551.556342No name exit
West Fargo343.803553.297343
 US 10 / I-94 BL east (Main Avenue)		Western terminus of US 10
346.442557.544346Sheyenne StreetSigned as exits 346A (south) and 346B (north) westbound; local trucks only
347.786559.707347 Veterans Boulevard / 9th Street EastSigned as 9th Street East north of I-94 and Veterans Boulevard south of I-94
Fargo348.481560.82634845th Street
349.584562.601349 I-29 / US 81 – Grand Forks, Sioux FallsSigned as exits 349A (south) and 349B (north); I-29 exit 63; also access to Wahpeton
350.586564.21335025th Street
351.590565.829351
 US 81 Bus. (University Drive) – Downtown Fargo
Red River of the North352.454567.220North Dakota–Minnesota line

 I-94 east (US 52 east) – Minneapolis		Continuation into Minnesota
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Auxiliary routes

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Business routes

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  • I-94 BL Medora Business Loop—Pacific Street
  • I-94 BL Dickinson Business Loop—30th Avenue West, Villard Street, and 36th Street Southwest
  • I-94 BL Mandan–Bismarck Business Loop—Business Loop 94, Main Street, Memorial Highway, Main Avenue, and Bismarck Expressway
  • I-94 BL Valley City Business Loop—Main Street
  • I-94 BL Fargo–Moorhead Business Loop—Main Avenue, 24th Avenue South, and 34th Street South

References

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  1. ^ a b Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Kerzman, Kris. "Throwback Thursday: A brief history of the Interstate 94 walking bridge". INFORUM. The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  3. ^ Galadriel Findlay Watson (2001). North Dakota. Weigl Publishers. p. 5. ISBN 1-930954-53-0.
  4. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  5. ^ Nelson, Gerry (October 10, 1958). "New Highway $15 Million Showcase". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 7. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Interstate Segment Dedicated". The Bismarck Tribune. October 16, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Tillottson, Bill (October 7, 1964). "Politics Has a Role, Too, As I-94 Link Is Dedicated". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Kraft, Bella (January 6, 2024). "Study being conducted for remodel of the Grant Marsh Bridge". www.kfyrtv.com. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  9. ^ "Appendix III-09 B: Interchange Numbering on I-94" (PDF). North Dakota Department of Transportation. January 3, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  10. ^ "Former Rest Area" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
[edit]
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Interstate 94
Previous state:
Montana 		North Dakota Next state:
Minnesota
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