Interstate 94 in North Dakota

Interstate 94 (I-94) runs east–west through the central portion of the US state of North Dakota.

Interstate 94
I-94 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NDDOT
Length	352.454 mi[1] (567.220 km)
Major junctions
West end	I-94 at Montana state line
	US 85 in Belfield Bismarck Expressway in Mandan US 83 in Bismarck US 83 near Sterling US 52 / US 281 in Jamestown US 10 / I-94 Bus. in West Fargo I-29 / US 81 in Fargo US 81 Bus. in Fargo
East end	I-94 / US 52 at Minnesota state line
Location
Counties	Golden Valley, Billings, Stark, Morton, Burleigh, Kidder, Stutsman, Barnes, Cass
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future North Dakota State Highways Interstate U.S. State ← ND 89 → ND 97

Route description

Eastbound, the route enters from Montana at Beach and passes Dickinson, Bismarck, Jamestown, Valley City, and West Fargo before entering Fargo, where it exits the state at the Red River and continues into Minnesota, 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 time zones 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 miles per hour (121 km/h) in rural areas. Between exits 152 and 159 in the Bismarck-Mandan area, the speed limit is 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). In the West Fargo-Fargo area, the speed limit is 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) between exits 346 and 347, and 55 miles per hour (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.

Points of interest

The route enters at Beach and passes through the Badlands near Medora near 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"), where its eastern terminus is at exit 343 in West Fargo.

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) Railroad 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.

Continental Divide sign, westbound on I-94

At approximately mile marker 275 on the westbound lanes between Jamestown and Valley City, the highway crosses the Laurentian Continental Divide, at an elevation of 1,490 feet (454 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 45 years ago in 1976, in time for the United States' 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

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 Highway 10 and the building of I-94 through the state.

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.

The first section of I-94 completed with Interstate funds (under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956) was a 12-mile (19 km) section between Jamestown and Valley City, North Dakota in 1958.

Exit list

County	Location	mi[1][4]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Golden Valley	​	0.000	0.000		I-94 west – Billings	Continuation into Montana
	Beach	1.849	2.976	1	ND 16 – Beach	Rest area just south of exit
	​	7.368	11.858	7	Home on the Range
	​	10.478	16.863	10	Camel Hump Lake, Sentinel Butte
	​	18.452	29.696	18	Buffalo Gap
Billings	​	23.001	37.017	23	West River Road	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	​	24.315	39.131	24	I-94 Bus. east – Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora
	​	27.243	43.843	27	I-94 Bus. west – Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	​	32.963	53.049	32	Painted Canyon Visitor Center
	​	36.861	59.322	36	Fryburg
Stark	Belfield	42.366	68.181	42	US 85 – Watford City, Belfield, North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park	Interchange with the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway; also access to Williston
	​	51.476	82.843	51	South Heart
	​	56.414	90.790	56	ND 22 (North Bypass)
	Dickinson	59.485	95.732	59	I-94 Bus. west – Dickinson	To Dickinson State University
		61.476	98.936	61	ND 22 – Killdeer, Dickinson
		64.204	103.326	64	I-94 Bus. east – Dickinson
	​			Former rest area[5]
	​	72.253	116.280	72	Gladstone, Lefor	Enchanted Highway exit
	​	78.901	126.979	78	Taylor
	​	84.885	136.609	84	ND 8 – Richardton, Mott
	​	90.110	145.018	90	(no name)
Morton	​	97.188	156.409	97	Hebron
	​	102.914	165.624	102	Glen Ullin, Hebron	Half-cloverleaf exit
	​	108.354	174.379	108	Glen Ullin
	​	110.367	177.618	110	ND 49 – Beulah, Glen Ullin
	​	113.389	182.482	113	(no name)
	​	117.197	188.610	117	(no name)
	​	120.204	193.450	120	(no name)
	​	123.200	198.271	123	Almont
	New Salem	127.662	205.452	127	ND 31 north – Hazen, New Salem
	​	134.115	215.837	134	Sweet Briar Lake, Judson	Scenic View just east of exit on westbound side
	​	140.118	225.498	140	Crown Butte Dam
	​	147.183	236.868	147	ND 25 north / I-94 Bus. east to ND 6 – Center, Mandan
	Mandan	152.329	245.150	152	Sunset Drive – Mandan	Also access to City Center
		153.988	247.820	153	ND 1806 (Mandan Avenue)
		155.026	249.490	155	To I-94 Bus. (Main Street) / ND 6	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		156.069	251.169	156	Bismarck Expressway (I-194) To I-94 Bus.	Also access to Bismarck Airport, United Tribes Technical College, University of Mary
Missouri River				Grant Marsh Bridge
Burleigh	Bismarck	157.344	253.221	157	Divide Avenue	Modified half-cloverleaf interchange
		159.419	256.560	159	US 83 north (ND 1804) – Minot, Bismarck	Western end of US 83 concurrency, also access to City Center, State Capitol
		161.439	259.811	161	I-94 Bus. west (Bismarck Expressway) – Lincoln	Also access to Local Truck Route, Bismarck Airport, United Tribes Technical College, University of Mary
	​	170.519	274.424	170	Menoken
	​	176.501	284.051	176	McKenzie
	​	182.488	293.686	182	US 83 south / ND 14 north – Wing, Sterling	Eastern end of US 83 concurrency
	​	190.110	305.952	190	Driscoll
Kidder	​	195.090	313.967	195	(no name)
	Steele	200.760	323.092	200	ND 3 north – Tuttle, Steele	Western end of ND 3 concurrency
	​	205.071	330.030	205	Robinson
	Dawson	208.702	335.873	208	ND 3 south – Dawson	Eastern end of ND 3 concurrency
	Tappen	214.126	344.602	214	Tappen
	​	217.145	349.461	217	Pettibone
	​	221.733	356.845	221	Crystal Springs
Stutsman	​	228.321	367.447	228	ND 30 south – Streeter
	​	230.288	370.613	230	Medina
	​	233.343	375.529	233	(no name)
	Cleveland	238.793	384.300	238	Cleveland, Gackle
	​	242.672	390.543	242	Windsor
	​	245.191	394.597	245	(no name)
	​	248.991	400.712	248	(no name)
	​	251.686	405.049	251	Eldridge
	​	256.224	412.353	256	US 52 Truck west / US 281 Truck north	Western end of US 52 Truck/US 281 Truck concurrency
	Jamestown	257.002	413.605	257	Jamestown	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; left exit
		258.055	415.299	258	US 52 west / US 281 – Jamestown	Eastern end of US 52 Truck/US 281 Truck concurrency; Western end of US 52 concurrency; also access to Edgeley, Anne Carlson Center, University of Jamestown
		260.125	418.631	260	Jamestown	Also access to State Hospital
	​	262.361	422.229	262	Bloom
	​	269.355	433.485	269	Spiritwood
Barnes	​	272.369	438.335	272	(no name)
	​	276.385	444.799	276	Eckelson, Marion
	​	281.640	453.256	281	Sanborn, Litchville
	​	283.139	455.668	283	ND 1 north – Rogers	Western end of ND 1 concurrency
	​	288.636	464.515	288	ND 1 south – Verona, Oakes	Eastern end of ND 1 concurrency; also access to Fort Ransom State Park
	Valley City	290.803	468.002	290	I-94 Bus. east – Valley City
		292.072	470.044	292	Valley City	Also access to Baldhill Dam, Valley City State University, Kathryn, Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway
		294.283	473.603	294	I-94 Bus. west – Valley City
	​	296.741	477.558	296	(no name)
	​	298.746	480.785	298	(no name)
	Oriska	302.712	487.168	302	ND 32 – Oriska, Fingal
	Tower City	307.679	495.161	307	Tower City
Cass	​	310.456	499.631	310	(no name)
	​	314.863	506.723	314	ND 38 north – Buffalo, Alice	Southern terminus of ND 38
	​	317.846	511.524	317	Ayr
	​	320.837	516.337	320	Embden
	​	322.827	519.540	322	Absaraka
	​	324.821	522.749	324	Wheatland, Chaffee
	​	328.710	529.007	328	Lynchburg
	Casselton	331.226	533.057	331	ND 18 – Casselton, Leonard
	Mapleton	338.737	545.144	338	Mapleton
	​	340.717	548.331	340	Kindred
	​	342.721	551.556	342	(no name)
	West Fargo	343.803	553.297	343	US 10 / I-94 Bus. east (Main Avenue)	Western terminus of US 10
		346.442	557.544	346	Sheyenne Street	Signed as exits 346A (south) and 346B (north) westbound; local trucks only
		347.786	559.707	347	Veterans Boulevard, 9th Street East	Signed as 9th Street East north of I-94 and Veterans Boulevard south of I-94
	Fargo	348.481	560.826	348	45th Street
		349.584	562.601	349	I-29 / US 81 – Grand Forks, Sioux Falls	Signed as exits 349A (south) and 349B (north); I-29 exit 63; also access to Wahpeton
		350.586	564.213	350	25th Street
		351.590	565.829	351	US 81 Bus. (University Drive) – Downtown Fargo
Red River of the North		352.454	567.220		I-94 east / US 52 east – Minneapolis	Continuation into Minnesota
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Spur routes

• I-194—a short spur route into Bismarck (Bismarck Expressway); unsigned

Loop routes

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

References

1. "Route and Mileage Map Insets" (PDF). North Dakota Department of Transportation. 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
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. "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.
5. Google (September 3, 2013). "Former Rest Area" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 3, 2013.

External links

• NDDOT Road, Map, and Travel Information