U.S. Route 2 in North Dakota
# U.S. Route 2 in North Dakota

U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is a 358.090-mile-long (576.290 km) United States Numbered Highway in North Dakota, which runs from the Montana state line east to the Red River at Grand Forks. The route connects the cities of Williston, Minot, and Grand Forks. Of the 358 miles (576 km) of US 2 in North Dakota, all but the westernmost 12 miles (19 km) have four lanes.

## Route description

US 2 is an east–west highway that runs through North Dakota's northern tier of larger cities: Williston, Minot, Devils Lake, and Grand Forks. These cities are about 75 to 100 miles (121 to 161 km) north of North Dakota's southern tier of larger cities located on Interstate 94 (I-94): Dickinson, Bismarck–Mandan, Jamestown, and Fargo–West Fargo. Each city (or pair) in each tier is separated by about 75 to 125 miles (121 to 201 km).

US 2 intersects two north–south four-lane highways in North Dakota: US 83 at Minot and I-29 at Grand Forks. In addition, it junctions with four other U.S. Highways that, except for shorter stretches that are four lanes, are mostly two-lane highways in North Dakota: US 85 at Williston (which is in the process of being converted into an undivided four-lane south of Williston), US 52 at Minot, US 281 at Churchs Ferry (west of Devils Lake), and US 81 at Grand Forks. All six of these highways provide routes either to the border at Mexico or deep into the southern U.S.

Between Williston and Minot, US 2 provides several high points where one can view graceful and beautiful landscape for many miles in all directions. Between Minot and Grand Forks, US 2 provides an ever-changing mix of agricultural farm and pasture land, native wetlands, and small lakes set on a gently rolling landscape. US 2 also passes near a large lake named Devils Lake near the city with the same name. Throughout the state, the route generally travels east–west, following the route of the Great Northern Railway, which is also used by the Empire Builder. The US 2 route through North Dakota was originally named the Wonderland Trail or the Teddy Roosevelt Trail, after the former U.S. president.

In Rugby, just east of the route's intersection with North Dakota Highway 3 (ND 3), the highway passes the location designated in 1931 as the geographical center of North America. The monument marking the geographic center of the continent had to be relocated in 1971 when US 2 was widened from two to four lanes.

The elevation of the highway at the Montana border is approximately 2,250 feet (690 m) above sea level, and approximately 800 feet (240 m) at its crossing of the north-flowing Red River, entering Minnesota at East Grand Forks.

## History

North Dakota has been converting sections of US 2 from two lanes to four lanes for many years. The section from Grand Forks to Minot was completed in 1996. The section from Minot to Williston was completed in mid-2008 in a campaign that began a few years ago and was labeled "Across the State in Two Thousand Eight". Actually, US 2 is four lanes from North Dakota's eastern edge to just past Williston, a stretch of about 343 miles (552 km), leaving the remaining 12 miles (19 km) to the Montana border as a two-lane highway. North Dakota's governor has said that North Dakota will convert the remaining stretch to four lanes if Montana is willing to continue the four-lane project from the border into their state.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Williams | ​ | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 2 west (Theodore Roosevelt Expressway) – Wolf Point, Glasgow | Continuation into Montana |
| Williams | ​ | 12.449 | 20.035 | ND 1804 west – Trenton, Fairview | West end of ND 1804 concurrency |
| Williams | ​ | 14.919 | 24.010 | US 85 – Watford City | Williston Bypass; east end of Theodore Roosevelt Expressway |
| Williams | Williston | 17.923 | 28.844 | US 2 Bus. east / ND 1804 east (2nd Street W) | East end of ND 1804 concurrency; former US 85 Bus. |
| Williams | Williston | 20.383 | 32.803 | US 2 Bus. west (2nd Avenue W) | Eastern terminus of US 2 Bus., former US 85 Bus. |
| Williams | Williston | 25.674 | 41.318 | US 85 south / US 85B south – Epping Springbrook Dam, Springbrook | Williston Bypass; west end of US 85 concurrency, northern terminus of US 85B |
| Williams | ​ | 32.441 | 52.209 | US 85 north – Fortuna | East end of US 85 concurrency |
| Williams | ​ | 64.207 | 103.331 | ND 40 north – Tioga | Southern terminus of ND 40 |
| Mountrail | Stanley | 90.664 | 145.910 | ND 8 – Bowbells, New Town | |
| Ward | Berthold | 123.407 | 198.604 | ND 28 north – Carpio | Southern terminus of ND 28 |
| Ward | ​ | 134.397 | 216.291 | US 52 west – Kenmare, Portal | West end of US 52 concurrency |
| Ward | Minot | 143.882 | 231.556 | US 83 Byp. north – Air Base | North end of US 83 Byp. concurrency |
| Ward | Minot | 144.326 | 232.270 | US 2 Bus. east / US 52 Bus. east (W Burdick Expressway) | Western terminus of US 2 Bus. and US 52 Bus. |
| Ward | Minot | 146.366 | 235.553 | US 83 (S Broadway Street) – Air Base, Bismarck | South end of US 83 Byp. concurrency |
| Ward | Minot | 148.753 | 239.395 | US 52 east / US 52 Bus. west (Valley Street) – Jamestown | East end of US 52 concurrency, eastern terminus of US 52 Bus. |
| Ward | Minot | 150.841 | 242.755 | US 2 Bus. west (E Burdick Expressway) – Minot | Eastern terminus of US 2 Bus. |
| McHenry | ​ | 164.236 | 264.312 | ND 41 south – Velva | Northern terminus of ND 41 |
| McHenry | ​ | 188.118 | 302.747 | ND 14 south – Drake | West end of ND 14 concurrency |
| McHenry | Towner | 191.834 | 308.727 | ND 14 north (Main Street) – Upham | East end of ND 14 concurrency |
| Pierce | Rugby | 210.880 | 339.378 | ND 3 (3rd Avenue SW) – Dunseith, Harvey | |
| Benson | ​ | 233.427 | 375.664 | ND 30 south – Harlow, Maddock | Northern terminus of ND 30 |
| Benson | ​ | 245.703 | 395.421 | US 281 south – Minnewaukan | West end of US 281 concurrency |
| Benson | ​ | 248.758 | 400.337 | US 281 north – Cando | East end of US 281 concurrency |
| Ramsey | Churchs Ferry | 249.961 | 402.273 | US 281 Bus. north (66th Avenue NE) – Churchs Ferry | Southern terminus of US 281 Bus. |
| Ramsey | Devils Lake | 268.630 | 432.318 | ND 19 (4th Street NW) – Business District, Minnewaukan | |
| Ramsey | Devils Lake | 269.354 | 433.483 | ND 20 (College Drive N) – Starkweather, Camp Grafton, Fort Totten | |
| Nelson | Lakota | 295.468 | 475.510 | ND 1 (6th Street E) – Langdon, Pekin | |
| Nelson | Michigan | 305.622 | 491.851 | ND 35 north – Michigan, Whitman | Southern terminus of ND 35 |
| Nelson | Petersburg | 312.050 | 502.196 | ND 32 south – Aneta | West end of ND 32 concurrency |
| Grand Forks | Niagara | 317.512 | 510.986 | ND 32 north – Edinburg | East end of ND 32 concurrency |
| Grand Forks | ​ | 330.520 | 531.920 | ND 18 – Larimore, Cavalier | |
| Grand Forks | Grand Forks | 355.479 | 572.088 | I-29 / US 81 – Fargo, Winnipeg | Exit 141 on I-29 |
| Grand Forks | Grand Forks | 357.460 | 575.276 | US 81 Bus. (N Washington Street) – Grafton | |
| Grand Forks | Grand Forks | 357.539 | 575.403 | US 2 Bus. east (N 5th Street) | Western terminus of US 2 Bus. |
| Red River of the North | Red River of the North | 358.090 | 576.290 | North Dakota–Minnesota state line | North Dakota–Minnesota state line |
| Red River of the North | Red River of the North | 358.090 | 576.290 | US 2 east – East Grand Forks, Crookston | Continuation into Minnesota |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||
