Minnesota State Highway 16 (MN 16) is an 87.671-mile-long (141.093 km) two-lane highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate Highway 90 in Dexter and continues east to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line concurrent with U.S. Highways 14 and 61 outside La Crescent just west of La Crosse, Wisconsin.^[1]

Quick Facts Trunk Highway 16, Route information ...

Trunk Highway 16
MN 16 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length	87.671 mi[1] (141.093 km)
Existed	1980[2]–present
Tourist routes	Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway Great River Road
Major junctions
West end	I-90 at Dexter
Major intersections	US 63 at Spring Valley MN 80 near Wykoff US 52 at Preston MN 250 at Lanesboro MN 43 at Rushford MN 76 at Houston MN 44 at Hokah MN 26 at La Crescent Township
East end	US 14 / US 61 / WIS 16 at La Crescent
Location
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Mower, Fillmore, Houston
Highway system
Minnesota Trunk Highway System Interstate US State Legislative Scenic
← MN 15 → MN 18

Close

The route was designated as a National Scenic Byway in 2003 as the Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway. The roadway follows the route of old U.S. Highway 16.^[3]

Minnesota Trunk Highway 16 serves as the scenic east–west route in southeast Minnesota. The national scenic byway links together Dexter, Grand Meadow, Spring Valley, Preston, Lanesboro, Rushford Village, Peterson, Rushford, Houston, Hokah, and La Crescent. Highway 16 parallels Interstate 90 throughout its route and allows travelers the opportunity to experience Minnesota's Driftless Area.

The route passes through the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest in Fillmore and Houston counties.

Forestville Mystery Cave State Park is located near Highway 16 in Fillmore County. The park is located between Spring Valley and Preston.

The eastern terminus for Highway 16 is the Wisconsin state line at the Mississippi River outside La Crescent, concurrent with U.S. Highways 14 and 61.

The western terminus for the route is its interchange with Interstate 90 in Dexter.

State Highway 16 was designated in 1980. The route was originally part of old U.S. Highway 16 from 1926 to 1980.

U.S. 16 was mostly replaced by Interstate Highway 90 within Minnesota.

State Highway 16 from Dexter to La Crescent is the only remaining section of this former U.S. route that exists as a trunk highway separate from Interstate 90.

After crossing the Mississippi River Bridge and the Wisconsin state line, old U.S. 16 continues on as Wisconsin Highway 16.^[2]

The only section of U.S. Highway 16 that remains in the present day is the east–west route between Rapid City, South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.