Interstate 94

Interstate 94 (I-94) is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern terminus is the U.S. side of the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan, at the Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, border, where together with I-69 it meets Highway 402. Given this fact, I-94 is notable for being the only east–west Interstate Highway to form a direct connection into Canada connecting points from Seattle via I-90 to Toronto via Ontario Highway 401.

Lengthwise, I-94 is the eighth longest Interstate highway and is longer than all major north–south interstate highways except I-75 and I-95, meaning that I-94 is longer than I-5, I-15, I-25, I-35, I-45, I-55, I-65, and I-85.

I-94 crosses I-90 several times: at its western terminus; near Madison, Wisconsin; in Chicago, and in Lake Station, Indiana.

Route description

Montana

I-94 begins at Billings and travels northeastward toward Glendive before exiting the state to the east. I-94 links seven counties, which are Yellowstone, Treasure, Rosebud, Custer, Prairie, Dawson, and Wibaux counties and passes near or through Miles City, and Glendive while connecting with I-90 in Billings. The Highway is notable for following the Yellowstone River from Billings through Glendive. Beyond the western terminus of I-94, I-90 connects Westbound I-94 travelers to points west such as Butte and Seattle, WA.

Interstate 94 in Illinois

Interstate 94 (I-94) generally runs north–south through the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois, in Lake and Cook counties. It is marked east–west in Illinois in accordance with its general alignment across the country, although some entrances on the Tri-State Tollway have north or south I-94 signs. I-94 in Illinois is 78.00 miles (125.53 km) long.

The William G. Edens Expressway (also known as the Edens Parkway and the Edens Superhighway) is the main major expressway north from the city of Chicago to Northbrook, Illinois. Only the short portion from the spur ramp to the expressway's end in Highland Park does not carry I-94. It was the first expressway in Chicago and was opened on December 20, 1951. It has three lanes in each direction. The original name of the expressway was the Edens Parkway, named after William G. Edens, a banker and early advocate for paved roads. He was a sponsor of Illinois' first highway bond issue in 1918.

Route description

Interstate 94 in Minnesota

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 94 runs 259 miles (417 km) east–west through the central portion of the state. The route connects the cities of Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Alexandria, St. Cloud, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul.

Route description

Interstate 94 enters the state from North Dakota at the city of Moorhead and heads southeast after serving Moorhead.

Traveling southeast from Moorhead, there are several places where the elevation of I-94 rises slightly; these are "beaches" that formed as the glacial lake rose or fell. Finally, at Rothsay, I-94 climbs the last beach line and enters terrain more typical for Minnesota. From Rothsay to the Twin Cities, the terrain of I-94 is rolling with frequent lakes visible from the highway.

I-94 traverses by Fergus Falls, Alexandria, and Sauk Centre on its way to St. Cloud. The "original main street" in Sauk Centre near I-94 commemorates the Sinclair Lewis novel that skewered this town.

From St. Cloud to Minneapolis, it's difficult to tell where the sprawl from one city ends and the other begins. Monticello is roughly the midpoint, and is an exurb for both St. Cloud and Minneapolis. Between exits 201 (Albertville) and 194 (Monticello) sits the Minnesota Road Research Facility. While traveling eastbound on the highway, Minneapolis and Saint Paul alternate as control cities, which is rare on any highway system.