Metro Region Driving Directions

Elk River to Downtown Minneapolis (28 miles)

The Great River Road continues past Elk River east on Wright Co. Rd. 39 to MN 101, then south to Wright Co. Rd. 42, then east to the Hennepin County line (Co. Rd. 12).  Go south on Co. Rd. 12.  Across the Mississippi from Anoka, head southeast along Hennepin Co. Rd. 12 (West River Road) to 97^th Avenue.  Head east briefly  on 97^th  Avenue to West River Road, then southeast to Brookdale Drive.  Go west on Brookdale Drive to Minnesota Highway 252.   Go south on MN 252 to I-694.  Cross the Mississippi River on I-694 and take East River Road (Anoka  Co. Rd. 1) to the Anoka-Hennepin County line (the road becomes Hennepin Co. Rd. 23/Marshall Street) at the north edge of Minneapolis.  Continue along Marshall Street to Broadway Avenue (Hennepin Co. Rd. 66) and head west on Broadway to West River Parkway.

Take West River Parkway south to Godfrey Parkway. Look for the entrance to Minnehaha Park.  Follow Godfrey Parkway to the roundabout in front of the Longfellow House, then turn right onto Minnehaha Avenue (one block), left onto 46th Street East (one block), then left (south) onto Minnesota Highway 55,   where you will head southeast toward the Hennepin-Dakota County line (at the Minnesota/Mississippi River confluence).  At the Dakota County line, take Minnesota Highway 13 (Sibley Memorial Highway) northeast to Interstate Highway 35E.  Take I-35E north. Turn right on Shepard Road, which becomes Warner Road (Ramsey Co. Rd. 36).

From downtown St. Paul to Hastings (26 miles)

From Warner Road, take U.S. 61/10 south to I-494 west, which crosses the river.  Exit south on Minnesota Highway 56, then turn east on Minnesota Highway 55 toward Hastings.  Take Dakota Co. Rd. 42 northeast to U.S. 61/10.    Turn south on U.S. 61 through Hastings (At this point, and throughout the remainder of your byway journey to the Iowa border, you will notice that the Great River Road signs all say "State Route."  This is because the national 10-state route continues on from Hastings into Wisconsin, following the river on its eastern shoreline.)