Minnesota State Highway 74

State Highway 74 serves as a north–south route in southeast Minnesota between Chatfield, St. Charles, Elba, and Weaver. It is legally defined as Legislative Route 74 in the Minnesota Statutes.[2]

Highway 74 begins at its intersection with U.S. 52 and State Highway 30 in Chatfield and continues north through the unincorporated communities of Troy and Saratoga. Highway 74 has a junction with Interstate 90 just south of St. Charles. In St. Charles, Highway 74 becomes Main Street, also known as Whitewater Avenue, until it joins U.S. Highway 14 briefly. Highway 74 runs concurrent west with Highway 14 for less than a mile. The route continues north again, passing through Whitewater State Park and the town of Elba. The highway ends at its junction with U.S. Highway 61 in Weaver, Minnesota. About 7 miles (11 km) of the northern end of the route through the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area from Beaver to Weaver, in what is known as the Weaver Bottoms, are unpaved gravel.[3][4]

Highway 74 was authorized in 1933. The south end of Highway 74 previously extended south of Chatfield to old U.S. Highway 16 at Spring Valley until 1974.[5] As a result of this, the present day mile markers begin at mile 20. Highway 74 follows, in part, an old route which was one of the first public roads in the Minnesota Territory.[6]

In 1953, the route was still gravel south of U.S. Highway 14. Highway 74 was paved by 1960,[5] except for the northernmost 7 miles, which was still gravel as of 2018.[7]

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  The southern terminus of MN 74 in Chatfield
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  At the northern end of the unpaved portion of MN 74, near Weaver
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  MN 74 during the 2007 flood