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44-473: Grand Avenue , Central Avenue, Cody Street, and Interstate Highway 35 are four of the main routes in West Duluth. Other main routes include 40th Avenue West, 46th Avenue West, and Mike Colalillo Drive. Seven neighborhoods are located within the official West Duluth district boundaries: West Duluth covers an area of 5,726 acres (23 km), or 13% of the city area, making it the third-largest district in

88-429: A Kmart store. A large sea of asphalt (parking lots and streets) divided by buildings and concrete barriers sits between the mall and other establishments, such as a large Super One supermarket . Just outside the core is a new urbanist rowhouse development. West Duluth's Spirit Valley business district is easily accessible from Interstate Highway 35 at Central Avenue. The Spirit Valley neighborhood, according to

132-574: A bus crash occurred on MN 23 near Cottonwood when a school bus carrying 28 students from Lakeview Public Schools was struck by a driver who ran through a stop sign which caused the bus to fall onto a pickup killing four students and injuring 17 others. The DeSoto Bridge across the Mississippi River in St. Cloud was closed on March 20, 2008, after bent gusset plates were found in an inspection; similar to gusset plates that caused

176-564: A division point on the Great Northern Railway determined its growth. The first settlers arrived during the 1850s, attracted to the fertile land and an abundance of timber and game. The Dakota War of 1862 left the township abandoned for several years. The advent of the railroad in Kandiyohi County in 1869 brought new settlers. Many were of Swedish and Norwegian origin; residents of Scandinavian heritage are still

220-600: A four-lane expressway include approximately nine miles (14 km) in the Marshall area in addition to longer stretches between Willmar and New London, and between Richmond and Waite Park (St. Cloud). For a majority of the Willmar area, MN 23 runs concurrently with U.S. Highway 71 (US 71), which includes a freeway bypass of the city. MN 23 crosses the Minnesota River at Granite Falls , and

264-587: A majority. In 1870, Leon (Chadwick) Willmar, a Belgian acting as an agent for the European bondholder of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , purchased the title to Section 1 of Willmar Township. Willmar was established as the county seat in 1871 and was incorporated as a village in 1874 and as a city in 1901. Willmar was the site of a bank robbery by the Machine Gun Kelly gang on July 15, 1930. They robbed

308-602: Is a state highway that stretches from southwestern to northeastern Minnesota . At 343.723 miles (553.169 km) in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1 . This route, signed east–west, runs roughly diagonally across Minnesota from southwest to northeast. It indirectly connects Duluth to Sioux Falls, South Dakota , and passes through the cities of St. Cloud , Willmar , and Marshall . MN 23 runs north from its interchange with Interstate 90 (I-90), 1.05 miles (1.69 km) east of

352-521: Is also home to Willmar High School and Willmar Community Christian School. U.S. Highways 12 and 71 and Minnesota State Highways 23 and 40 are four of the main routes in the city. The development of Willmar benefited greatly from being situated at the junction of multiple railway lines. From Willmar, the Great Northern Railway had lines radiating east to Minneapolis and St. Paul, northwest to Fargo and Seattle, northeast to St. Cloud and Duluth, and southwest to Sioux Falls and Yankton . Willmar

396-473: Is expected to complete in November 2023. The 7-mile (11 km) South Gap is planned to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2024. Willmar, Minnesota Willmar ( / ˈ w ɪ l m ər / WIL -mər ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota , United States. The population was 21,015 at the 2020 census . Agricultural expansion and the establishment of Willmar as

440-489: Is located within West Duluth at 46th Avenue West. On a map, the core of West Duluth's " downtown " or center of activity roughly forms a triangle, with the sides being Grand Avenue ( State Highway 23 ), Central Avenue, and Bristol Street in Spirit Valley . This area is formed by two building styles, the first old, often joined buildings, usually containing small, locally owned stores on the first floor and apartments on

484-528: Is named after a Willmar city park. Willmar was home to the annual Sonshine Festival , a Christian music festival, from 1982 to 2014. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 15.95 square miles (41.31 km ), of which 14.15 square miles (36.65 km ) is land and 1.80 square miles (4.66 km ) is water. The 45° latitude line passes just south of Willmar, placing it approximately halfway between

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528-506: Is no signage, however, along the highway that indicates the brief route across state lines. Nearby is the junction between MN 23 and MN 210 and Jay Cooke State Park . Intercity bus service along the MN 23 corridor is provided along the southwestern portion of the highway between Willmar and Pipestone by Jefferson Lines . MN 23 was authorized November 2, 1920, from Paynesville to Mission Creek , south of Hinckley . By 1933,

572-760: The I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis to collapse on August 1, 2007. The DeSoto Bridge was demolished in October 2008, and a new replacement bridge, the Granite City Crossing , was completed on October 29, 2009. The Paynesville Bypass project began on April 26, 2010. The project consists of constructing a four-lane bypass around Paynesville, running from County Road 6 (CR 6) in Kandiyohi County to CR 123 in Stearns County. The project

616-537: The Interstate Highway System , and a MN 23 expressway from Willmar (which is the largest municipality in southwest Minnesota) to St. Cloud would greatly alleviate both these issues. The "Gaps" project is a multi-stage project to widen MN 23 to four lanes in the two remaining two-lane sections between Willmar and St. Cloud. The nine-mile (14 km) North Gap started expansion in May 2022, and

660-576: The Mississippi River in St. Cloud , over the Granite City Crossing bridge. Running over surface streets in certain towns, MN 23 is also known as: The highway serves: About 50 miles (80 km) of MN 23 that travels through Pine , Carlton , and Saint Louis counties is officially designated the Veterans Evergreen Memorial Scenic Drive. This portion is between I-35 near Askov and

704-575: The New York Times on May 14, 2019. Willmar is home to Ridgewater College , a community and technical college on the site of a former military base. It has a sister college in Hutchinson . Ridgewater enrolls over 5,500 students and provides a moderate range of programs, in addition to providing access to some four-year programs through relationships with universities in the MnSCU system. It

748-619: The equator and the North Pole . As of the census of 2010, there were 19,610 people, 7,677 households, and 4,538 families living in the city. The population density was 1,385.9 inhabitants per square mile (535.1/km ). There were 8,123 housing units at an average density of 574.1 per square mile (221.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 86.9% White , 4.8% African American , 0.5% Native American , 0.6% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 5.4% from other races , and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.9% of

792-495: The Bank of Willmar (later Otto Bremer Trust ) of about $ 70,000 (equivalent to $ 1,277,000 in 2023) and wounded three people. The Willmar Memorial Auditorium, designed by architect William Ingemann, was the largest assembly hall within 70 miles when completed in 1938. It was funded by the city of Willmar and state and federal governments as a Depression-era works project. It contains several murals by Richard Haines commissioned by

836-678: The Federal Art Project, and wood paneling in the oak doors by WPA artists. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. From 1977 to 1979, Willmar was the site of the Willmar 8 , a strike of female workers confronting sexual discrimination at a local bank. The story of the strike was reported in mainstream media and made into a documentary. The music of Willmar native Bradley Joseph draws inspiration from his childhood there, and his company, Robbins Island Music,

880-781: The Gary-New Duluth neighborhood of Duluth , near MN 39 . The scenic roadway offers views of Banning State Park, the Saint Louis River valley, and nearby Jay Cooke State Park . The 2005 Minnesota Legislature officially designated the MN ;23 Bridge over the Saint Louis River at Duluth ( Fond du Lac neighborhood) as the Biauswah Bridge. On June 28, 2008, this bridge was dedicated as such in honor of American Indian veterans. MN 23 has

924-533: The South Dakota line and 13 miles (21 km) east of Sioux Falls and then continues north and east across Minnesota to its terminus at its interchange with I-35 in Duluth. MN 23 directly serves Pipestone , Marshall , Granite Falls , Willmar , Paynesville , Cold Spring , St. Cloud , Foley , Milaca , Mora , Hinckley , Sandstone , and Duluth . Portions of MN 23 that have been upgraded to

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968-404: The average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males. The median income for a household in the city

1012-475: The city figure of 64.1%. The official figure places household density at just 0.85 / acre, but in most areas where development has actually taken place the density is much higher. As with the rest of the city, the housing stock tends to be very old by American standards, with a large percentage (most likely a majority) of homes having been built before 1939. The entrance to the Bong Bridge ( U.S. Highway 2 )

1056-402: The city's official map, follows Grand Avenue between 46th Avenue West and 59th Avenue West; and includes the entire area between Grand Avenue and Mike Colalillo Drive. West Duluth students attend Stowe Elementary School, Laura MacArthur Elementary School, Lincoln Park Middle School, and Duluth Denfeld High School . The local Catholic school is St. James, grades K–8, affiliated with the parish of

1100-425: The city. Note that, as with many other Duluth neighborhood districts, the area actually developed to a major extent is considerably smaller than the district figure. This is largely due to the harsh topography (hills) of the area. The 2000 census enumerated 11,431 residents in the district, a 3% change from 1990. 23.8% of the population is under 18, and 15.7% over 65. 73.5% of households are owned, slightly higher than

1144-429: The city. The population density was 1,549.9 inhabitants per square mile (598.4/km ). There were 7,789 housing units at an average density of 657.8 per square mile (254.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 88.12% White , 0.90% African American , 0.46% Native American , 0.53% Asian , 0.11% Pacific Islander , 8.52% from other races , and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.86% of

1188-566: The demand for labor at the Jennie-O poultry plant. In 2001, the city was recognized as an " All America City " by the National Civic League , in part for its success as growing numbers of immigrants became part of the community. In 2005, the city received attention from national media after several Somali -American high school students gave Willmar High School its first cross-country state championship in 20 years. The team won

1232-436: The highway was paved between Roscoe and Cold Spring and from St. Cloud to Mission Creek. It was extended west to Benson and east to Duluth in 1934. Various sections of the highway were paved from the 1930s through the 1950s; the entire length was paved by 1961. The section of present-day MN 23 from its southern terminus to Marshall was originally designated MN 39 until 1940. The section between Marshall and Willmar

1276-431: The highway. While this section is technically part of the St. Cloud-to-I-35 portion of the corridor (and thus has less overall priority), the increase in traffic along this particular stretch led to a decision to expand the highway, as there have been major safety and mobility issues the last couple decades due to growth in the St. Cloud area. MnDOT has designated MN 23 as a medium-priority Interregional Corridor along

1320-473: The intersection of US 61 (now MN 61) and 60th Avenue East in Duluth. In 1997, the official northern terminus changed to its junction with I-35 at Grand Avenue in Duluth. After completion of the I-35 freeway, the state maintained MN 23 through Hinckley and Sandstone; now MN 23 runs concurrently with I-35 from Hinckley to Sandstone. The four-lane US 71 / MN 23 bypass of Willmar

1364-565: The majority of its length. As such, there are long-range plans to expand significant portions of the highway from two to four lanes. This resulted in the creation of the Highway ;23 Coalition, and its ultimate vision for MN 23 is a four-lane expressway running from its interchange with I-90 in the southwest corner of Minnesota northeastward to its interchange with I-35 near Hinckley , although severe funding shortages are currently limiting expansion to certain segments. Currently,

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1408-464: The northern terminus for MN 23 was its junction with old US  61 and US 2 in West Duluth . From 1963 to 1997, MN 23 continued farther into Duluth proper as a business route using several local arteries including Michigan Street, West 1st Street, East 2nd Street, East 3rd Street, and East Superior Street. The former northern terminus for MN 23 during this time period was at

1452-409: The population. There were 7,302 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and

1496-442: The population. There were 7,677 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

1540-483: The rare distinction of being a state highway that passes through another state. At 133rd Avenue West, along the southern edge of Duluth , MN 23 crosses the Saint Louis River into Douglas County, Wisconsin , in the Town of Superior , for one-half mile (800 m) before re-entering Minnesota. On some maps, this section is designated "WISC-23", despite there being another Highway 23 in southern Wisconsin. There

1584-483: The same name. An exception to this is the Bayview Heights neighborhood, where students attend Proctor 's public schools. The Spirit Valley Days festival takes place every August in West Duluth. Events include: 46°44′08″N 92°11′11″W  /  46.73556°N 92.18639°W  / 46.73556; -92.18639 Minnesota State Highway 23 Minnesota State Highway 23 ( MN 23 )

1628-454: The second (if present), and fronted by broad sidewalks. These occupy much of the Grand and Central Avenue portions. The other type, enclosed by Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, and facing Bristol Street on both sides, consists of more recent construction resembling suburban sprawl , despite never sprawling, but only replacing older buildings. A strip mall , "Valley Shopping Center", is anchored by

1672-494: The section of highway that has the highest overall priority for expansion is the corridor between Willmar and St. Cloud. This is due in part to the corridor carrying a heavy volume of traffic (higher than what a standard two-lane highway is designed to safely carry), plus a subsequently higher-than-average accident rate. In addition, southwest Minnesota lacks four-lane access to both the Twin Cities ( Minneapolis–Saint Paul ) and

1716-472: The state tournament and attended the Nike Nationals consecutively in 2005 and 2006. Following its success, the city gained attention from Sports Illustrated . Subsequently, NBC Nightly News ran a story on Willmar's changing complexion and its acceptance of its new citizens. More national attention was received when an opinion piece about immigration and Willmar by Thomas Friedman appeared in

1760-507: Was $ 33,455, and the median income for a family was $ 45,415. Males had a median income of $ 31,575 versus $ 22,158 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,515. About 8.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older. Since 1989, Willmar has had a large influx of immigrants from Latin America and Northeast Africa , mostly due to

1804-437: Was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 18,351 people, 7,302 households, and 4,461 families living in

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1848-504: Was completed in July 2012. The length of the new bypass is 7.7 miles (12.4 km). The project includes grading, construction of eight bridges, surfacing and lighting, and it cost $ 32.2 million (equivalent to $ 45.3 million in 2023 ). Another project expanded MN 23 to four lanes from St. Cloud eastward to Foley , which began July 1, 2011, and finished sometime in late 2012. This project expanded an eight-mile (13 km) segment of

1892-400: Was originally designated MN 17 until 1940. The MN 23 designation originally extended west from New London to Benson along the modern MN 9 ; which was also MN 17 from around 1940 to the 1960s. MN 23 originally ran through Sandstone proper to just west of Askov along the route that later became MN 123 ; this was redesignated c. 1946. From 1934 to 1963,

1936-457: Was proposed in the 1960s. However a financial crisis in the early 1980s led to the northbound lanes being unpaved, and the bypass had been scaled down to a two-lane facility by the time it opened in 1985. Construction in 2001 completed the bypass to its original four-lane design. The MN 23 expressway from Spicer to New London , and the expressway from Richmond to Waite Park ( St. Cloud ), were both completed by 2005. In February 2008,

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