{{short description|State highway in Minnesota, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox road |state=MN |type=MN |route=26 |map=Minn026.svg |map_notes=MN 26 highlighted in red |formed=1933 |length_mi=21.121 |length_ref=<ref name=statelpt>{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadway/data/reports/logpoint/statelpt.pdf |title=Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing |publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914220734/http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadway/data/reports/logpoint/statelpt.pdf |archivedate=2012-09-14 }}</ref> |tourist=20px|alt=|link= Great River Road |direction_a=South |terminus_a={{Jct|state=IA|IA|26}} near New Albin, Iowa,<br>at the Minnesota — Iowa state line |direction_b=North |terminus_b={{Jct|state=MN|MN|16}} near La Crescent |counties=Houston | |previous_type=MN |previous_route=25 |next_type=MN |next_route=27 }} '''Minnesota State Highway 26''' ('''MN 26''') is a state highway in southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At {{convert|21|mi}} in length, Highway 26 runs parallel to the Mississippi River and is a portion of the Great River Road. The route begins at the Iowa state line where it continues as Iowa Highway 26, and ends at an intersection with Minnesota State Highway 16 south of La Crescent.
==Route description== State Highway 26 serves as a north–south route in southeast Minnesota between La Crescent, MN and Lansing, IA. The route follows a scenic path along the Mississippi River; as such, it makes up a section of the Great River Road. Because it is located in the Driftless Area, the Mississippi carved out a deep river valley, leaving high undulating bluffs which loom {{convert|300|ft}} above the highway. Highway 26 is nestled between the base of the bluffs and the river channel.<ref name="MSRM">{{cite web|url=http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=15&X=796&Y=6059&W=3&qs=%7cReno%7cMN%7c |title=7 km SW of La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States|last=Microsoft Research Maps|date=July 1, 1995|accessdate=April 19, 2010}}</ref>
MN 26 begins at the Iowa state line near New Albin, Iowa, where Iowa Highway 26 continues across the border to the south. Immediately upon entering Minnesota, Highway 26 enters the Richard J. Dorer State Forest. For its first {{convert|7|mi}}, Highway 26 borders the backwaters of the Mississippi River, which lies {{convert|2|mi}} to the east.<ref name="statelpt" /> Near Reno, the river widens at the pool behind Lock and Dam No. 8.
Highway 26 continues north along the Mississippi River and the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad line towards Brownsville. North of Brownsville, Highway 26 begins to turn inland away from the river. Six miles ({{convert|6|mi|disp=output only}}) north of Brownsville, Highway 26 ends at a T intersection with Minnesota State Highway 16, near the Root River and the city of La Crescent.<ref name="statelpt" />
The highway is defined as Route 198 in the Minnesota Statutes.<ref name="MN Statutes">{{cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=161.115|title=§161.115 Additional Trunk Highways|last=Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes|year=2009|work=2009 Minnesota Statutes|accessdate=April 19, 2010}}</ref> It is not marked with this number. [[File:Minnesota State Highway 26.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of Highway 26 <br> South of Reno looking north]]
==History== Highway 26 was authorized April 22, 1933.<ref name=laws1933>{{citation |title=Chapter 440-H.F. No. 2000, Section 1 |work=Session Laws of the State of Minnesota, Forty-Eighth Session |publisher=Mike Holm, Secretary of State |pages=881–897}}</ref> It originally connected Iowa Highway 182 and U.S. Highway 16.<ref name="1938 green">{{cite book |last=Thibodeau |first=William A. |title=The ALA Green Book |edition=1938–39 |year=1938 |publisher=Automobile Legal Association}}</ref> Iowa Highway 182 became Iowa Highway 26 in 1969, and U.S. 16 became Minnesota State Highway 16 in 1980.
The roadway was gravel when marked. It was paved in 1948 except for the section between the bridge crossing Wildcat Creek and the crossing of an unnamed stream two miles to the north. This remaining portion was paved in 1949.<ref name=CS2802>{{cite web |url=https://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadway/data/docs/projlog/county28/2802.pdf |title=Construction Project Log Record: Control Section 2802 |publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation |accessdate=January 6, 2019}}</ref>
In August 2007, parts of Highway 26 were washed away by flooding or covered by landslides caused by unusually heavy rains.<ref name="Winona DN">{{cite news|url=http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/article_001f99ea-e439-5ff1-9a9a-f19216d54d4f.html|title=Are we to blame? A year after the floods, ways to lessen impact examined|last=Rosenkrans|first=Nolan|date=September 2, 2008|work=Winona Daily news|accessdate=April 19, 2010}}</ref> Between {{convert|10|-|15|in|cm}} of rain fell over a two-day period.<ref name="NWS rain">{{cite web|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=aug1907|title=Historic Rainfall and Flooding Event of August 18–20, 2007|last=National Weather Service|author-link=National Weather Service|date=May 23, 2008|accessdate=April 19, 2010}}</ref>
== Major intersections== [[File:MN 26 & 16 Junction.jpg|thumb|right|Northern terminus of MN-26 at MN-16 Junction]] {{Jcttop|state=MN|county=Houston|length_ref=<ref name=statelpt/>}} {{MNint |township=Jefferson |ctdab=Houston |mile=0.000 |road={{Jct|state=IA|IA|26|GRR|dir1=south|city1=New Albin}} |notes=Continuation beyond Iowa state line }} {{MNint |township=Crooked Creek |ctdab=Houston |mile=6.234 |road={{Jct|state=MN|CR|249|county1=Houston|city1=Freeburg|city2=Caledonia}} |notes=Former MN 249 }} {{MNint |township=La Crescent |ctdab=Houston |mile=21.121 |road={{Jct|state=MN|MN|16|GRR||city1=La Crescent|city2=Hokah}} |notes= Northern terminus }} {{Jctbtm}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} *[http://steve-riner.com/mnhighways/r26-50.htm Highway 26 at ''The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page'']
026 Category:Transportation in Houston County, Minnesota 026