Interstate 98 (I-98) is an Interstate Highway traveling across the Northern United States from Washington to Minnesota, paralleling largely along the Canada–United States international border. It is the northernmost east–west even-numbered primary route in the Interstate Highway System. I-98 has its western terminus at Interstate 5 (I-5) in Bellingham, Washington and its eastern terminus in Grand Portage, Minnesota at the Grand Portage Border Crossing, where the highway continues as Ontario Highway 700 (ON 700), which links to Thunder Bay. It travels through five states: Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota.
Most of I-98's portions runs largely parallel or is concurrent to U.S. Route 2 (US 2), with the exception of the parts in Minnesota. I-98 is one of the few Interstate Highways not being co-signed by any U.S. Highways and Interstate Highways and the only Interstate Highway that is, even has a length of 2,139 miles (3,442 km), entirely rural, does not travel through much of the populated cities. I-98 is one of the three Interstate Highways known to travel closely across an international border, the other two Interstates are Interstate 2 (I-2), which parallel the Rio Grande Valley in Texas north of the Mexico–US Border, and Interstate 8 (I-8), which in California, travels close to the Mexico–US Border.
Route description[]
Washington[]
Idaho[]
Montana[]
North Dakota[]
The route enters North Dakota as a four-lame highway approximately 10 miles north of the Missouri River, between Williston, ND and Culbertson, MT. It is concurrent with US-2 at this point and for most of its route through the state.
The alignment bears north of downtown Williston, leaving US-2 approximately 3.5 miles west of its intersection with US-85, where I-96 has its first exit in the state, Exit 11: US-2. The highway travels northeast of a mostly industrial area before its next exit, US-85, which is 1.5 miles north of the US-2 alignment. The route continues east for 3 miles through undeveloped land before veering south of a suburban area and rejoining US-2. Upon extension of I-98 through this area, US-2 Business was extended north of its former terminus with US-2 to have an interchange with I-98. I-98 continues co-signed with US-2 north of downtown Williston, with an exit at 2nd Ave W, where US-2 departs to the north, before running along former 26th St E until an exit with E Dakota Pkwy/13th Ave E. The highway rises up to a half-mile viaduct across the Little Muddy Creek reservoir before passing south of the Williston Landfill and back into rural land.
The route runs for the next 2.5 miles southeast over a pair of railroad tracks before running concurrently with ND-1804 2 miles south of Avoca, where there is an exit. I-98 runs the next 8 miles concurrently with ND-1804 before heading northeast to avoid the Missouri River and its surrounding landscape, as well as a few State Parks and protected lands. The route rejoins US-2 once again 2 miles east of Ray, where there is an interchange with the highway. The route runs the next 75 miles with US-2 through sparsely populated rural areas, with exits for the towns of Tioga, Ross, Stanley, Palermo, Blaisdell, and Berthold.
The next major city is Minot, which is bypassed by I-98 in favor of running more closely to Minot Air Force Base. Where US-2 veers southeast west of Burlington, I-98 continues northeast for an interchange with US-52/US-2 before running across the Souris River and east to US-83 for the Minot/Minot AFB exit. The route runs southeast and rejoins US-2 just east of Surrey. The next 194 miles are run concurrently with US-2 through mostly rural farmland, although a few major towns such as Rugby and Devils Lake are served.
Grand Forks is the next major city served, with major cloverleaf exits for both Grand Forks AFB and Grand Forks International Airport before leaving US-2 to bypass the city. It is at this point I-98 gains an extra lane in each direction, for a total of 6 lanes. The route turns southeast just past the airport for 6 miles before a cloverleaf interchange with I-29/US-81 just south of the city limits. The highway returns to 4 lanes and turns east before heading across the Red River into Minnesota.