Interstate 494 (Minnesota)

Interstate 494
Interstate 494 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Mn/DOT
Length:	43.00 mi (69.20 km)
Existed:	1985 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-94 / I-694 in Maple Grove
	I-394 / US 12 in Minnetonka US 212 / MN 5 in Eden Prairie US 169 in Bloomington I-35W in Bloomington MN 5 in Bloomington I-35E in Mendota Heights US 52 in Inver Grove Heights US 10 / US 61 in Newport
East end:	I-94 / I-694 in Woodbury/Oakdale
Location
Counties:	Washington, Dakota, Hennepin
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Minnesota Trunk Highways Interstate US State Legislative routes ← I-394 I-535 →

Interstate 494 (I-494) is a loop route making up part of a beltway of Interstate 94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The 43-mile (69 km) road is coupled with Interstate 694 (which circles the northern edge of the Twin Cities metro area) at each end, and composes more than half of the major beltway of the region. I-694 / I-494 also act as loop routes for Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W.

I-494 has a few intersections with other interstates:

The speed limit on I-494 is 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). Interstate highways outside of the loop in Minnesota may be signed as high as 70 mph (110 km/h). Most highways inside the loop are signed at speeds of 55 mph (90 km/h) or lower, though a few exceptions were added in September 2005, allowing speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) in some places. Those roads had been signed at 60 mph (97 km/h) or higher up until the gasoline crisis of the 1970s.

Exit numbering of Interstate 494 is unusual in that it begins at the Minnesota River heading westbound (between Mendota Heights and Bloomington), and continues clockwise around the entire beltway. The last exit is #71 to Pilot Knob Road. The most significant landmark on the length of I-494 is Mall of America, just south of the intersection of I-494 and State Highway 77.