PTH 21 begins in the
Rural Municipality of Deloraine - Winchester at the
North Dakota border, with the road continuing south towards
Carbury and
Bottineau as
North Dakota Highway 14 (ND 14). Travelling along the western edge of
Turtle Mountain, the highway heads north, running along the border with the
Rural Municipality of Brenda - Waskada, to have a junction with
PR 251 before bypassing the town of
Deloraine along its western side, where it has a short
concurrency (overlap) with
PTH 3 (
Boundary Commission Trail), crossing a small creek. It travels through the community of
Dand before entering the
Rural Municipality of Grassland. PTH 21 continues north, having intersections with
PR 345 and
PTH 23, before passage through the town of
Hartney, where it crosses the
Souris River. The highway enters the
Rural Municipality of Sifton and has a short concurrency with
PTH 2 (
Red Coat Trail) near
Deleau before travelling along the borders of the
Rural Municipality of Souris - Glenwood and
Rural Municipality of Whitehead, having an intersection with
PR 543 and crossing a causeway over some wetlands and a small lake before travelling along the eastern side of
Griswold, where it junctions with
PTH 1 (
Trans-Canada Highway). The highway has a junction with
PR 455 and crosses the
Assiniboine River into the
Rural Municipality of Wallace - Woodworth, immediately making a sharp curve to the west, junctioning with
PR 564 and passing through the
Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. PTH 21 makes another sharp curve back to the north at an intersection with
PR 463, and travels through
Kenton, where it has an intersection with
PR 259. The highway enters the
Rural Municipality of Hamiota, passing by
Oakner on its way to
Parks Corner, where it junctions with
PTH 24. PTH 21 now travels through the town of
Hamiota, where it has an intersection with
PR 469, as it heads northward past several ponds and small lakes, having a short concurrency with
PR 355 west of
McConnell, before entering the
Rural Municipality of Yellowhead. PTH 21 winds its way along Shoal Lake for a few kilometres to enter the town of
Shoal Lake, traveling through neighbourhoods before making a sharp right in downtown at an intersection with The Drive, which leads to
PTH 42. The highway curves back northward as it crosses a railway line, passing through more neighbourhoods before having a junction with
PTH 16 (
Yellowhead Highway). PTH 21 leaves Shoal Lake and heads north for several kilometres to enter
Oakburn. It passes through neighbourhoods, as well as the eastern edge of downtown at the intersection with Main Street, before crossing a former railway line and coming to an intersection with
PTH 45 (Russell Subdivision Trail), where PTH 21 ends and the road continues north as
PR 577 towards
Olha. The entire length of Manitoba Highway 21 is a rural, paved, two-lane highway. ==History==