PTH 5 begins at the
United States Hansboro-Cartwright Border Crossing, with the road continuing south into
Towner County, North Dakota as
North Dakota Highway 4 (ND 4). The highway heads north into the
Cartwright - Roblin Municipality, travelling along the flat farmland of the prairies to cross a creek and pass through the town of
Cartwright, where it junctions with
PTH 3 (Boundary Commission Trail). It leaves Cartwright and makes a short, gradual jog to the northeast, where it crosses
Badger Creek, before curving due northward again to cross a wooded valley and crosses the
Pembina River just west of
Rock Lake. PTH 5 crosses into the
Rural Municipality of Argyle in
Neelin, climbing out of the valley back into farmland and going through a switch back, immediately having a short
concurrency (overlap) with
PR 253. The highway heads due north to cross a couple of creeks and have an intersection with
PTH 23 near
Baldur. It has an intersection with a former section of
PR 245 (which leads several kilometres east to
Bruxelles) before entering the
Municipality of Glenboro - South Cypress in the middle of a switchback. PTH 5 travels through the town of
Glenboro, where it has an intersection with
PTH 2 (Red Coat Trail), before winding its way through the woodlands of
Spruce Woods Provincial Park for the next several kilometres, where it crosses the
Assiniboine River before entering the
Municipality of North Cypress - Langford. The highway passes through the town of
Carberry, mostly bypassing it along its eastern side as it has an intersection with
PR 351 (former PTH 1 / TCH). It leaves Carberry and has an intersection with
PTH 1 /
Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) before going through a switchback near
Wellwood and having an intersection with
PR 353. The highway crosses a couple of creeks before travelling just west of
Lake Irwin and entering the town of
Neepawa. PTH 5 becomes concurrent with
PTH 16 (TCH /
Yellowhead Highway), at an intersection with along the banks of the
Whitemud River, and they head west through neighbourhoods along Main Street. They travel along the southern edge of downtown (around the intersection with Mountain Avenue) before passing through more neighbourhoods, with PTH 5 breaking off and heading north at the western edge of town, leaving Neepawa and entering the
Rural Municipality of Rosedale. PTH 5 continues nearly due northward for approximately , having an intersection with
PR 471 before passing through
Eden, where it shares a short concurrency with
PR 265. For the next , PTH 5 travels parallel to the eastern boundary of
Riding Mountain National Park. The highway has intersections with
PR 357 and
PR 352, where it crosses a creek, before passing through the hamlet of
Riding Mountain. It has an intersection with
PR 261 before travelling just west of
Kelwood and crossing into the
Municipality of McCreary. PTH 5 has intersections with
PTH 19 and
PR 462 before passing through the town of
McCreary, which it bypasses along its western side to have an intersection with
PTH 50 and
PR 361. It enters the
Municipality of Ste. Rose and has an intersection with
PR 480 near
Laurier. The highway shares a concurrency with
PR 360 before entering the town of
Ste. Rose du Lac and immediately having an intersection with
PTH 68 in the middle of a sharp curve, where PTH 5 switches cardinal directions from north–south to east–west. PTH 5 bypasses downtown to the south, where it has an intersection with
PR 276 and crosses a river, before beginning to parallel the southern shore of
Dauphin Lake as it crosses into the
Rural Municipality of Lakeshore. PTH 5 heads west to have another intersection with PR 480 before passing just to the south of
Ochre River, where it has an intersection with
PTH 20 and
PR 582, before crossing the
Ochre River and entering the
Rural Municipality of Dauphin. The highway leaves
Dauphin Lake, becoming concurrent with
PTH 10 and the two head north to pass by
Lt. Col W.G. (Billy) Barker VC Airport before crossing
Edwards Creek and bypassing the city of
Dauphin along its southern and western sides, having intersections with
PTH 5A /
PTH 10A. They have an intersection with
PR 274 before crossing into the
Gilbert Plains Municipality. PTH 10 splits off and heads north at a creek crossing near
Ashville, with PTH 5 heading west, crossing the
Wilson River and travelling through the town of
Gilbert Plains, where it has another intersection PR 274. It crosses into the
Grandview Municipality and travels up a valley between
Duck Mountain Provincial Park and Riding Mountain National Park, where it passes through the town of
Grandview, where it has an intersection with
PR 366 and crosses the
Valley River. PTH 5 travels through the
Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve as it crosses into the
Municipality of Roblin. PTH 5 has intersections with
PR 583,
584, and
591 before travelling straight through the centre of the town of
Roblin, where it shares an extremely short concurrency with
PTH 83. The highway has an intersection with
PR 484 before climbing across the Assiniboine River valley (now occupied by the
Lake of the Prairies) and crossing the border into
Saskatchewan at the intersection with
PR 482. The highway continues west as
Saskatchewan Highway 10 (Hwy 10) towards
Yorkton. The entire length of Manitoba Provincial Trunk Highway 5 is a rural, two-lane, paved highway. ==History==