From the South Dakota state line at
Ortonville, to
Orono in
Minneapolis–Saint Paul, US 12 is mostly a rural two-lane highway with a posted speed limit, with slower speed limits through towns and a four-lane surface arterial segment through the city of
Willmar. From Orono to
Wayzata, US 12 is a
two-lane freeway/
super-two bypass around
Long Lake. From western Wayzata to
Interstate 394 (I-394) in
Minnetonka, US 12 is a six-lane
freeway, with a posted speed limit of . East of
I-494 in Minnetonka, US 12 is invisibly
concurrent with I-394 and
I-94 through
Minneapolis and
Saint Paul to the Wisconsin state line at
Hudson. Legally, the Minnesota section of US 12 is defined as unmarked
Constitutional / Legislative Routes 149, 26, and 10 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.115(80) and 161.114(2). US 12 is not marked with these legislative numbers along the actual highway. ==History==