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How to get to Crookston from ANYWHERE in the World.
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There are 4 basic ways to get to Crookston Minnesota, USA, North America, Western Hemisphere, Earth.
Flying
Track
an arriving or departing flight
Minneapolis, MN is the the only Airport
where you can fly on to Grand Forks International
The nearest airport is Grand Forks International
Airport (GFK). It is about 25 miles west of Crookston (past Grand Forks
ND) on State Highway #2.
Northwest Airlines (1-800-225-2525) is the only regularly operating carrier at this
time. They have several flights a day both to and from Minneapolis/St.
Paul International (MSP). There are rental cars available around the times
of all flights - Taxi service will pick you up in a few minutes...most flight
times there's one waiting.
There is a small cafe (pricey) and a gift shop
with mostly North Dakota souvenirs.
BE WARY of the parking
police. They are extremely unfriendly! Best to pull into the parking
area even if you're just dropping or picking someone up. Several times we
were stopping to drop or pickup folks and they were right there playing the
"I've got a badge and you better do what I say," game. No time
for a hug or you'll be ticketed! Best to pull into the parking area,
(NEW NEWS!!! AUG 2003- YOU now have to go inside the
terminal to pay for your parking. SO you can't easily cruise through the
parking lot to pick-up/drop off folks) if your dropping off (or your party's already there) just swing up by the
handicapped spaces and you can unload/load at your convenience and no one will
bother you! Well worth the 50 cents or so they'll charge when you
leave! Just tell your passengers to look for your car across the street
from the terminal. The rest of the people around here are much nicer...I
promise. I don't know where they import those people from.
If
you're arriving and it's outside the time for regular restaurants to be open,
try the truck stop cafe's as your approach the freeway. A great 24 hour
cafe is south 2 exits on the freeway (3 miles or so) at the "I29"
Truckstop.
NEW INFORMATION
July 2002, They now have a parking area for busses, motor homes, semi's, vehicles with
trailers, etc. It's not paved but it's a good space. To get to it,
enter the airport, stay on the main lane past the ticket booth, past the terminal, past the parking
entry area, and keep going till you're just about back to the
ticket booth. You'll see signs and the gravel area is to your right just about
when you've completed the circle! Thank you GF Airport!!
The ticket guy might try to hit you for a parking fee. Hey it's a cheap
price to pay to be able to bring our company coach to the airport to pick up
folks!!!
If you need to fly United Air Lines (United/Lufthansa) the nearest gateway is Fargo North Dakota (FAR-Hector). Fargo also has many Northwest flights each day (only from/to MSP).
Other close gateways include Thief River Falls (TVF) Minnesota (40 miles), Bemidji (BJI) Minnesota (90 miles), and Winnipeg (YWG) Manitoba Canada (150+ miles).
There are also air charter services out of Grand
Forks and Crookston.
GFK Flight Support 701-772-5504
- Fax: 701-772-8917 www.flygfk.com The day I
called they weren't very friendly but they have well maintained planes and I
guess that's what counts. customerservice@flygfk.com
- ARINC 129.95
Kirkwood Field (CKN) is the local Crookston Municipal Airport. Friendly FBO, clean restrooms, candy/soda machine. Three miles north of the city.
Driving
From Minneapolis, Saint Paul
Take Interstate #94 westbound departing on the North West corner of the metropolitan area. When you are at mile marker 22, take a right (north) on State Highway #9. This will take you straight north (about 90 miles) to State Highway #2 which terminates. Take a left (west) and you will be in Crookston in about 2 miles. IF you want to stay on the interstate system, take I94 to Fargo, then I29 north from Fargo to Grand Forks, then State Highway #2 (4 lane) to Crookston.
From Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
2 Routes, 1 Fast, 1 a great experience of the Red River Valley.
Fast: Take Manitoba Highway #75 Southbound
to the border. Stay on it and go through customs/immigration and
you'll be on Interstate #29 south to Grand Forks. 1st exit will be
State Highway #2 after exiting, turn left under the freeway and stay on that
highway till you're in Crookston.
Scenic: Take Manitoba Highway #75
Southbound to the border. Just before the border take a left and go
through the Noyes border crossing (closed after midnight). Then you'll be
on State Highway #75 which will go through many towns in the Red River
Valley. It used to be a terrible concrete poured, bumpety bump road, but
now it's smooth as silk. However the many towns will slow you down!
But enjoy the ride. In about 90 miles you'll be in Crookston.
From Fargo North Dakota/Moorhead Minnesota
A couple of choices. Highway #75 goes from Moorhead to Crookston and on to
the Canadian border. Interstate #29 runs north from Fargo to Grand Forks
and then Highway #2 to Crookston, OR at any point that there's a bridge you can
go east from I#29 and cross into Minnesota and get on #75 northbound. I
cross over from Buxton, ND to Climax, MN.
From Bemidji
It's easy...Highway #2 runs from Duluth to Bemidji, then Bagley, Fosston,
MacIntosh, Erskine, Menteor and finally Crookston as it goes on past Fisher to
East Grand Forks Minnesota and then across the bridge to Grand Forks North
Dakota and on to Devils Lake and the west coast.
Train
Amtrak (1-800-USA-RAIL) serves the Crookston area with daily service via the EMPIRE BUILDER stopping in Grand Forks North Dakota. East bound train passes through about 1AM, and the westbound passes in the 5AM hour. Station is on Demers Avenue on the far west of the city, west of Interstate #94. You can park for free in their unprotected lot (I do it all the time!). You'll be in Minneapolis for breakfast. Or depart Minneapolis in the evening and get here for an early morning meeting. The train also stops in Fargo. Check into the price of a sleeping room. Clean, comfortable, convenient. The trains are often late, (last time I rode because they hit 2 buffalo out in the Dakotas...and you thought those days were over!)
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Bus
Greyhound (1-800-229-9424) now offers service both eastbound and westbound. The Bus Stop is the former SuperPumper (now Tesoro) on the north end of town. (Highway 2 across from the Dairy Queen) Then to Grand Forks to catch the Southbound.
travelers dropped by.