Three major highway systems converge in the area, making it easy to travel from the Twin Cities, Duluth/Superior, Fargo/Moorhead, Mankato, Sioux Falls (SD) or northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. The primary drive from the south to the north, Hwy 371, is set to expand into a four-lane rural expressway within a few years. This project also surrounds the new Brainerd Lakes Area Welcome Center, just south of the towns of Brainerd and Baxter.