State Highway 13 serves as a north–south route between Albert Lea, Waseca, Prior Lake, Savage, Burnsville, Eagan, Mendota Heights, West St. Paul, and the "West Side" neighborhood of Saint Paul.

The southern terminus of the route is at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway Avenue (U.S. 65 / Business Loop 35) in the city of Albert Lea.

This portion of the route is a busy metro area corridor paralleling the Minnesota River.

The Sibley House Historic Site museum in Mendota, overlooking Fort Snelling, is located immediately north of the junction of Highways 13 and 62.

The 200MW (with possible expansion to 400MW) Bent Tree Wind Farm was scheduled to be built in 2009 along Highway 13 between Manchester and Hartland.

In 1934, the segment between New Prague and Jordan was redesignated Highway 21, and Highway 13 moved to the east and extended north through Prior Lake, Savage, and Burnsville; then northeast to its northern terminus in West Saint Paul.