US 2 is an east–west highway that runs through North Dakota's northern tier of larger cities: Williston, Minot, Devils Lake, and Grand Forks.

Between Minot and Grand Forks, US 2 provides an ever-changing mix of agricultural farm and pasture land, native wetlands, and small lakes set on a gently rolling landscape.

This portion was completed in 1996, resulting in a continuous four-lane highway across this vital east-west corridor in the eastern part of the state.

The completion of this section was a significant milestone in North Dakota's long-term plan to improve its transportation infrastructure.

The state successfully met this goal, resulting in approximately 343 miles (552 km) of continuous four-lane highway stretching from North Dakota's eastern border to just past Williston.

Despite these extensive upgrades, a small segment of US 2, approximately 12 miles (19 km) from Williston to the Montana state line, remains a two-lane highway.