Now and then, living in Freeborn County, you hear a remark similar to this:

“Albert Lea never really made use of its location at the junction of Interstate 35 and Interstate 90.”

Bah humbug!

You even hear that statement now and then by people from other cities making assumptions about our town.

Again. Bah humbug!

It’s just not a true statement.

The Midwest is filled with cities losing population, and Albert Lea has done a fine job of declining slightly over the same time span, rather than dropping dramatically.

Moreover, one only needs to look at Larson Manufacturing and Minnesota Corrugated Box as examples of the many companies that have liked Albert Lea’s access to freeways. The city’s industrial parks have many more companies — from Malt-O-Meal to Zumbro River Brand — that fit that description.

Still don’t believe us? Go stand at the Jobs Industrial Park’s east entrance to watch the semitrailers coming and going from I-35’s Exit 8.

Some people expect a freeway junction would mean exponential growth. It’s just not the case. The U.S. map is littered with small and mid-size cities at freeway junctions. Here are some (among many), and their populations:

Lake City, Fla.: 12,427

Benson, N.C.: 3,495

Bowman, S.C.: 1,149

Ponchatoula, La.: 6,320

La Salle, Ill.: 9,520

Effingham, Ill.: 12,489

Mount Vernon, Ill.: 16,298

Tomah, Wis.: 8,664

Portage, Wis.: 9,919

Jeffersonville, Ohio: 1,229

Wytheville, Va.: 8,282

Beckley, W. Va.: 16,832

Avoca, N.Y.: 960

Julesburg, Colo.: 1,252

Buffalo, Wyo.: 4,832

Ellensburg, Wash.: 17,141

Hermiston, Ore.: 15,297

Freeways help, but they don’t create booms. A few cities on this list indeed are growing, but they are seeing growth mainly for quality of life reasons, not freeways. They were ready when people came looking.

The next time someone says the “two freeways” statement, tell them to go look over the fence at the rest of the country.