U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 18.

US Highway 18 marker

US Highway 18
Route information
Maintained by WisDOT
Length: 182.16 mi[1] (293.16 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Major junctions
West end: US 18 in Prairie du Chien
 
East end: Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee
Location
Counties: Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee
Highway system
WIS 17WIS 18

In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, U.S. Route 18 (normally called U.S. Highway 18, Highway 18 or US 18) runs east–west across the southern part of the state. The highway serves as major connecting route between Madison and the southwest corner of the state. East of Madison, the route parallels Interstate 94 and serves as a local connection route to the communities along the interstate. US 18 enters Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien and ends in downtown Milwaukee at Lincoln Memorial Drive, across from the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Route description

US 18 enters Crawford County from Iowa, crossing the Mississippi River using the Marquette-Joliet Bridge just west of Prairie du Chien. WIS 60 begins at the state line and runs concurrent with US 18 east from there. The two highways turn south at the along with Wisconsin Highway 35 downtown and head southeast out of the city. WIS 60 branches northeast from US 18 at Bridgeport. US 18 and WIS 35 continue southeast into Grant County[2] The two highways split at Patch Grove with WIS 35 continuing southeastward along with WIS 133 south, while US 18 turns eastward along with WIS 133 north. WIS 133 branches north at Mount Hope. US 18 and US 61 junction in downtown Fennimore. and WIS 80 north joins the highway in Montfort, on the Iowa County line.[3]

US 12/US 18 eastbound at southern terminus of WIS 134 in Cambridge

WIS 80 turns north at Cobb while US 18 continues east through Dodgeville, crossing WIS 23 and joining US 151 North. The two U.S. routes share a common expressway and bypass Ridgeway and Barneveld on the way east into Dane County.[4] in Dane County, US 18 and US 151 bypass Mount Horeb, crossing WIS 78 and WIS 92, and Verona and enter the Madison area, first passing through Fitchburg. Upon entering Madison, US 18 and US 151 join US 12 and US 14 east along the West Beltline Highway. US 151 and US 14 turn off the beltline three miles (5 km) east and US 12 and US 18 continue east, crossing US 51 and I-39 / I-90 southeast of Madison. Four miles east of the Interstates, US 12/US 18 becomes a two lane surface road again and passes through Cambridge, where US 12 splits southeast at the Jefferson County line.[5]

US 18 crosses WIS 89 and WIS 26 in Jefferson and passes through Sullivan.[6] Entering Waukesha County, Wisconsin, US 18 passes north of Dousman at WIS 67, south of the Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit and north of Wales at WIS 83.[7] US 18 then enters Waukesha along Summit Avenue. US 18 turns onto Delafield Street heading south, then takes a very sharp turn northeast — with the eastbound traffic following St. Paul Avenue and westbound traffic following North Street. The two streets merge and US 18 turns east onto Moreland Boulevard, WIS 164 joins US 18 from Les Paul Parkway south and follows it to the interchange with I-94. WIS 164 turns west onto I-94, and US 18 continues east into Brookfield along Blue Mound Road.[8] US 18 continues through Brookfield and Elm Grove along Blue Mound Road, and enter Milwaukee County and Wauwatosa.[7] US 18 crosses WIS 100, US 45, US 41, and I-41 near the Milwaukee County Zoo and continues east into Milwaukee.[9] At WIS 175, the highway shifts onto Wisconsin Ave. US 18 turns north onto North 35th street and east on to West Highland Ave where it crosses I-43 near downtown Milwaukee. US 18 turns south on 6th street and east on Wells Street and join WIS 32 at North Broadway (southbound) and North Milwaukee Street (Northbound). Both directions turn east onto East Michigan Street as WIS 32 continues south. US 18 reaches its eastern terminus, the junction of Michigan Street and Lincoln Memorial Drive five blocks east of WIS 32, and one block north of I-794.[10]

History

Old US 18 bridge over the Wisconsin River in Bridgeport

Prior to 1926, the route that US 18 follows today was designated as WIS 19.[11] By 1923, the WIS 19 extended from Prairie du Chien to Milwaukee.[12] Shortly after US 18 was signed, it was rerouted along WIS 30 and WIS 19 - the present route within Milwaukee. The remainder of the route was relocated to its current alignment in 1932.[1][13]

The eastern terminus was an originally stated in official DOT documentation to be the junction of East Michigan Street and North Harbor Drive. This matched what commercial street maps were showing after many years of inaccuracies.[1]

Between 1980 and 1990, 38 miles (61 km) of US 18/US 151 was upgraded to expressway standards, with the section around Verona being the final piece to be completed in 1995. US 12/US 18 was upgraded to expressway standards between I-39/I-90 to North Star Road, west of Cambridge. The remainder wasn't expanded, but straightened out to eliminate sharp curves.[1]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
ClaytonMarquette US 18 west Marquette, Charles CityContinuation into Iowa
Mississippi River0.000.00Marquette–Joliet Bridge; Iowa–Wisconsin state line
WIS 60 begins; western end of WIS 60 overlap
CrawfordPrairie du Chien WIS 27 north Eastman
WIS 35 north LynxvilleWestern end of WIS 35 overlap
Bridgeport WIS 60 east WauzekaEastern end of WIS 60 overlap
GrantTown of Patch Grove WIS 35 south / WIS 133 south Cassville FerryEastern end of WIS 35 overlap; western end of WIS 133 overlap
Mount Hope WIS 133 north BoscobelEastern end of WIS 133 overlap
Fennimore US 61 north BoscobelWestern end of US 61 overlap
US 61 south LancasterEastern end of US 61 overlap
GrantIowa
county line
Montfort WIS 80 south PlattevilleWestern end of WIS 80 overlap
IowaCobb WIS 80 north Highland, MuscodaEastern end of WIS 80 overlap
Town of Linden WIS 39 Linden, Mineral Point
Dodgeville WIS 23 Mineral Point, Spring Green
Town of Dodgeville47 60 US 151 south DubuqueWestern end of US 151 overlap
Barneveld58 CTH-ID Barneveld
DaneTown of Blue Mounds65
Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / WIS 78 Mount Horeb, Blanchardville
US 18 Business / US 151 Business only signed northbound
Mount Horeb69
Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / CTH-ID Mount Horeb
US 18 Business / US 151 Business only signed southbound
Town of Springdale70 CTH-PD to CTH-P Cross Plains
Town of Verona75 CTH-G (Dairy Ridge Road) Mount Vernon
Verona76
Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / CTH-MV (W. Verona Avenue) / Epic Lane
US 18 Business / US 151 Business only signed northbound
77 WIS 69 Belleville, New Glarus
79 CTH-PB to CTH-M Paoli, Oregon
Town of Verona81
Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / CTH-MV Verona
Southbound exit and northbound entrance only
Madison258 US 12 west / US 14 west (Beltline Highway) / Midvale Boulevard DodgevilleWestern end of US 12 and US 14 overlaps.
258ASeminole HighwayWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
259Todd Drive
260 CTH-D (Fish Hatchery Road)Eastbound exits signed 260A (south) and 260B (north)
261 US 14 east / US 151 north (Park Street) OregonEastern end of US 14 and US 151 overlaps
262 CTH-MM (Rimrock Road)
263John Nolen Drive
Monona264 CTH-BW east (West Broadway)
265Monona Drive
Madison266 US 51 (Stoughton Road)
267 I-39 / I-90 to I-94 Janesville, Chicago, Wisconsin Dells, MilwaukeeSigned as exits 267A (east/south) and 267B (west/north); I-39 / I-90 exit 142
Town of Deerfield WIS 73 northWestern end of WIS 73 overlap
Town of Christiana WIS 73 southEastern end of WIS 73 overlap
Cambridge WIS 134 north
US 12 east Fort AtkinsonEastern end of US 12 overlap
JeffersonTown of Jefferson WIS 89 north Lake MillsWestern end of WIS 89 overlap
WIS 89 south Fort AtkinsonEastern end of WIS 89 overlap
WIS 26 Fort Atkinson, Johnson CreekInterchange
Jefferson
Bus. WIS 26 (Main Street)
WaukeshaDousman WIS 67 Oconomowoc, Eagle
Wales WIS 83 Hartland, MukwonagoRoundabout
Waukesha WIS 164 southWestern end of WIS 164 overlap
I-94 / WIS 164 north Milwaukee, MadisonEastern end of WIS 164 overlap
MilwaukeeWauwatosa WIS 100 (N. 108th Street)
I-41 / US 41 / US 45
WIS 181 (Glenview Avenue)
Milwaukee To WIS 175 / Wisconsin Avenue
WIS 57 south (N. 27th Street)Western end of WIS 57 overlap
WIS 57 north (N. 20th Street)Eastern end of WIS 57 overlap
I-43 north Green BayNorthbound I-43 entrance and southbound I-43 exit only
WIS 145 north (N. 6th Street)Western end of WIS 145 overlap
WIS 145 endsEastern end of WIS 145 overlap
WIS 32 north (E. Wells Street)Western end of WIS 32 overlap
WIS 32 south (E. Michigan Street)Eastern end of WIS 32 overlap
Lincoln Memorial Drive
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bessert, Chris. "Wisconsin Highways: Highways 10-19 (U.S. Highway 18)". Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  2. Crawford Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  3. Grant Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  4. Iowa Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  5. Dane Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  6. Jefferson Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  7. 1 2 Waukesha Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  8. City of Waukesha Ward and Aldermanic Districts Map (pdf) (Map). City of Waukesha. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  9. Milwaukee Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  10. Google (2008-01-01). "US-18, Milwaukee" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  11. Official Auto Trails Map (Map). 1:1,081,344. Rand McNally. 1921. p. 330-331.
  12. "Complete Plans for Roadwork". Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, Iowa). April 2, 1923. p. 5. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  13. "Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas". Rand McNally. 1926. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
U.S. Route 18
Previous state:
Iowa
Wisconsin Next state:
Terminus
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