Wisconsin Highway 23

State Trunk Highway 23
Route information
Maintained by WisDOT
Length:	211.05 mi[1] (339.65 km)
Major junctions
South end:	WIS 11 / CTH-P in Shullsburg
	US 151 in Mineral Point US 151 in Dodgeville US 18 in Dodgeville US 14 / WIS 60 in Spring Green I-90 / I-94 in Lake Delton US 12 / WIS 13 / WIS 16 in Wis. Dells I-39 / US 51 / WIS 82 in Oxford I-41 / US 41 in Fond du Lac US 45 in Fond du Lac US 151 in Fond du Lac I-43 in Sheboygan
East end:	WIS 28 / WIS 42 in Sheboygan
Location
Counties:	Lafayette, Iowa, Sauk, Columbia, Adams, Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan
Highway system
Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System Interstate U.S. State Byways Rustic ← WIS 22 WIS 24 →

State Trunk Highway 23 (often called Highway 23, STH 23 or WIS 23) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The route is signed as a north–south route from Shullsburg to Reedsburg and as an east–west route from Reedsburg to Sheboygan. With the exception of freeway segments between Sheboygan Falls and Sheboygan, an expressway segment between Sheboygan Falls and near Greenbush, a freeway concurrency with I-39, and an expressway segment concurrent with U.S. Route 151, the highway is generally either two-lane surface road or urban multilane arterial. WIS 23 provides access to several important Wisconsin destinations, such as the House on the Rock, the Wisconsin Dells area and various state parks.

Route description

Shullsburg to Wisconsin Dells

WIS 23 begins at WIS 11 in Lafayette County, five miles (8 km) east of Shullsburg, and passes north through Darlington. WIS 23 shares one mile (1.6 km) of road with WIS 81 starting at Avon, just south of the city, and ending in Darlington. WIS 23 passes through rolling hills in the town of Willow Springs and enters Iowa County ten miles (16 km) north of the city.^[2] From the county line, WIS 23 turns northwestward to Mineral Point. WIS 39 joins the route one mile (1.6 km) southeast of the city, and turns west off in the downtown area. WIS 23 turns northeast and joins US 151 for a four-mile (6 km) expressway concurrency. WIS 23 turns off US 151 at a trumpet interchange and passes through downtown Dodgeville. The highway junctions with WIS 191 in the city and crosses US 18 on the north side. Access to Governor Dodge State Park is provided off WIS 23.^[3] The highway passes the House on the Rock nine miles (14 km) north of Dodgeville.^[4] WIS 23 passes Tower Hill State Park at the Sauk County line.^[3]

WIS 23 passes through Spring Green upon entering Sauk County and crosses US 14 just north of the village. The highway passes through Plain about six miles (10 km) north of US 14 and Loganville another eleven miles (18 km) further north. WIS 154 joins the route in Loganville. then turns off the route to the east three miles (5 km) further north.^[5]

Wisconsin Dells to Sheboygan

After another four miles (6 km), WIS 23 joins WIS 33 and becomes an east–west route in Reedsburg and follows the route east for six miles (10 km), before turning off northeast and stair-stepping in that direction toward Lake Delton. The highway passes through Mirror Lake State Park just prior to entering the village via Monroe Avenue.^[6] WIS 23 joins US 12 west and both routes turn north into the heart of the Wisconsin Dells tourism district along Wisconsin Dells Parkway north^[6] – passing attractions such as Noah's Ark Waterpark^[7] the Wisconsin Ducks boat tours,^[8] and Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show^[9] WIS 23 turns at the junction with WIS 13 and WIS 16 with both routes following it eastbound along Broadway Street through downtown Wisconsin Dells and into Columbia County^[5][10]

WIS 13 turns north and WIS 16 turns south just east of the city and WIS 23 turns north into Adams County two miles (3 km) east of Wisconsin Dells.^[11] The highway then turns east, passing near Big Spring on the way into Marquette County after a six-mile (10 km) journey through Adams County.^[12] WIS 23 stairsteps northeast to Endeavor where it joins I-39/US 51 for six miles (10 km) before turning east off the interstate five miles (8 km) east of Oxford. WIS 23 passes through Montello and has a brief cosign with WIS 22 before turning northeast and entering Green Lake County six miles (10 km) northeast of Montello.^[13]

WIS 23 joins WIS 73 on the west side of Princeton. They head east along Main Street then south along Fulton Street before leaving the city. They continue to be cosigned heading east for another 3 miles before WIS 73 turns south to head to Randolph and Columbus. WIS 23 passes north of Green Lake and is joined by WIS 49 northeast of the city. There is a Business 23 that uses Lawson Dr in Green Lake. The highway concurrency of 23 and 49 enters Fond du Lac County two miles (3 km) east of Green Lake.^[14] 23 and 49 continue heading southeast to Ripon. On the southeast side of Ripon, WIS 49 South, along with WIS 44 South, cuts south toward Brandon, Markesan and Waupun. WIS 44 has a short cosign with WIS 23 on the eastside of Ripon before it cuts north to Pickett and Oshkosh. WIS 23 continues east, crossing WIS 26 in Rosendale. As the highway enters Fond du Lac, it junctions with I-41 and becomes Johnson St., the main east–west thoroughfare through the city. WIS 23 crosses US 45 in the city center and US 151 on the east side. After a twelve-mile (19 km) rural stretch from Fond du Lac, WIS 23 enters Sheboygan County^[15] The route passes near Greenbush about four miles (6 km) into the county, then becomes a freeway about two miles (3 km) northwest of Plymouth. Around Plymouth, access is provided to CTH C, WIS 67, CTH E, and WIS 57. In Sheboygan Falls, an interchange is present at WIS 32.^[16] WIS 23 junctions with I-43 at a cloverleaf interchange just west of Sheboygan. The freeway segment ends a mile east of Interstate 43 at North 25th Street, with an exit at Taylor Drive. WIS 23 follows Kohler Memorial Drive and the straight-line portion of Erie Ave into the city, continuing as a divided highway until three blocks before its termination at WIS 28 south and WIS 42 north.^[17] Erie Avenue continues undesignated for about .9 of a mile east, until coming to an end at a cul-de-sac a block west of Lake Michigan, overlooking Broughton Drive.

The three-highway terminus in Sheboygan; Highway 23 starts going west from the Starbucks location shown in this picture.

History

The original 1918 routing of WIS 23 ended the route on the western terminus at Packwaukee at its junction with WIS 10. The route to the east of that point still exists as it is today.^[18] The route was extended in the early 1920s to the southwest,^[1] following its present routing from Packwaukee through Kilbourn (present day Wisconsin Dells), Reedsburg and Dodgeville, then along present day US 151 from Dodgeville to Dubuque, Iowa via Mineral Point and Platteville.^[19] Later in that decade, the route was truncated back to Dodgeville when US 118 was signed, but then extended again – this time along its current route when US 118 became part of US 151.^[1]

WIS 23 was relocated in the Sheboygan area to bypass Plymouth and Sheboygan Falls. Plans for this existed as early as 1972.^[20]

Proposals were considered that would have rerouted WIS 23 around Lake Delton by following CTH H from Reedsburg directly to Wisconsin Dells, but the village of Lake Delton did not support the plan due to pressure from local businesses.^[1]

WisDOT is currently studying the possible expansion of WIS 23 from Fond du Lac to Plymouth to a four-lane expressway. An Environmental Impact Statement draft was presented in 2004 and the bypass route that follow the existing alignment was chosen in 2005.^[21] Construction^[22] of the expansion was scheduled to begin in 2015, but has been delayed by a lawsuit by an environmental group which prevents delegation of federal funds until resolved, along with political issues involving the state transportation budget.

Major intersections

Shullsburg to Reedsburg

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Lafayette	Dunbarton			WIS 11 / CTH-P
	Darlington			WIS 81 west	WIS 81 East follow WIS 23 North
				WIS 81 east	WIS 81 West follow WIS 23 South
Iowa	Mineral Point			WIS 39 east	WIS 39 West follow WIS 23 North
				WIS 39 west	WIS 39 East follow WIS 23 South
				US 151 south	WIS 23 North follow US 151 North
	Dodgeville			US 151 north	WIS 23 South follow US 151 South
				WIS 191
				US 18
	Clyde			WIS 130
	Wyoming			CTH-C
Sauk	Spring Green			US 14 / WIS 60
	Plain			CTH-B
	Loganville			WIS 154 west	WIS 154 East follow WIS 23 North
				WIS 154 east	WIS 154 West follow WIS 23 South
	Reedsburg			WIS 33 west	WIS 23 East follow WIS 33 East – WIS 23 Directional Signage change
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Reedsburg to Sheboygan

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Sauk	Reedsburg			WIS 136
				WIS 33 east	WIS 23 West Follow WIS 33 West
	Lake Delton			I-90 / I-94 – La Crosse, Eau Claire, Madison
				US 12 east	WIS 23 East follow US 12 West
	Wisconsin Dells			US 12 west / WIS 13 south / WIS 16 west	WIS 23 West Follow US 12 East WIS 16 East / WIS 23 East follow WIS 13 North
Columbia				WIS 13 south / WIS 16 west	WIS 16 West / WIS 23 West follow WIS 13 South
Adams	Big Spring			CTH-G
Marquette	Briggsville			CTH-A
	Endeavor			I-39 south / US 51 south – Madison	US 51 – Exit 100[23] WIS 23 North follow I-39 North / US 51 North
	Packwaukee			CTH-D	US 51 Exit 104[23]
				I-39 north / US 51 north / WIS 82 west – Wausau, Mauston	US 51 Exit 106[23]
	Montello			WIS 22	There is a brief cosigning of 22 and 23 on the east side of Montello.
Green Lake	Princeton			WIS 73 north	WIS 73 South follow WIS 23 East. This cosigning is for about 5 miles.
				WIS 73 south	WIS 73 North follow WIS 23 West
	Green Lake			CTH-A
				WIS 49 north	WIS 49 South follow WIS 23 East
Fond du Lac	Ripon			WIS 44 south / WIS 49 south	WIS 44 North follow WIS 23 East WIS 49 North follow WIS 23 West
				WIS 44 north	WIS 44 South follow WIS 23 West
	Rosendale			WIS 26
	Woodhull			CTH-Y
	Fond du Lac			I-41 – Milwaukee, Appleton
				US 45
				US 151
	Mount Calvary			CTH-W
	St. Cloud			CTH-G
Sheboygan	Greenbush			CTH-A
	Plymouth			CTH-C - Plymouth	Westernmost interchange of expressway segment
				WIS 67 – Elkhart Lake, Plymouth	interchange
				WIS 57 – Kiel, Random Lake	interchange
	Lakeland College			CTH-M	at-grade intersection
	Sheboygan County Memorial Airport			CTH-TT	at-grade intersection
	Sheboygan Falls			WIS 32 – Howards Grove, Sheboygan Falls	interchange
	Kohler			CTH-Y – Kohler	interchange
				I-43 – Green Bay, Milwaukee	interchange
	Sheboygan			CTH-TA - Taylor Dr	Easternmost interchange on expressway segment
				WIS 28 / WIS 42
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. Bessert, Chris. "Wisconsin Highways: Highways 20-29 (Highway 23)". Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
2. Lafayette Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
3. Iowa Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
4. Google (2008-01-09). "House on the Rock Tours to Dodgeville, WI, United States of America" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
5. Sauk Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
6. Google (2008-01-09). "Lake Delton, WI, United States of America" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
7. "Noah's Ark Waterpark Wisconsin Dells". Retrieved 2008-01-09.
8. "Original Wisconsin Ducks, Wisconsin Dells". Retrieved 2008-01-09.
9. "Tommy Bartlett Show". Retrieved 2008-01-09.
10. Google (2008-01-09). "Wisconsin Dells, WI, United States of America" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
11. Columbia Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
12. Adams Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
13. Marquette Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
14. Green Lake Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
15. Fond du Lac Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
16. Sheboygan Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
17. Google (2008-01-09). "Sheboygan, WI, United States of America" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
18. "Original State Trunk Highway System in Wisconsin". Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. 1918. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
19. "Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas". Rand McNally. 1926. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
20. "More Pros Than Noes For 23". The Sheboygan Press. 1972-08-23.
21. Wisconsin Department of Transportation. "WIS 23 expansion study". Retrieved 2008-03-31.
22. "WIS 23 Expansion Project – Schedule". Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
23. Wisconsin Department of Transportation. "Exit numbers on US 51 and I-39". Retrieved 2007-06-30.