U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin

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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
US 18 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by WisDOT
Length182.16 mi[1] (293.16 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 18 in Prairie du Chien
Major intersections
East endLincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee
Location
CountiesCrawford, Grant, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee
Highway system
← WIS 17→ WIS 18

US Highway 18 (US 18) in the state of Wisconsin 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 18/WIS 133 in Patch Grove

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 south from Summit Avenue on the new section of Les Paul Parkway (aka the new Waukesha West Bypass) and goes the entire route of Les Paul Parkway going around the West, South and East areas of the City of Waukesha along with the current WI 59 and WI 164 configuration from County Highway X and US 18 joins back up at Moreland Boulevard at the northeast terminus at the Les Paul Parkway/Wolf Road intersection. So US 18 is now re-routed by using Les Paul Parkway and doesn't go through Downtown Waukesha anymore. 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. East and westbound lanes split at State and 6th Streets; Eastbound continues south on 6th Street and then east on Wells Street. US 18 eastbound joins WIS 32 at North Broadway (southbound) and North Milwaukee Street (Northbound). Both directions turn east onto East Michigan Street as WIS 32 continues south. Westbound US 18 follows Milwaukee Street north from Michigan Street, turns west on State Street. At 6th Street, westbound 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]

In 2019, as part of the construction to complete the Waukesha Bypass, US 18 has been rerouted as Temporary US 18 from WIS 83 in Wales, north along WIS 83 to I-94 and east along I-94 to exit 297 at Blue Mound Road where it rejoins the previous route.

That same year, two new interchanges opened in Fitchburg, replacing at-grade intersections with McKee Road (CTH PD) and Williamsburg Way.

Major intersections[]

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Mississippi River0.000.00 US 18 west – Marquette, Charles CityContinuation into Iowa
Marquette–Joliet Bridge; Iowa–Wisconsin state line; 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
Grant–Iowa
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 US 151 south – DubuqueWestern end of US 151 overlap
Town of Ridgeway52 CTH-BB south (Ridgevue Road) / CTH-HHH – RidgewayOpened in 2018
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 eastbound
77 WIS 69 – Belleville, New Glarus
79




 CTH-PB to CTH-M / Alt. US 18 / Alt. US 151 – Paoli, Oregon		Alternate US 18 and Alternate US 151 only signed eastbound
Town of Verona81

 Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / CTH-MV – Verona		Southbound exit and northbound entrance only
Fitchburg83A CTH-PD (McKee Road)
83BWilliamsburg Way
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) / Alt. US 18 / Alt. US 151 – Oregon		Eastern end of US 14 and US 151 overlaps; Alternate US 18 and Alternate US 151 only signed eastbound
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, Milwaukee		Signed as exits 267A (east/south) and 267B (west/north); I-39 / I-90 exit 142
Town of Cottage Grove272 CTH-N – Cottage Grove, Stoughton
Town of Deerfield WIS 73 – Deerfield, EdgertonInterchange
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
 (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 ends		Eastern 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
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Incomplete access

See also[]

  • Blank shield.svg U.S. Roads portal

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Bessert, Chris. "Wisconsin Highways: Highways 10-19 (U.S. Highway 18)". Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  2. ^ Crawford Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  3. ^ Grant Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  4. ^ Iowa Co (pdf) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  5. ^ Dane Co (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (pdf) on June 14, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  6. ^ Jefferson Co (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (pdf) on April 13, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  7. ^ a b Waukesha Co (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (pdf) on April 15, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  8. ^ City of Waukesha Ward and Aldermanic Districts Map (pdf) (Map). City of Waukesha. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  9. ^ Milwaukee Co (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (pdf) on January 25, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  10. ^ Google (January 1, 2008). "US-18, Milwaukee" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  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 January 1, 2008.

External links[]

Route map:

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U.S. Route 18
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