State Trunk Highway 21 (often called Highway 21, STH-21 or WIS 21) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. It runs east–west across the center of the state between
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
and
Oshkosh. The route often serves as a direct route for travelers between
Appleton and Oshkosh to
Tomah and
La Crosse
La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's populat ...
. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly all of its length, with the exception of a few urban arterials of four or more lanes. The section of WIS 21 between
Fort McCoy and I-94 in Tomah is classified as a "Major STRAHNET Connector." while the route past I-94 is classified as a "Non-Interstate STRAHNET Route"
Route description
WIS 21 begins at the intersection of
WIS 16
State Trunk Highway 16 (often called Highway 16, STH-16 or WIS 16) is a Wisconsin state highway running from Pewaukee across the state to La Crosse. Much of its route in the state parallels the former mainline of the Milwaukee Road and curr ...
,
WIS 71
State Trunk Highway 71 (often called Highway 71, STH-71 or WIS 71) is a state highway in Jackson, Monroe, and Juneau counties in the southwestern area of the US state of Wisconsin that runs in a southeast-northwest direction from the Village ...
and
WIS 27
State Trunk Highway 27 (often called Highway 27, STH-27 or WIS 27) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The highway spans a length of and is generally two-lane local road with the exception of urban multilane arterials within some ...
The route then follows WIS 16 and WIS 71 east for about one half of a mile before turning north off the
concurrency
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
. WIS 21 proceeds northeast, following the
La Crosse River
The La Crosse River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed October 5, 2012 tributary of the Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin in the United States.
Course
The L ...
and passes through Fort McCoy. The route then turns eastward and follows alongside the Tarr and Sparta Creeks, passing through
Tunnel City. WIS 21 crosses
US 12
U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) and I-94, but unlike most U.S. routes tha ...
and
I-94 on the north side of
Tomah. The route continues east from there to junction with
WIS 173 west of
Wyeville and then crosses into
Juneau County.
WIS 21 passes through the
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in northern Juneau County, Wisconsin near the village of Necedah. It was established in 1939 and is famous as the northern nesting site for reintroduction of an eastern Unit ...
during its twelve-mile (19 km) stretch of straight route to
Necedah. The highway crosses
WIS 80 within Necedah and crosses the
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...
at about east of the village. WIS 21 enters
Adams County at the river, just south of
Petenwell Lake
Lake Petenwell is an artificial lake on the Wisconsin River in central Wisconsin. It is located in Adams, Juneau, and Wood counties next to Castle Rock Lake. It covers over and is deep.
Lake Petenwell is Wisconsin's second largest lake at or ...
.
WIS 21 junctions with
WIS 13
State Trunk Highway 13 (often called Highway 13, STH-13 or WIS 13) is a state highway running north–south across northwest and central Wisconsin. WIS 13 serves as a major north–south route connecting the communities of Wisconsin Del ...
three miles (5 km) north of
Friendship
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
In some cultures, the concept o ...
. The route also provides indirect access to
Roche-a-Cri State Park via WIS 13.
WIS 21 crosses
I-39
Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...
and
US 51
U.S. Route 51 or U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) is a major south-north United States highway that extends from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana, to within of the Wisconsin–Michigan state line. As most of the United States Numbered Highw ...
at
Coloma in
Waushara County. The route passes through the village just east of the Interstate. After passing through
Richford at CTH B, WIS 21 gradually curves northward to junction with CTH Y - where it turns sharply eastward and junctions with
WIS 22
State Trunk Highway 22 (often called Highway 22, STH-22 or WIS 22) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The route's trajectory is mostly south to north, with the exception of the segment between Shawano and the northern terminus bei ...
and
WIS 73
State Trunk Highway 73 (often called Highway 73, STH-73 or WIS 73) is a state highway in the central part of the US state of Wisconsin that runs mostly north–south from Ingram to near Edgerton. The exception is in Wood and Adams cou ...
north in
Wautoma. WIS 21 follows WIS 73 south for two miles (3 km) before turning east again of the concurrency near Silver Lake.
WIS 152 junctions with the routes about two miles (3 km) northwest of the eastern concurrency terminus. The highway passes through
Lohrville and
Redgranite and junctions with
WIS 49
State Trunk Highway 49 (often called Highway 49, STH-49 or WIS 49) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs north–south in central and southeast Wisconsin from Wittenberg to Lomira. The highway was initially designated i ...
south of
Auroraville.
WIS 21 enters
Winnebago County five miles (8 km) east of WIS 49. WIS 21 crosses
WIS 116 in
Omro. The route then enters the greater Oshkosh area and junctions with
US 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
along Omro Road.
WIS 21 continues along Omro Road, Oshkosh Avenue and Congress Avenue, ending at
US 45
U.S. Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south United States highway and a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as .
US 45 is notable for incorporatin ...
(Algoma Boulevard) on the northwest side of Oshkosh after crossing the upper
Fox River east of
Lake Butte des Morts
Big Lake Butte des Morts () is a shallow freshwater lake located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, in Winnebago County. It is part of the Winnebago Pool (also known as the ''Winnebago System'') of lakes in east central Wisconsin, along with Lake W ...
.
History
The route was first written into law in from La Crosse to Oshkosh.
The highway passed through Sparta, but through the south side of Tomah and
New Lisbon before turning north to Necedah. After crossing the Wisconsin River, WIS 21 followed WIS 13 into
Adams and Friendship. Both routes followed a different right-of-way at the time. WIS 21 then returned to the present corridor route to pass through Coloma, Wautoma, Omro and into Oshkosh.
The route from La Crosse to New Lisbon was removed in the early 1920s and extended along its current alignment through Wyeville to North Tomah.
The highway was rerouted in Adams County to become more direct between Arkdale and CTH-G in 1939. The western extension past Fort McCoy into Sparta was added in 1947.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
*{{commons category-inline, Wisconsin Highway 21
021
Transportation in Monroe County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Juneau County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Adams County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Waushara County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Winnebago County, Wisconsin