U.S. Route 18 (US 18) is an east–west U.S. highway in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

. The western terminus is in

Orin, Wyoming Orin is a hamlet and the locus of a same-named census-designated place (CDP) in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 46 at the 2010 census. History The community was named for Orin Hughitt, the uncle of a railroad official ...

at an interchange with Interstate 25. Its eastern terminus is in downtown

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

. However, US 18 runs

concurrent 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 ...

with other U.S. routes from its western terminus to Mule Creek Junction, Wyoming. US 18 is one of the original

United States highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

s of 1926. The US 18 designation was originally proposed for a road in Michigan from Grand Haven, Michigan, Grand Haven east to Detroit. This roadway was eventually designated as U.S. Route 16.

Route description

Wyoming

In Wyoming, US 18 runs concurrent with U.S. Route 20 from Interstate 25 to Lusk, Wyoming, Lusk, where US 18 branches off to run concurrently with U.S. Route 85. At the unincorporated community of Mule Creek Junction in northeastern Niobrara County, Wyoming, Niobrara County, US 18 leaves US 85. This ten-mile (16 km) stretch from US 85 to the South Dakota border is the only segment of US 18 in Wyoming which is not co-signed with another highway. Running for nearly 100 miles, US 18 has a speed limit of 70 MPH with the exception of its ending terminus at Orin and the portion throughout Lusk.

South Dakota

U.S. 18 enters South Dakota west of Edgemont, South Dakota, Edgemont. It passes through Hot Springs, South Dakota, Hot Springs, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Winner, South Dakota, Winner, and Gregory, South Dakota, Gregory before crossing the Missouri River near Pickstown, South Dakota, Pickstown over the Fort Randall Dam. East of the Missouri River, U.S. 18 passes through (or near) Lake Andes, South Dakota, Lake Andes and Tripp, South Dakota, Tripp before a brief concurrency with Interstate 29 near Worthing, South Dakota, Worthing. East of I-29, U.S. 18 passes through Canton, South Dakota, Canton before crossing the Big Sioux River into Iowa. The Oyate Trail is one of the names given (in the late 1990s) to the section of US-18 traveling across South Dakota from Interstate 29, I-29 east of Vermillion, South Dakota, Vermillion to Maverick Junction, South Dakota, Maverick Junction. Named in an attempt to encourage more tourism traffic through the lands of various AmerInd tribes in southern South Dakota, it passes through or near the Yankton Indian Reservation, Yankton Sioux Indian Reservation, the Rosebud Indian Reservation, and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, crossing the James River Valley, the Missouri River near Fort Randall Dam, portions of Pine Ridge, and the High Plains of South Dakota, connecting the urban areas of the middle Missouri River with the Black Hills. Portions of the road were known as the Grant Highway, Black Hills Sioux Trail, and as part of the Omaha, Rosebud and Black Hills Highway and the Custer Battlefield Trail. Towns along the road include Gregory, South Dakota, Gregory, Winner, South Dakota, Winner, Olivet, South Dakota, Olivet, Mission, South Dakota, Mission, Martin, South Dakota, Martin, Batesland, South Dakota, Batesland, and Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Pine Ridge. Nearby towns and locales of interest include Rosebud, South Dakota, Rosebud (capital of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe), and Wounded Knee, South Dakota, Wounded Knee.

Legal definition

The South Dakota section of U.S. 18, other than the concurrency with Interstate 29, is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-141.

Iowa

U.S. 18 enters Iowa via a Big Sioux River crossing northeast of Beloit, Iowa, Beloit. It overlaps U.S. Route 75 for a mile near Hull, Iowa, Hull and U.S. Route 59 for a mile near Sanborn, Iowa, Sanborn. It then overlaps U.S. Route 71 through Spencer, Iowa, Spencer. U.S. 18 passes through Emmetsburg, Iowa, Emmetsburg before intersecting U.S. Route 169 at Algona, Iowa, Algona. U.S. 18 then continues east through Garner, Iowa, Garner before intersecting Interstate 35 in Clear Lake, Iowa, Clear Lake. After a brief concurrency with I-35, U.S. 18 continues as a Controlled-access highway, freeway bypassing Mason City, Iowa, Mason City to the south. At Charles City, Iowa, Charles City, U.S. 18 becomes a rural two-lane highway again, except for a brief concurrency with the U.S. Route 63 bypass of New Hampton, Iowa, New Hampton. After passing through West Union, Iowa, West Union, it turns northeast and joins U.S. Route 52 at Postville, Iowa, Postville, then leaving 52 about east of Monona, Iowa, Monona before crossing the Mississippi River into Wisconsin via the Marquette–Joliet Bridge in the city of Marquette, Iowa, Marquette. U.S. 18 is the designated route of the Avenue of the Saints between Clear Lake and Charles City.

Wisconsin

Upon entry into Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Prairie du Chien, US 18 is the terminus for WIS 60. The two routes are then concurrent until Bridgeport, Wisconsin, Bridgeport where WIS 60 splits off to the east and US 18 crosses the Wisconsin River and turns east on the other side. The route joins the US 151 expressway in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Dodgeville and the two remain concurrent east to Madison, Wisconsin, Madison (See U.S. Route 151 in Wisconsin for an interchange list). US 18 follows US 12 south of Madison and passes through or around Cambridge, Wisconsin, Cambridge, Jefferson, Wisconsin, Jefferson and Waukesha, Wisconsin, Waukesha before terminating in Milwaukee at the junction of East Michigan Street and Lincoln Memorial Drive in downtown.

Major intersections

;Wyoming : in Orin, Wyoming, Orin. US 18/US 20 travel concurrently to Lusk, Wyoming, Lusk. : in Lusk, Wyoming, Lusk. The highways travel concurrently to the northeastern part of Niobrara County, Wyoming, Niobrara County. ;South Dakota : in Hot Springs, South Dakota, Hot Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Oelrichs, South Dakota, Oelrichs. : west of Mission, South Dakota, Mission. The highways travel concurrently to Mission. : southeast of Witten, South Dakota, Witten. The highways travel concurrently to Colome, South Dakota, Colome. : east-southeast of Fairfax, South Dakota, Fairfax. The highways travel concurrently to south of Armour, South Dakota, Armour. : east of Menno, South Dakota, Menno : south-southwest of Worthing, South Dakota, Worthing. The highways travel concurrently for approximately . ;Iowa : in Lincoln Township, Sioux County, Iowa, Lincoln Township. The highways travel concurrently through the township. : in Sanborn, Iowa, Sanborn. The highways travel concurrently to Franklin Township, O'Brien County, Iowa, Franklin Township. : in Spencer, Iowa, Spencer. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Algona, Iowa, Algona : in Garfield Township, Hancock County, Iowa, Garfield Township. The highways travel concurrently to Garner, Iowa, Garner. : in Clear Lake, Iowa, Clear Lake. The highways travel concurrently to Lake Township, Cerro Gordo, Iowa, Lake Township. : in Mason City, Iowa, Mason City : in Floyd, Iowa, Floyd. The highways travel concurrently to Charles City, Iowa, Charles City. : in New Hampton, Iowa, New Hampton. The highways travel concurrently to Dresden Township, Chickasaw County, Iowa, Dresden Township. : in Post Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, Post Township. The highways travel concurrently to Giard Township, Clayton County, Iowa, Giard Township. ;Wisconsin : in Fennimore, Wisconsin, Fennimore. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : east of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Dodgeville. The highways travel concurrently to Madison, Wisconsin, Madison. : in Madison, Wisconsin, Madison. US 12/US 18 travel concurrently to Cambridge, Wisconsin, Cambridge. US 14/US 18 travel concurrently through Madison. : in Madison : in Madison : northeast of Waukesha, Wisconsin, Waukesha : in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Wauwatosa. A southbound entrance allows access to . : Michigan Street/Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee

References

External links

Endpoints of U.S. Highway 18
{{DEFAULTSORT:18 U.S. Route 18, United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in South Dakota U.S. Highways in Wyoming