U.S. Highway 63 (US 63) is a north–south highway in northwestern Wisconsin, traveling from Red Wing, Minnesota, to its national northern terminus 10 miles (16 km) west of Ashland, Wisconsin.
Route description
US 63 crosses the Mississippi River via the Red Wing Bridge, situated north of Red Wing, Minnesota. Entering Wisconsin, it meets Wisconsin Highway 35 (WIS 35) at a four-way stop in Hager City. The route continues north for 9.1 miles (14.6 km) until it intersects with US 10 outside Ellsworth. US 63 and US 10 then run concurrently eastward into Ellsworth's downtown area, where they encounter the southern end of WIS 65. On the eastern side of Ellsworth, US 10 branches off to the southeast, while US 63 turns north at the nearby WIS 72. East of Martell, US 63 briefly overlaps with WIS 29 for a mile. WIS 29 then heads west, and US 63 proceeds into St. Croix County.[1]
In the Baldwin area, US 63 crosses over Interstate 94 (I-94) and intersects with US 12 in downtown Baldwin. Heading north from Baldwin, US 63 continues for 11 miles (18 km) before reaching a roundabout near Cylon. At this roundabout, it intersects with WIS 46 and briefly runs concurrently with WIS 64. US 63/WIS 64 runs for nearly five miles (8.0 km) before US 63 turns northward separately and enters Polk County. US 63 traverses through several towns in Polk County, including Clear Lake, Richardson, and Clayton. It then intersects with US 8 on the western side of Turtle Lake, sharing a route with US 8 as they enter the Barron County section of Turtle Lake. At a roundabout, US 63 splits from US 8 and heads northeasterly toward Comstock. Continuing its journey, US 63 intersects with WIS 48 in Cumberland and passes through Barronett before exiting Barron County and entering Washburn County.[1]
US 63 traverses Washburn County, passing through its county seat, Shell Lake, seven miles (11 km) northeast of its entry point. The highway continues northeast towards Spooner, intersecting with WIS 253 and WIS 70. It briefly merges with the US 53 expressway northeast of downtown Spooner, heading towards Trego. From Trego, US 63 proceeds northeastward towards Hayward and Ashland, passing through Earl, Springbrook, and south of Stanberry before entering Sawyer County. In Hayward, it intersects with WIS 27 and WIS 77. Continuing northeast towards Ashland, US 63 passes through Seeley. Entering Bayfield County, the highway passes through Cable, south of Drummond, through Grand View, and east of Mason. It intersects with the western end of WIS 118 before terminating at US 2, having covered 34.8 miles (56.0 km) within Bayfield County.[2]
History
With the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, US 63, as a whole, only served as far north as Des Moines, Iowa.[3] At the same time, a connection between Red Wing, and Ashland comprised a portion of WIS 46 south of Cylon and almost the entire portion of WIS 24 north of Cylon.[4] In 1934, US 63 was extended north from Oskaloosa, Iowa, to Ashland; its direct connection to Des Moines was replaced with the short-lived designation US 163.[5][6] In Wisconsin, the extension replaced WIS 24.[7][8]
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1][2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River | 0.0 | 0.0 |       US 63 south to US 61 / MN 58 | Continuation into Minnesota | |
| Red Wing Bridge | |||||
| Pierce | Town of Trenton | 2.6 | 4.2 |    WIS 35 / Great River Road – Red Wing Airport, Nelson, Bay City, Prescott | |
| Town of Trimbelle | 11.5 | 18.5 |   US 10 west – Prescott | Western end of US 10 concurrency | |
| Ellsworth | 13.1 | 21.1 |   WIS 65 north (Maple Street) – River Falls | Southern terminus of WIS 65 | |
| Town of Ellsworth | 14.8 | 23.8 |  US 10 east – Durand WIS 72 east – Elmwood | Eastern end of US 10 concurrency; western terminus of WIS 72; western end of WIS 72 overlap | |
| 16.4 | 26.4 | WIS 72 east – Elmwood | Eastern end of WIS 72 concurrency | ||
| Martell–Gilman town line | 24.9 | 40.1 |  WIS 29 east – Spring Valley, Crystal Cave | Southern end of WIS 29 concurrency | |
| 25.9 | 41.7 | WIS 29 west – River Falls 850th Avenue east | Northern end of WIS 29 concurrency | ||
| St. Croix | Baldwin | 32.0 | 51.5 |  I-94 – Eau Claire, St. Paul | |
| 34.2 | 55.0 |  US 12 east – Woodville | Southern end of US 12 concurrency | ||
| 34.8 | 56.0 | US 12 west – Hammond, Hudson 8th Avenue east | Northern end of US 12 concurrency | ||
| Stanton–Cylon town line | 45.9 | 73.9 |  WIS 64 west – New Richmond WIS 46 north – Amery | Western end of WIS 64 concurrency; southern terminus of WIS 46 | |
| Town of Cylon | 50.8 | 81.8 | WIS 64 east – Connorsville 260th Street south | Eastern end of WIS 64 concurrency | |
| Polk | Turtle Lake | 71.2 | 114.6 |  US 8 west – St. Croix Falls CTH-T north | Western end of US 8 concurrency |
| Barron | 72.4 | 116.5 | US 8 east – Barron Maple Street south | Eastern end of US 8 concurrency | |
| Cumberland | 83.3 | 134.1 |  WIS 48 west – Luck | Western end of WIS 48 concurrency | |
| 84.4 | 135.8 | WIS 48 east – Rice Lake 2nd Avenue south | Eastern end of WIS 48 concurrency | ||
| Washburn | Town of Spooner | 106.0 | 170.6 |   WIS 253 south to US 53 south – Rice Lake | Northern terminus of WIS 253 |
| Spooner | 107.0 | 172.2 |  WIS 70 (Maple Street) – Couderay, Siren | ||
| Town of Spooner | 109.9 | 176.9 | US 53 south – Rice Lake | Southern end of US 53 concurrency | |
| Town of Trego | 113.4 | 182.5 | US 53 north – Superior CTH-E west | Northern end of US 53 concurrency | |
| Sawyer | Hayward | 134.1 | 215.8 |  WIS 27 south – RadissonDakota Avenue | Southwestern end of WIS 27 concurrency |
| 134.7 | 216.8 |  WIS 27 north / WIS 77 – Clam Lake, Mellen, Brule, Minong | Northeastern end of WIS 27 concurrency | ||
| Bayfield | Mason–Kelly–Keystone–Eileen town quadri-point | 179.5 | 288.9 |  WIS 118 east – Marengo CTH-F west – Benoit | Western terminus of WIS 118 |
| Keystone–Eileen town line | 182.2 | 293.2 |  US 2 – Ashland, Superior | National northern terminus of US 63 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
References
- ^ a b c d "U.S. Route 63 in Wisconsin (first section)" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Route 63 in Wisconsin (second section)" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ Wisconsin Highway Commission (1927). Official Highway Map of Wisconsin, 'The Playground of the Middle West' (PDF) (Map). 1:950,400. Madison: Wisconsin Highway Commission. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ Iowa State Highway Commission (August 1934). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission.
- ^ Iowa State Highway Commission (1935). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission.
- ^ Wisconsin Highway Commission (1934). Official Highway Map of Wisconsin (PDF) (Map). 1:887,040. Madison: Wisconsin Highway Commission. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ State Highway Commission of Wisconsin (January 1935). Official Highway Map of Wisconsin (PDF) (Map). 1:887,040. Madison: State Highway Commission of Wisconsin. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
External links
Media related to U.S. Route 63 in Wisconsin at Wikimedia Commons
