Wisconsin Highway 35

State Trunk Highway 35 is a Wisconsin state highway running north–south across western Wisconsin. It is 412.15 miles in length, and is the longest state highway in Wisconsin. Portions of WIS 35 are part of the Great River Road.

Route description

WIS 35 is a major north–south route through westernmost Wisconsin, often following close to the state border. Because of the lower population of counties along the state's western border with Iowa and Minnesota, it is a mostly rural routing with lower traffic counts than in other parts of the state. WIS 35 is also the terminus of 15 different state, US, and Interstate highways along its route.

Illinois state line to Prairie du Chien

The southern terminus of WIS 35 is at the Illinois–Wisconsin border, north of East Dubuque, Illinois. It continues on into that state as Illinois Route 35, which is the shortest state highway in Illinois.
From the state line, WIS 35 continues north for about a mile before intersecting with WIS 11 at Badger Road. This section of highway is the only segment of WIS 35 between the state line and Prairie du Chien, with the exception of the stretch between WIS 81 and Bloomington, that is not co-signed with at least one other highway.
WIS 35/WIS 11 continues to the west to the interchange with U.S. Highway 61 and US 151, as the two US Highways enter Wisconsin after crossing the Mississippi River from Dubuque, Iowa.
WIS 11 terminates at the Welcome Center on the other side of US 61/US 151, while WIS 35 continues north with the two US routes on an expressway to the city of Dickeyville. WIS 35 and US 61 exit the freeway to the northwest into Dickeyville at exit 8, while US 151 continues north towards Platteville.
WIS 35 and US 61 continue to the northwest to the village of Tennyson before heading north towards the city of Lancaster. On the outskirts of Lancaster, WIS 35 and US 61 interchange with WIS 81, which continues on into the city with the other two routes.
After intersecting with the southern terminus of WIS 129, the three routes enter Lancaster as Madison Street. In downtown Lancaster, at the Grant County Courthouse square, Madison Street becomes one-way northbound at Cherry Street. WIS 35 and WIS 81 turn left a block north at West Maple Street, while US 61 continues north on North Madison Street out of the city. On the west side of the Courthouse Square, WIS 35/WIS 81 turns south on South Jefferson Street for one block to West Cherry Street. The two state highways then head west for two blocks. At South Harrison Street, WIS 35/WIS 81 heads south for two blocks before turning southwest and out of the city.
About a mile outside the city limits of Lancaster, WIS 35/WIS 81 turns in a westerly direction for about before the two highways split up in rural Grant County. WIS 81 continues southwest towards Beetown, while WIS 35 heads northwest toward the village of Bloomington.
On the northwest side of Bloomington, WIS 35 intersects with WIS 133 at 4th Street. The two highways continue in a generally northerly direction towards the village of Patch Grove, where they intersect with US 18. WIS 133 turns east with US 18, while WIS 35 continues towards the northwest with US 18 towards the Wisconsin River and Bridgeport.
Crossing the Wisconsin River into Crawford County, WIS 35/US 18 intersects with WIS 60 in Bridgeport, with the three highways continuing on into the city of Prairie du Chien as South Marquette Road.

Prairie du Chien to La Crosse

At Wisconsin Street in downtown Prairie du Chien, US 18 and WIS 60 head west as a one-way street to the bridge crossing the Mississippi into Marquette, Iowa. Eastbound US 18 and WIS 60 joins WIS 35 one block prior at Iowa Street.
One block north of Wisconsin Street, WIS 35 meets the western terminus of WIS 27 at East Blackhawk Avenue. WIS 35 continues north out of the city, becoming the Great River Road. WIS 35 runs along the Mississippi River's east banks through the cities of Lynxville and Ferryville.
About south of the city of De Soto, WIS 35 intersects with the western segment of WIS 82, which crosses over the Mississippi River into the city of Lansing, Iowa. In downtown De Soto, WIS 82 heads to the Northeast as Main Street, while WIS 35 continues across the Vernon County line.
WIS 35 continues north along the eastern banks of the Mississippi River into the city of Genoa. Here, it meets another western terminus of a state highway, WIS 56 at Main Street. WIS 35 continues north to the city of Stoddard, where it meets yet another western terminus, this time of WIS 162 at Division Street. WIS 35 continues to the north and into La Crosse County.
Upon entering the southern edge of the city of La Crosse, WIS 35 interchanges with US 14 and US 61. The three routes continue into the city as Mormon Coulee Road. At Ward Avenue, the street name changes to South Avenue until it reaches West Avenue. At that intersection, northbound traffic for WIS 35 turns north onto West Avenue, while US 14/US 61 continue on South Avenue.
At La Crosse Street, the route intersects with WIS 16. North of La Crosse Street, West Avenue becomes Lang Drive, crossing over the La Crosse River. On the other side of the river, Lang Drive becomes George Street. WIS 35 continues north on George Street through North La Crosse before joining US 53 just south of exit 3 on Interstate 90.

La Crosse to Hudson

WIS 35 continues north on the Great River Road while US 53 heads east on I-90 for a mile to exit 4. Upon entering the city of Onalaska, WIS 35 becomes Second Avenue.
WIS 35 continues along the eastern banks of the Mississippi River, running parallel to the US 53 freeway to the east before interchanging with it just south of Holmen. Business WIS 35 continues north into Holmen as County Trunk Highway HD, while WIS 35 and US 53 bypass the city to the west.
On the north side of Holmen, WIS 35 leaves the freeway and turns west back towards the river, while US 53 continues north with WIS 93. WIS 93 south terminates at the interchange with WIS 35. About west of the US 53 interchange, WIS 35 crosses the Black River into Trempealeau County.
WIS 35 enters the village of Trempealeau on Third Street before turning north on Main Street on the western edge of downtown Trempealeau. WIS 35 continues north to its intersection with WIS 54 and WIS 93. WIS 93 continues north while WIS 35/WIS 54 heads west, crossing into Buffalo County into the unincorporated community of East Winona.
In East Winona, WIS 54 turns south and crosses the river into Winona, Minnesota, where it becomes Minnesota State Highway 43. WIS 35 continues along the eastern banks of the Mississippi River as the Great River Road, into Fountain City. Upon entering the city limits, WIS 35 becomes Main Street, before turning slightly northwest on South Shore Drive at Eagle Street.
On the north side of Fountain City, WIS 35 intersects with the western terminus of WIS 95 at North Street. WIS 35 continues north as North Shore Drive to the city limits. About northwest of Fountain City, WIS 35 passes the entrance to Merrick State Park.
WIS 35 continues northwest to its intersection with the southern terminus of WIS 88 outside the unincorporated community of Czechville. About to the northwest, WIS 35 enters the city of Cochrane. WIS 35 misses Buffalo City by about to the east, along the Belvidere Ridge of West Central Wisconsin.
WIS 35 continues along the Mississippi River banks into the city of Alma. North of Alma, WIS 35 intersects with the western terminus of yet another state highway, WIS 37. WIS 35 continues into the city of Nelson, where it intersects with WIS 25.
WIS 25/WIS 35 continues north out of Nelson, curving to the west after their intersection with CTH-D. About half a mile from CTH-D, WIS 25 turns due north while WIS 35 continues west as the Great River Road, crossing the Chippewa River into Pepin County.
About west of the Chippewa River, WIS 35 enters the community of Pepin. Continuing its route along the Mississippi, WIS 35 goes through the community of Stockholm and turns to the north along the river banks before entering Pierce County.
In Pierce County, WIS 35 goes through the small community of Maiden Rock, Warrentown and Bay City. On the western end of Bay City, WIS 35 passes Red Wing Regional Airport, a municipal airport that serves the city of Red Wing, Minnesota on the other side of the Mississippi River.
About from the airport, WIS 35 crosses US 63, just east of Hager City. US 63 continues north towards Ellsworth, while WIS 35 continues to the northwest through Diamond Bluff and into the city of Prescott, as Jefferson Street.
In downtown Prescott, WIS 35 intersects with US 10 at Cherry Street, just northeast of the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers. US 10 westbound heads northeast across the mouth of the St. Croix into Minnesota as Point Douglas Drive, while WIS 35 and US 10 eastbound run north for about 11 blocks as Lake Street North to Cedar Street.
At Campbell Street North, WIS 35 turns to the northeast as US 10 continues east to start its long journey across the state of Wisconsin. The intersection of the two highways is also the western terminus of WIS 29, one of the main arterial routes connecting the Twin Cities area with Green Bay.
WIS 35/WIS 29 turns in a northeasterly direction into the city of River Falls, where it makes a right turn on to Cemetery Road, and hugs the City of River Falls southern boundary. When the two highways meet WIS 65 at a roundabout, the three highways continue north to the intersection of Cascade Avenue, where WIS 29 continues east out of the city. This recent re-routing shortened WIS 35 by about.
WIS 35/WIS 65 continues north as a limited-access expressway across the county line into St. Croix County. At the north end of North Main Street in River Falls, WIS 65 heads to the northeast while WIS 35 continues to the northwest as a four-lane divided highway, all the way to its interchange with I-94 at exit 3, east of Hudson.