Wisconsin Highway 35 is the longest state highway in Wisconsin, and it follows the entire western edge of the state. The Mississippi River is visible from many different sections of Highway 35, and it runs from the north end of Superior to the very southwest corner of the state near Dubuque, Iowa. The highway begins in the southwestern corner of the State of Wisconsin, crossing the Illinois border on a road known as Illinois Route 35 south of this point. From here Wisconsin Highway 35 goes north for a mile to turn west along Wisconsin Highway 11. This short jog west along Wisconsin Highway 11 is just so Wisconsin Highway 35 can join US Route 61 toward the north. Highway 35 follows US Route 61 north all the way to Lancaster, where it turns toward the west. This westward section curves toward the north through Bloomington, where Highway 133 joins Highway 35 toward the north. Soon after that, Highway 35 trades Highway 133 for US Route 18, and US Route 18 follows Highway 35 toward the northwest, until Prairie du Chien. From Prairie du Chien to La Crosse, Wisconsin Highway 35 hugs the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, passing through a few small river towns. In La Crosse, Highway 35 follows West Avenue, which is nearly a mile east of the riverbank, while US Route 53 appears on a north-south street nearer to the river. On the north side of town, US Route 53 joins Interstate 90 east, allowing Highway 35 to resume its title as the route nearest to the river. At Holmen, Highway 35 turns west to reach Trempealeau, where it turns back toward the north. After that, Wisconsin Highway 35 joins Wisconsin Highway 54 toward the west. The routes ride together toward a junction where Wisconsin Highway 54 diverts onto a bridge into Winona, Minnesota. Wisconsin Highway 35 continues onward, resuming its role as the route serving all the riverside towns on the east bank of the Mississippi. It keeps this role all the way until Prescott, where it meets US Route 10. Beyond Prescott, Highway 35 zigzags northeast to River Falls, then northwest to Hudson. It joins Interstate 94 west to a spot near the Mississippi River, and then it goes north to join Wisconsin Highway 64 back east. At Somerset, Wisconsin Highway 35 starts to go northward on its own again. It passes through Osceola, where it meets Wisconsin Highway 243, and then it meets US Route 8 at St. Croix Falls. Highway 35 joins US Route 8 east for a bit, and then it splits off toward the north again. It goes north-northeasterly through rural western reaches of the "Indian Head", the westward-protruding portion of Wisconsin. The state highway passes by Pattison State Park south of the Superior area. Then, Highway 35 reaches its final city, Superior. It meets Wisconsin Highway 105 in Superior Village before continuing north into the main city area of Superior. The route crosses US Route 2 in downtown Superior before bending east to end at US Route 53 and Interstate 535.
My photo of a route marker for Wisconsin Highway 35 is from a junction with Wisconsin Highway 11, very near the southern end of the route at the Illinois border. Northbound travelers on Highway 35, who just left Illinois, will see this guide assembly announcing that Highway 35 makes a turn to the left. Wisconsin Highway 35 follows Wisconsin Highway 11 west for a very short spell so it can join US Route 61 north for a longer concurrency, in the southwest corner of Wisconsin. This photo was taken in November 2023 on a day trip to Galena and Dubuque. Back to the Wisconsin main page. Back to the home page.