{{short description|State highway in Wisconsin, United States}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=August 2023}} {{Notability|Geography|date=August 2023}} }}

{{Infobox road |state=WI |type=WI |route=188 |map={{maplink-road|from=Wisconsin Highway 188.map}} |map_custom=yes |map_notes=WIS 188 highlighted in red |length_mi=11.88 |length_ref= |direction_a=South |direction_b=North |terminus_a={{jct|state=WI|US|12}} in [[Sauk City, Wisconsin|Sauk City]] |terminus_b={{jct|state=WI|WI|113}} in [[Merrimac, Wisconsin|Merrimac]] |counties=[[Dane County, Wisconsin|Dane]], [[Columbia County, Wisconsin|Columbia]] |previous_type=WI |previous_route=187 |next_type=WI |next_route=189 }}

'''State Trunk Highway 188''' (often called '''Highway 188''', '''STH-188''' or '''WIS 188''') is a {{convert|11.88|mi|km|adj=on}} [[State highway#United States|state highway]] in [[Dane County, Wisconsin|Dane]] and [[Columbia County, Wisconsin|Columbia]] counties in south–central [[Wisconsin]], [[United States]], that runs north–south from near [[Sauk City, Wisconsin|Sauk City]] to near [[Merrimac, Wisconsin|Merrimac]].

==Route description== WIS&nbsp;188 starts in rural [[Dane County, Wisconsin|Dane County]] across the [[Wisconsin River]] from Sauk City. The highway runs northward through farm fields on the east side of the river, crosses into [[Columbia County, Wisconsin|Columbia County]], and heads to an intersection with [[Wisconsin Highway 60|WIS&nbsp;60]] east of [[Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin|Prairie du Sac]]. The two highways [[concurrency (road)|run concurrently]] to the northeast for about {{convert|1.5|mi}} before WIS&nbsp;188 separates and turns northward again. Near [[Lake Wisconsin]], the highway turns east and then back north before sticking to an eastward course along a bend in the river. At the intersection with [[Wisconsin Highway 113|WIS&nbsp;113]] near the Merrimac Ferry, WIS&nbsp;188 terminates.<ref name=google>{{google maps |url= https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=WI-188+N&daddr=43.277956,-89.7000689+to:WI-188+N&hl=en&sll=43.273987,-89.702983&sspn=0.031371,0.029097&geocode=FdwjlAId_Run-g%3BFYRelAIdHEmn-infQG5gM3MHiDH2E2V526xE3w%3BFdGxlQId1YGo-g&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&via=1&t=h&z=13 |title= Overview Map of WIS&nbsp;188 |accessdate= December 15, 2011}}</ref>

==History== Around 1942, the routing of [[Wisconsin Highway 78|WIS&nbsp;78]] was shifted to the east side of the Wisconsin River between Sauk City and the Merrimac Ferry. later, in 1947, that highway was moved back to its previous routing, and the highway on the east side of the river was rechristened WIS&nbsp;188. The route of WIS&nbsp;188 has remained unchanged since.

==Major intersections== {{jcttop|length_ref=}} {{WIint |county=Dane |town=Roxbury |mile=0.00 |road={{jct|state=WI|US|12|city1=Sauk City|city2=Madison}} }} {{WIint |county=Columbia |cspan=3 |town=West Point |lspan=3 |type=concur |mile= |road={{jct|state=WI|WI|60|dir1=west|city1=Prairie du Sac}} |notes=Western end of WIS&nbsp;60 overlap }} {{WIint |type=concur |mile= |road={{jct|state=WI|WI|60|dir1=east|city1=Lodi}} |notes=Eastern end of WIS&nbsp;60 overlap }} {{WIint |mile=11.88 |road={{jct|state=WI|WI|113|location1=[[Merrimac Ferry]]|city2=Lodi}} }} {{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}

==See also== *{{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} *{{commons category-inline|Wisconsin Highway 188}}

[[Category:State highways in Wisconsin|188]] [[Category:Transportation in Dane County, Wisconsin]] [[Category:Transportation in Columbia County, Wisconsin]]