# Wisconsin Highway 161
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wisconsin_Highway_161
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wisconsin_Highway_161.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Highway_161
> Source revision: 1288194457
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{short description|State highway in Wisconsin, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox road
|state = WI
|type = WI
|route = 161
|map={{maplink-road|from=Wisconsin Highway 161.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=WIS 161 highlighted in red
|length_mi = 22.42
|length_ref = [{{cite web |last = Bessert |first = Chris |title = Highways 160–169 |work = Wisconsin Highways |url = http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys160-169.html#STH-161 |access-date = March 20, 2007 }}{{sps|certain=yes|date=February 2021}}]
|length_round = 2
|established = 1923
|history =
|direction_a = West
|terminus_a = {{Jct|state=WI|US|10}} near [Amherst Junction](/source/Amherst_Junction%2C_Wisconsin)
|junction = {{Jct|state=WI|WI|49}} in [Iola](/source/Iola%2C_Wisconsin)
|direction_b = East
|terminus_b = {{Jct|state=WI|WI|22|WI|110}} near [Symco](/source/Symco%2C_Wisconsin)
|counties = [Portage](/source/Portage_County%2C_Wisconsin), [Waupaca](/source/Waupaca_County%2C_Wisconsin)
|previous_type = WI
|previous_route = 160
|next_type = WI
|next_route = 162
}}
'''State Trunk Highway 161''' (often called '''Highway 161''', '''STH-161''' or '''WIS 161''') is a {{convert| 22.42|mi|km|adj=on}} [state highway](/source/state_highway) in [Portage](/source/Portage_County%2C_Wisconsin) and [Waupaca](/source/Waupaca_County%2C_Wisconsin) counties in the central part of the US state of [Wisconsin](/source/Wisconsin). It runs in east–west from [US Highway 10](/source/U.S._Route_10_in_Wisconsin) (US 10) northwest of [Amherst Junction](/source/Amherst_Junction%2C_Wisconsin) via [Iola](/source/Iola%2C_Wisconsin) to [WIS 22](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_22)/[WIS 110](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_110) just west of [Symco](/source/Symco%2C_Wisconsin).
==Route description==
thumb|left|Looking west from the eastern terminus of WIS 161, just west of Symco, February 2001
Starting at US 10 between Custer and Amherst Junction, WIS 161 begins to proceed eastward. It then passes [Nelsonville](/source/Nelsonville%2C_Wisconsin) and then [New Hope](/source/New_Hope%2C_Wisconsin). In Iola, WIS 161 briefly [runs concurrently](/source/concurrency_(road)) with [WIS 49](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_49). Continuing eastward, WIS 161 then ends at WIS 22/WIS 110 near Symco.[{{google maps |access-date = February 20, 2021 |title = Overview Map of WIS 161 |url = https://www.google.com/maps/dir/44.498267,-89.3743919/44.5138341,-88.9201393/@44.4593132,-89.2411177,35804m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0 }}]
==History==
Initially, in 1923, WIS 161 traveled from WIS 18 (later US 10; now CTH-KK) Amherst Junction to WIS 22 near Symco.[{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1923 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}][{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1924 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}] Then, in 1926, with the creation of US 10 and the removal of WIS 18, WIS 161 was truncated from Amherst Junction to Nelsonville. This was done in favor of US 10's direct connection to Nelsonville.[{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1926 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}][{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1927 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}] Later, US 10 lost its connection to Nelsonville and instead bypassed it. As a result, WIS 161 extended west to US 10's new alignment. WIS 161's former connection was then transferred to local control (replaced by CTH-A, now CTH-Q).[{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1928 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}] However, by 1935, that change was reverted.[{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1934 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}][{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1935 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}]
In 1951, WIS 161 was then reverted to its original routing as a result of US 10's reversion to its 1927–1935 routing.[{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1951 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}][{{cite WisDOT map |year = 1952 |access-date = February 20, 2021 }}] Since 2007, WIS 161 has moved off from Amherst Junction.