# Wisconsin Highway 21

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**State Trunk Highway 21** (often called **Highway 21**, **STH-21** or **WIS 21**) is a [state highway](/source/State_highway_(US)) in the U.S. state of [Wisconsin](/source/Wisconsin). It runs east–west across the center of the state between [Sparta](/source/Sparta,_Wisconsin) and [Oshkosh](/source/Oshkosh,_Wisconsin). The highway often serves as a direct route for travelers between [Appleton](/source/Appleton,_Wisconsin) and Oshkosh to [Tomah](/source/Tomah,_Wisconsin) and [La Crosse](/source/La_Crosse,_Wisconsin). It is a two-lane surface road for nearly all of its length, with the exception of a few urban arterials of four or more lanes. The section of WIS 21 between [Fort McCoy](/source/Fort_McCoy,_Wisconsin) and I-94 in Tomah is classified as a "Major STRAHNET Connector", while the route past I-94 is classified as a "Non-Interstate STRAHNET Route".[1]

## Route description

WIS 21 begins at the intersection of [WIS 16](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_16), [WIS 71](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_71) and [WIS 27](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_27).[2] The highway then follows WIS 16/WIS 71, [running concurrently](/source/Concurrency_(road)) east for about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) before turning north off the concurrency. WIS 21 proceeds northeast, following the [La Crosse River](/source/La_Crosse_River) and passes through Fort McCoy. The highway then turns eastward and follows alongside the Tarr and Sparta creeks, passing through [Tunnel City](/source/Tunnel_City,_Wisconsin). WIS 21 crosses [US Highway 12](/source/U.S._Route_12_in_Wisconsin) (US 12) and [Interstate 94](/source/Interstate_94_in_Wisconsin) (I-94) on the north side of [Tomah](/source/Tomah,_Wisconsin). The highway continues east from there to junction with [WIS 173](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_173) west of [Wyeville](/source/Wyeville,_Wisconsin) and then crosses into [Juneau County](/source/Juneau_County,_Wisconsin).[3] WIS 21 passes through the [Necedah National Wildlife Refuge](/source/Necedah_National_Wildlife_Refuge) during its 12-mile (19-kilometre) stretch of straight route to [Necedah](/source/Necedah,_Wisconsin). The highway crosses [WIS 80](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_80) within Necedah and crosses the [Wisconsin River](/source/Wisconsin_River) at about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the village. WIS 21 enters [Adams County](/source/Adams_County,_Wisconsin) at the river, just south of [Petenwell Lake](/source/Petenwell_Lake).[4] WIS 21 junctions with [WIS 13](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_13) 3 miles (4.8 km) north of [Friendship](/source/Friendship_(village),_Wisconsin). The highway also provides indirect access to [Roche-a-Cri State Park](/source/Roche-a-Cri_State_Park) via WIS 13.[5]

WIS 21 crosses [I-39](/source/Interstate_39) and [US 51](/source/U.S._Route_51_in_Wisconsin) at [Coloma](/source/Coloma,_Wisconsin) in [Waushara County](/source/Waushara_County,_Wisconsin). The highway passes through the village just east of the Interstate. After passing through [Richford](/source/Richford,_Wisconsin) at County Trunk Highway B (CTH-B), WIS 21 gradually curves northward to junction with CTH-Y—where it turns sharply eastward and junctions with [WIS 22](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_22) and [WIS 73](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_73) north in [Wautoma](/source/Wautoma,_Wisconsin). WIS 21 follows WIS 73 south for 2 miles (3,200 m) before turning east again of the concurrency near Silver Lake. [WIS 152](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_152) junctions with the routes about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the eastern concurrency terminus. The highway passes through [Lohrville](/source/Lohrville,_Wisconsin) and [Redgranite](/source/Redgranite,_Wisconsin) and junctions with [WIS 49](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_49) south of [Auroraville](/source/Auroraville,_Wisconsin).[6]

WIS 21 enters [Winnebago County](/source/Winnebago_County,_Wisconsin) 5 miles (8.0 km) east of WIS 49. WIS 21 crosses [WIS 116](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_116) in [Omro](/source/Omro,_Wisconsin). The highway then enters the greater Oshkosh area and junctions with [US 41](/source/U.S._Route_41_in_Wisconsin) along Omro Road.[7] WIS 21 continues along Omro Road, Oshkosh Avenue and Congress Avenue, ending at [US 45](/source/U.S._Route_45_in_Wisconsin) (Algoma Boulevard) on the northwest side of Oshkosh after crossing the upper [Fox River](/source/Fox_River_(Green_Bay_tributary)) east of [Lake Butte des Morts](/source/Lake_Butte_des_Morts).[8]

## History

The route was first written into law in from La Crosse to Oshkosh.[9] The highway passed through Sparta, but through the south side of Tomah and [New Lisbon](/source/New_Lisbon,_Wisconsin) before turning north to Necedah. After crossing the Wisconsin River, WIS 21 followed WIS 13 into [Adams](/source/Adams,_Wisconsin) and Friendship. Both highways followed a different right-of-way at the time. WIS 21 then returned to the present corridor route to pass through Coloma, Wautoma, Omro and into Oshkosh.[10] The route from La Crosse to New Lisbon was removed in the early 1920s and extended along its current alignment through Wyeville to North Tomah.[11] The highway was rerouted in Adams County to become more direct between Arkdale and CTH-G in 1939. The western extension past Fort McCoy into Sparta was added in 1947.[1]

## References

1. Bessert, Chris. ["Highways 20–29"](http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys20-29.html#STH-021). *Wisconsin Highways*. Retrieved March 20, 2007.[self-published source?]

1. ["State Trunk Network Routes in Wisconsin"](https://web.archive.org/web/20040617072814/http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/sth/network-routes.pdf). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Archived from [the original](http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/sth/network-routes.pdf) on June 17, 2004. Retrieved January 8, 2008.

1. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (January 2021). [*((Monroe Co.))*](https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/monroe.pdf). Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

1. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (January 2021). [*((Juneau Co.))*](https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/juneau.pdf). Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

1. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (January 2021). [*((Adams Co.))*](https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/adams.pdf). Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

1. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (January 2021). [*((Waushara Co.))*](https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/waushara.pdf). Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

1. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (January 2021). [*((Winnebago Co.))*](https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/winnebago.pdf). Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

1. [*Bulletin 9*](https://books.google.com/books?id=74ZBAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA5-PA213). [Wisconsin Highway Commission](/source/Wisconsin_Department_of_Transportation). 1920. Retrieved January 8, 2008.

1. Bauer, Kurt W. (March 1969). *A Jurisdictional Highway System Plan For Milwaukee County*. [Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission](/source/Southeast_Wisconsin_Regional_Planning_Commission). Retrieved January 10, 2008. – via Midwest Roads.

1. ["Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080331200625/http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/Midwest/Wisconsin/unitedstates1926ra_036.html). [Rand McNally](/source/Rand_McNally). 1926. Archived from [the original](http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/Midwest/Wisconsin/unitedstates1926ra_036.html) on March 31, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2007.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wisconsin Highway 21](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Highway_21) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Highway_21?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.