Why Wisconsin's county highways are lettered, not numbered (2019)(wpr.org)
wpr.org
Why Wisconsin's county highways are lettered, not numbered (2019)
https://www.wpr.org/transportation/why-wisconsins-county-roads-are-lettered-not-numbered
37 comments
This is somewhat unique to Southwest Wisconsin due to all the bluffs. I've lived in Eastern Wisconsin and the Northwest, and while they aren't quite Iowa's grid, they're generally all east-west or north-south running.
I live in Wisconsin. I'm a cyclist, and I love the roads. The urban folklore was that the state maintained good paved roads in order for the milk trucks to reach the dairy farms during the winter, when everything would otherwise turn into a mud pit. I read about "mud season" in Ukraine, and it was instantly familiar.
I hadn't thought much about the circuitous-ness, but it's true. My assumption all along has been that the roads have to work around the labyrinth of rivers and streams. In fact my biggest annoyance as a cyclist is finding routes where I don't reach a dead end and have to back-track. And now it's not just rivers but major highways.
Still, it's easier for a cyclist because our hours don't cover as many miles.
I hadn't thought much about the circuitous-ness, but it's true. My assumption all along has been that the roads have to work around the labyrinth of rivers and streams. In fact my biggest annoyance as a cyclist is finding routes where I don't reach a dead end and have to back-track. And now it's not just rivers but major highways.
Still, it's easier for a cyclist because our hours don't cover as many miles.
It is great for cycling, for sure.
I also grew up in Wisconsin and Iowa. Iowa's road system may be comprehensive but a very substantial fraction of those are unpaved gravel roads. Wisconsin's roads are paved.
In both cases it depends on the area of the state and how populous. Far southern Iowa near Whatcheer for example is mostly gravel with paved roads only in the cities and major highways, but by contrast nearly the entire corridor area is well paved. Same for most of the Boone area.
Wisconsin is no different in that. Most of Jackson, Levis, BRF, and that whole area is gravel except for major highways and in town. Pretty poorly maintained gravel at that.
The roads do seem disorganized and wandering, but much of that is because the roads are built wherever they won’t flood since we’re nothing but marshes, wetland, lakes, rivers and ponds
Wisconsin is no different in that. Most of Jackson, Levis, BRF, and that whole area is gravel except for major highways and in town. Pretty poorly maintained gravel at that.
The roads do seem disorganized and wandering, but much of that is because the roads are built wherever they won’t flood since we’re nothing but marshes, wetland, lakes, rivers and ponds
Iowa has about 40/60 paved/unpaved ratio. Wisconsin has about 85/15. (stats counting only primary and secondary (county) roads).
ref: https://bikeiowa.com/Feature/1543/iowa-gravel-what-makes-it-..., https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2008/h..., https://topslab.wisc.edu/research/tsmo/topms/data/
I acknowledge this may not be a 'bad' attribute, it could be Iowa just has so many unpaved extra roads it skews it. But when I think Iowa, I think driving on rough roads.
ref: https://bikeiowa.com/Feature/1543/iowa-gravel-what-makes-it-..., https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2008/h..., https://topslab.wisc.edu/research/tsmo/topms/data/
I acknowledge this may not be a 'bad' attribute, it could be Iowa just has so many unpaved extra roads it skews it. But when I think Iowa, I think driving on rough roads.
The point is that the roads in Iowa are straight and regular.
Most roads in Wisconsin are paved, but the paving quality varies depending on whether a state, county, or “town” (it’s a trick!) road. Property taxes in Wisconsin are also reputedly higher.
Most roads in Wisconsin are paved, but the paving quality varies depending on whether a state, county, or “town” (it’s a trick!) road. Property taxes in Wisconsin are also reputedly higher.
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Someday Google Maps will learn not to pronounce County N as "County Road North"... That's not as hard as AGI right?
Missouri also does letters for county highways. But one thing unique to Wisconsin is that some highways aren’t just single or double letters, but an abbreviation of their destination, like the road to Whitefish Dunes state park in Door County is “WD”.
Best lake Michigan beach in Wisconsin!
Siri calls them highways, they’re County Roads!
And I’m still searching for County Road PP. once I find it I’ll drive to it and the kids will laugh at Siri.
And I’m still searching for County Road PP. once I find it I’ll drive to it and the kids will laugh at Siri.
Visiting my parents in Wisconsin and I'm about a mile away from it right now. We also have PPP.
Growing up we never used "Road" we just said "County (letter)" Probably because the signs themselves never say Road or Highway (at least usually, back in the day, I haven't paid attention recently).
I like the system. It helps reduce confusion in terms of what the "main" (state/interstate) vs the local.
I like the system. It helps reduce confusion in terms of what the "main" (state/interstate) vs the local.
I think part of it is that “the highway” now usually refers to a nice highway or freeway somewhere nearby, and if you say “the county X” without specifics which one, you’re likely to say “county road”.
There's more than one, since the different counties can reuse codes. The one I know of goes from Brillion, WI out towards Chilton. I grew up in the area so I know that one quite well.
I drove it 2 weeks ago: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tzDq1cP7WEngYCaH7
They’re still county highways, at least according to the person interviewed in the article. It’s even called the Wisconsin County Highway Association.
CTH-PP
Tomah, WI 54660
43.99805° N, 90.36020° W
I believe that is what you’re looking for.
43.99805° N, 90.36020° W
I believe that is what you’re looking for.
I used to live near P and OO in Chippewa Falls
I spent the first 18 years of my life in Chippewa Falls (near the intersection of J and X near Wissota), and TIL there’s a P/OO
I always laughed when I passed that...
I live just off J in the Hatfield area. Been to Chippewa Falls countless times.
They’re CTH : County Trunk Highway. Posting from CTH T between the intersections at TT and TTT.
This is an instance where Conway's Law applies: state and county systems were kept separate so that maintenance and repairs crews wouldn’t accidentally duplicate work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_law
> They needed to be able to keep them separate, and hence, they separated them by the numbers and letters
That's the how and when, but that doesn't actually explain why they had to use letters, does it? Even before computers and internet it seems like it would have been possible to devise a system across 72 counties to assign county roads a number that doesn't conflict with roads under other systems' jurisdiction.
That's the how and when, but that doesn't actually explain why they had to use letters, does it? Even before computers and internet it seems like it would have been possible to devise a system across 72 counties to assign county roads a number that doesn't conflict with roads under other systems' jurisdiction.
As a Sconnie native, the main thing that annoyed me about the letter system is that it's easy for the letters to rhyme; for example, near Verona (home of Epic!), there are (Dane) County roads PB and PD. Gotta enunciate carefully. :P This would qualify as a "usability issue" I would imagine. :)
Because no other state has a combination of state and county roads.
I know for a fact both Texas and California have numbered county roads. The Central Expressway in Silicon Valley is Santa Clara County Route G6.
California's has some similarity to Wisconsins: state routes are numbered (e.g., S.R. 99 through the Central Valley), while county routes, instead of just letters like in Wisconsin, generally have a single-letter prefix (the prefixes vary by regions within the state) followed by a number.
(There are exceptions, though, as Lake and San Bernardino county routes are also just numbered, like state routes.)
(There are exceptions, though, as Lake and San Bernardino county routes are also just numbered, like state routes.)
one of my favorites is County Road AF, near Fall Creek and Augusta
Wisconsin, nothing makes any sense. Sure, sure, Wisconsin is maybe a little hillier, but the roads curve and splice together in crazy ways in the flat valleys, too, and the roads adhere to no particular direction, and of course County B in one county bears no relation to County B in the adjacent county. And there are so many routes where I live in southwest Wisconsin where you might as well say, “you can’t get there from here,” given how indirect and circuitous the best route is in relation to how the crow flies. If you like driving for hours at 35mph while watching out for deer, Wisconsin’s county highway system is for you.