U.S. Route 16
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 16 is an east–west United States Highway between Rapid City, South Dakota
and Yellowstone National Park
in Wyoming
.
As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is at a junction with Interstate 90
/U.S. Route 14
(I-90/US 14), concurrent
with I-190
, in Rapid City, South Dakota
. The western terminus is the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park
, concurrent with US 14
and US 20
.
and Upton
before joining I-90 near Moorcraft
. It runs concurrently with I-90 to Gillette
, where it splits off north and then arcs back down to the town of Buffalo
. From Buffalo it goes over the Powder River Pass
on its way to Worland
. In Worland, it turns north and overlaps US 20 through the towns of Basin
and Greybull
. In Greybull, the two routes combine with US 14 and go west to Cody
and into Yellowstone National Park
. For most of the way it is a two-lane road.
, the second-longest cave in the world. The highway goes through the city of Custer
and shares alignment with US 385. East of Hill City
, US 16 splits off US 385. It then becomes a four-lane divided highway, with the two roadways separated by up to a half-mile (0.8 km) in some places, including the old gold-mining town of Rockerville, South Dakota, which is contained entirely between the two roadways. In Rapid City, a newly complete truck bypass runs along Catron Boulevard and Elk Vale Road up to Exit 61 on I-90.
The South Dakota section of US 16 is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-138.
between Muskegon, Michigan
, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. In Michigan, the route was in use long before automobiles and was known to white settlers as the Grand River Road, and prior to the designation of US Routes in 1926, had been designated as M-16 in the 1920s from Detroit to south of Muskegon. In 1938, reflectorized discs were placed on US-16 every 100 feet (30.5 m) from Detroit to Lansing, resulting in fewer nighttime traffic accidents. Other states would later do the same on their roads.
US 16 initially crossed the South Dakota
– Wyoming
state line west of Spearfish. U.S. Route 216 was commissioned in 1930 as a loop off US 16 to the south between Rapid City and Moorcroft, crossing the state line west of Custer. In 1934, US 16 was moved to the US 216 alignment, while the former US 16 became part of an extension of US 14
.
In Michigan, most of US 16 was superseded by I-96
and a segment of Grand River Avenue in Detroit ultimately became M-5
. US 16 was later decommissioned in Wisconsin
, Minnesota
, and eastern South Dakota
to its present termini. Between Rapid City and Dexter, Minnesota
, it has been supplanted by I-90. East of there it is now Minnesota State Highway 16 and Wisconsin Highway 16. In South Dakota it was replaced by various state highways (including SD Highway 38) and county roads: generally, in West River
the old alignment was transferred to county responsibility entirely, while in East River it remained a state-maintained highway.
An older Alternate US 16 in South Dakota has become South Dakota State Highway 240
.
|-
|colspan=2|Yellowstone National Park
|0.00
|
|West end of US 14 / 20 overlap
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
and Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.
As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is at a junction with Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
/U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14 , an east–west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles , but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles . For much of its length, it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90.As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in...
(I-90/US 14), concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with I-190
Interstate 190 (South Dakota)
Interstate 190 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of South Dakota. The route runs for about two miles south, connecting I-90 to downtown Rapid City. The entire length overlaps U.S. Route 16. It is the westernmost auxiliary route of Interstate 90, approximately 1150 miles east...
, in Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
. The western terminus is the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, concurrent with US 14
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14 , an east–west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles , but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles . For much of its length, it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90.As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in...
and US 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
.
Wyoming
US 16 in Wyoming crosses through the towns of NewcastleNewcastle, Wyoming
Newcastle is a city in and the county seat of Weston County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,065 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Newcastle is located at...
and Upton
Upton, Wyoming
Upton is a town in Weston County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 872 at the 2000 census. The slogan for the town is "The best town on earth".-Geography:Upton is located at ....
before joining I-90 near Moorcraft
Moorcroft, Wyoming
Moorcroft is a town in Crook County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 807 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Moorcroft is located at ....
. It runs concurrently with I-90 to Gillette
Gillette, Wyoming
Gillette is a city in and the county seat of Campbell County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 29,087 in 2010. Gillette is a city centrally located in an area involved with the development of vast quantities of American coal, oil, and coal bed methane gas...
, where it splits off north and then arcs back down to the town of Buffalo
Buffalo, Wyoming
Buffalo is a city in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,900 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County...
. From Buffalo it goes over the Powder River Pass
Powder River Pass
Powder River Pass is a mountain pass in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming traversed by U.S. Highway 16. It is between the towns of Buffalo and Ten Sleep....
on its way to Worland
Worland, Wyoming
Worland is a city in Washakie County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,250 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washakie County. The City of Worland is served by the Worland Municipal Airport.-Geography:...
. In Worland, it turns north and overlaps US 20 through the towns of Basin
Basin, Wyoming
Basin is a town in, and the county seat of, Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,239 at the 2000 census. The community is located near the center of the Bighorn Basin with the Big Horn River east of the town...
and Greybull
Greybull, Wyoming
Greybull is a town in Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,815 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Greybull is located at ....
. In Greybull, the two routes combine with US 14 and go west to Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
and into Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
. For most of the way it is a two-lane road.
South Dakota
US 16 is also known as Mount Rushmore Road in western South Dakota. The highway enters South Dakota east of Newcastle, Wyoming. It travels near Jewel CaveJewel Cave National Monument
Jewel Cave National Monument contains Jewel Cave, currently the second longest cave in the world, with just over of mapped passageways. It is located approximately west of the town of Custer in South Dakota's Black Hills...
, the second-longest cave in the world. The highway goes through the city of Custer
Custer, South Dakota
Custer is a city in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,067 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Custer County.-History:...
and shares alignment with US 385. East of Hill City
Hill City, South Dakota
Hill City is the oldest existing city in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 948 at the 2010 census. Hill City is located southwest of Rapid City on State Highway 16 and on U.S. Route 385 that connects Deadwood to Hot Springs...
, US 16 splits off US 385. It then becomes a four-lane divided highway, with the two roadways separated by up to a half-mile (0.8 km) in some places, including the old gold-mining town of Rockerville, South Dakota, which is contained entirely between the two roadways. In Rapid City, a newly complete truck bypass runs along Catron Boulevard and Elk Vale Road up to Exit 61 on I-90.
The South Dakota section of US 16 is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-138.
History
US 16 originally connected Detroit with Yellowstone, including a ferry link across Lake MichiganLake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
between Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. In Michigan, the route was in use long before automobiles and was known to white settlers as the Grand River Road, and prior to the designation of US Routes in 1926, had been designated as M-16 in the 1920s from Detroit to south of Muskegon. In 1938, reflectorized discs were placed on US-16 every 100 feet (30.5 m) from Detroit to Lansing, resulting in fewer nighttime traffic accidents. Other states would later do the same on their roads.
US 16 initially crossed the South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
– Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
state line west of Spearfish. U.S. Route 216 was commissioned in 1930 as a loop off US 16 to the south between Rapid City and Moorcroft, crossing the state line west of Custer. In 1934, US 16 was moved to the US 216 alignment, while the former US 16 became part of an extension of US 14
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14 , an east–west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles , but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles . For much of its length, it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90.As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in...
.
In Michigan, most of US 16 was superseded by I-96
Interstate 96
Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
and a segment of Grand River Avenue in Detroit ultimately became M-5
M-5 (Michigan highway)
M-5 is a highway in the metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-5's eastern terminus is at the junction of Grand River Avenue and Interstate 96 in western Detroit...
. US 16 was later decommissioned in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, and eastern South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
to its present termini. Between Rapid City and Dexter, Minnesota
Dexter, Minnesota
Dexter is a city in Dexter Township, Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 341 at the 2010 census.-History:The community was named for Dexter Parrity, an early settler...
, it has been supplanted by I-90. East of there it is now Minnesota State Highway 16 and Wisconsin Highway 16. In South Dakota it was replaced by various state highways (including SD Highway 38) and county roads: generally, in West River
West River (South Dakota)
West River is the portion of the state of South Dakota located west of the Missouri River with well over one-half of the land area and between one-quarter and one-third of the population of the state. Usually pronounced "Wes-triver" by locals, it contrasts with "East River."The contrast between...
the old alignment was transferred to county responsibility entirely, while in East River it remained a state-maintained highway.
An older Alternate US 16 in South Dakota has become South Dakota State Highway 240
South Dakota State Highway 240
South Dakota State Highway 240, the "Badlands Loop", is located in southeast Pennington and northwest Jackson Counties of southwestern South Dakota. It runs through the eastern portion of the Badlands National Park....
.
Major intersections
Mileage resets at the state line crossing|-
|colspan=2|Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
|0.00
|
|West end of US 14 / 20 overlap
Bannered and suffixed routes
- U.S. Route 16 Alternate in Powell, WyomingPowell, WyomingPowell is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,373 at the 2000 census. Powell is an All-America City and home to Northwest College.-Geography:Powell is located at ....
- U.S. Route 16AU.S. Route 16A (South Dakota)U.S. Route 16A is a scenic United States highway, which divides from U.S. Route 16 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The highway's eastern terminus is at a junction with US 16 called the Keystone Wye south of Rapid City, South Dakota...
in South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...