Wisconsin Highway 42

State Trunk Highway 42
Route information
Maintained by WisDOT
Length:	137.76 mi[1] (221.70 km)
Tourist routes:	Lake Michigan Circle Tour
Major junctions
South end:	WIS 23 / WIS 28 in Sheboygan
	I-43 in Sheboygan US 151 in Manitowoc I-43 / US 151 in Manitowoc I-43 / US 10 in Manitowoc US 10 in Manitowoc
North end:	Lake Michigan, Northport, Wisconsin
Location
Counties:	Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Kewaunee, Door
Highway system
Wisconsin Highways Interstates U.S. State County Bannered Rustic ← WIS 41 I-43 →

State Trunk Highway 42 (often called Highway 42, STH 42 or WIS 42) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs north–south in northeast Wisconsin from Northport's ferry dock to Sheboygan.

Much of the highway is part of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour (from the eastern junction with U.S. Route 10 in Manitowoc to its junction with Highway 57 in Sister Bay, Wisconsin).

Route description

The three-highway terminus in Sheboygan; Highway 42 begins at the intersection, going north from past the car wash pictured.

WIS 42 begins at the intersection of North 14th Street and Erie Avenue (also known as Kohler Memorial Drive) in downtown Sheboygan, a block north of the bridge crossing the Sheboygan River. The intersection is the terminus of two other state highways: WIS 23 and WIS 28.

WIS 42 follows North 14th Street to Calumet Drive, which heads out of the city in a northwesterly direction to its interchange with Interstate 43 (exit 128). The route continues to the northwest into the city of Howards Grove, where it becomes Madison Avenue.

At the intersection of Madison Avenue and South Wisconsin Drive, WIS 42 and WIS 32 meet. WIS 32 continues to the northwest on Madison Avenue, while WIS 42 turns north on Wisconsin Drive. WIS 42 continues north out of Howards Grove into Manitowoc County.

WIS 42 continues to the north towards the city of Manitowoc, where it intersects with US 151 (Calumet Avenue), just west of I-43. Turning east, WIS 42 runs concurrent with US 151 for about a quarter mile before turning onto I-43 at exit 149. WIS 42 formerly ran east beyond the interchange with I-43 to South Rapids Road, following the road to the north to Waldo Boulevard and US 10 on the north side of Manitowoc. WIS 42 now runs north on I-43 to its interchange with CTH JJ (exit number 152).

WIS 42 and US 10 follow Waldo Boulevard to the shore of Lake Michigan, running northeast along the shoreline on Memorial Drive out of the city and into Two Rivers.

Crossing the West Twin River near its confluence with the East Twin River just south of downtown Two Rivers, WIS 42 becomes Washington Street. Two blocks north, it meets the eastern terminus of WIS 310 at 16th Street. Six blocks north, it meets the eastern terminus of WIS 147 at 22nd Street.

WIS 42 turns to the east on 22nd Street and crosses over the East Twin River, then turns north on Lincoln Avenue. WIS 42 and WIS 147 are the only two state highways that cross both branches of the Twin Rivers, though WIS 147 does not cross the West Twin River until about a mile east of its terminus with I-43 near Maribel.

WIS 42 continues to the north, running roughly parallel to the Lake Michigan shoreline into Kewaunee County. Just south of the city of Kewaunee, WIS 42 turns east on Krok Road to Lakeshore Drive, where it turns north and heads into the city as Milwaukee Street.

In downtown Kewaunee, WIS 42 meets the eastern terminus of another state highway, WIS 29. WIS 42 becomes Main Street after crossing the Kewaunee River and continues north out of the city.

In the unincorporated town of Alaska, WIS 42 again turns east towards Lake Michigan to follow the shoreline into Algoma as Lake Street. In downtown Algoma, WIS 42 turns north onto 4th Street and crosses the Ahnapee River. On the north bank of the river, WIS 42 turns northwest onto North Water Street and follows the river in a northerly direction to Forestville in Door County, where it becomes Forestville Avenue.

Highway 42 in Door County

Because of the geographical features and terrain of Door County, WIS 42 makes many abrupt turns as it nears its northern terminus at the tip of the Door peninsula.

At its intersection with CTH J, WIS 42 heads directly north into Door County. WIS 42 meets with WIS 57 a few miles southwest of Sturgeon Bay, and heads to the northeast with WIS 57 into the city as Green Bay Road. WIS 42 and WIS 57 are the only two state highways to enter Door County.

WIS 42 and 57 cross over the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal to the southeast of downtown, bypassing the old Michigan Street bridge further upstream. A "Business" route continues north on Green Bay Road to South Madison Avenue, crossing the canal on the Michigan Street bridge into downtown Sturgeon Bay. Turning left to the northwest on Third Avenue, the business route follows CTH B to Jefferson Street, turning to the northeast on CTH HH. CTH HH jogs slightly north around Big Hill Park to Egg Harbor Road, where the business route turns northeast past the Door County Fairgrounds to its intersection with WIS 42 and 57 outside the city.

WIS 42 and 57 run concurrently for another mile to the north until WIS 57 turns to the East at Johns Lane. WIS 57 runs along the eastern shore of Door County until reaching its eastern terminus with WIS 42 in Sister Bay.

WIS 42 continues north on Egg Harbor Road to CTH T just west of Egg Harbor. It then swings around and along the shore of Egg Harbor before continuing to the northeast towards Fish Creek.

Outside of Fish Creek, WIS 42 takes an abrupt left-hand turn to follow the bluff down to Main Street and the Alexander Noble House. WIS 42 makes an abrupt right onto Main Street and heads to the northeast past Peninsula State Park into the unincorporated town of Eagle Harbor.

Curvy section near northern terminus

Northern terminus

In Eagle Harbor, the road becomes Water Street as it runs along the shoreline of Green Bay. It then curves to the northeast, becoming South Bay Shore Drive outside of Sister Bay. Meeting the northern terminus of WIS 57 at Gateway Drive, WIS 42 once again swings to the northeast towards Ellison Bay.

Just outside of town, WIS 42 turns due east on School Road to its intersection with Europe Bay Road, where it turns north towards Gills Rock. At Gills Rock, WIS 42 turns due east and then turns slightly to the southeast before heading due east again to its eastern terminus at the Washington Island Ferry dock at Port Des Morts Drive in unincorporated town of Northport.

WIS 42 Spur

WIS 42 Spur^[2] is a connecting route between WIS 42 and the Island Clipper ferry in Gills Rock. The length of the spur is approximately 400 feet (120 m), the shortest highway in the Wisconsin state trunk highway system. The spur is one of three "SPUR"-designated state trunkline highways in the state along with Spur U.S. Route 51 and Spur Highway 794.

The Gills Rock ferry is a passenger-only ferry, where the one at Northport is an auto, freight and passenger ferry.

Major intersections

City	Junction	Notes
Sheboygan	WI 23/WI 28	Beginning of road
Sheboygan	I-43 - Exit# 128 on I-43
Howards Grove	WI 32 - X Intersection	Route becomes known as Wisconsin Drive
Spring Valley	County Road XX
Manitowoc	US-151 - Continues into Manitowoc	Route Merges with 151 for a less than 1-mile (1.6 km)
Manitowoc	I-43/WI 42 - North towards Green Bay	Route Merges with I-43/Becomes Freeway
Manitowoc	US-10/WI 42	Route Merges with US-10/End Freeway
Two Rivers	WI 147 - Towards Mishcot
Kewaunee	WI 29 - Towards Green Bay
Algoma	WI 54 - Known as Jefferson St.	Intersection located in Downtown Algoma
Sturgeon Bay	WI 57/WI 42	Merge/Partial Freeway
Sturgeon Bay	WI 57 - Eastern Door County	WI 57 Splits
Fish Creek	County Highway F - Towards Baileys Harbor
Sister Bay	WI 57 - Eastern Door County	End WI 57
Northport	End State Trunk Highway

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wisconsin Highway 42.