U.S. Route 14 or U.S. Highway 14 (US 14), an east–west route, is one of the original United States Numbered Highways of 1926. It currently has a length of about 1,445 miles (2,326 km), for much of which it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90 (I-90).
US 14 begins at the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park, along with US 16 and the eastern segment of US 20. It travels through Shoshone National Forest to Cody, where US 14A splits off to the north. Both routes traverse the dry Bighorn Basin, followed by a steep ascent up the Bighorn Mountains and through the Bighorn National Forest, where they rejoin at Burgess Junction. The highway descends the eastern slope of the Bighorn Mountains between Burgess Junction and Dayton. US 14 briefly follows I-90 south from Ranchester to Sheridan. The highway turns east and then south to again join I-90 near Gillette. It splits off for a short time to Carlile, then rejoins I-90 which it follows to the state line.
The South Dakota section of US 14 is legally defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-134.[6]
Minnesota
The La Crosse West Channel Bridge carrying US 14, US 61, MN 16, and State Trunk Highway 16 across the Mississippi River between La Crescent, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin. This is the river's West Channel.
US 14 was extended to a full, limited-access freeway from approximately three miles (4.8 km) west of Janesville to I-35 at Owatonna. Most of the new route is located south of the existing alignment so as to avoid overlapping I-35. The expansion was opened to traffic on August 31, 2012, creating a continuous four-lane route from North Mankato to Owatonna. The section from Waseca to Janesville has yet to be upgraded to freeway standards; it currently exists as an expressway.
The four-lane expressway was extended from North Mankato to Nicollet including a southwest bypass of Nicollet and an interchange for MN 111 in 2016.
Between Owatonna and Dodge Center, US 14 was upgraded to a freeway in 2021. The new freeway opened to traffic in late 2021.[7]
The segment from Nicollet to New Ulm has been upgraded to a four-lane expressway including a bypass of Courtland. Construction began in 2022 and was completed in November of 2023 after a month long delay due to concrete paving delays. [8][9]
Newly widended US Highway 14 at Courtland traveling East Bound
US 14 is being planned to be upgraded to a freeway between Byron and Rochester with three new interchanges planned. An interim safety project will construct two reduced conflict intersections in 2022.[needs update]
US 14 enters the state of Wisconsin along with US 61 across the Mississippi River into La Crosse. Running through rural southern Wisconsin, it then meets with US 12 outside of Madison. Following the Beltline Highway around Madison, it meets US 18 and US 151, before turning south, passing through some southern Madison suburbs, Oregon, and Evansville before approaching Janesville. Bypassing Janesville to the north, US 14 intersects US 51, as well as I-90 and I-39. It then travels southeast, past I-43, to the village square of Walworth. US 14 then turns south and exits into Illinois at Big Foot Prairie.
US 14 at the Illinois–Wisconsin borderBeginning of US 14 west in Chicago, Illinois
In the state of Illinois, US 14 runs southeast from north of Harvard to Chicago via Woodstock and the northwest suburbs. Southeast of Illinois Route 47 (IL 47), US 14 has four lanes, and, at times, it is a high-speed divided highway. Continuing southeastward from just after the overpass above IL 31, US 14 passes beneath and then closely parallels the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad's Harvard Subdivision. Through the northwest suburbs of Chicago, this route is commonly referred to as "Northwest Highway" and is a very busy thoroughfare. East of Des Plaines, US 14 becomes Dempster Street until its intersection with Waukegan Road. From here, US 14 follows Waukegan Road, Caldwell Avenue, Peterson Avenue, and Ridge Avenue to its eastern end, at the corner of Broadway and US 41 (Foster Avenue).[11]
At an earlier point, US 14 extended south on Lake Shore Drive onto Michigan Avenue.[1]
US 14 was originally the Black and Yellow Trail, so named as it connected Minnesota with the Black Hills and Yellowstone National Park.
In Chicago's northwest suburbs, it is known as Northwest Highway due to its direction as well as it paralleling the old Chicago and North Western Transportation Company railroad (now Union Pacific Railroad). It was originally called the Northwest Highway from Chicago to New Ulm, Minnesota, and some street signs in New Ulm, Chicago, and towns in between still show the old designation.
From Ucross west to Sheridan, Wyoming, US 14 was initially designated U.S. Route 116 (US 116) in 1926. US 116 was extended west to Cody in 1933, absorbing the Deaver–Cody US 420. The next year, US 116 became an extension of US 14. Part of this extension, including all of US 420, is now US 14A.
^ abCastleman, Monte; Grier, Tom; Hargraves, Don; Majewski, Matt; Morrison, Jeff; Mortell, Robert; Munsch, Andrew; Nitzman, Alex; Osbaldeston, Greg; Sanderson, Dale; Summa, Michael; Teresco, Jim (2001). "End of US highway 14". US Ends.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
^Minnesota Department of Transportation. "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing"(PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
US 16 / US 20 at Yellowstone National Park
US 41 at Chicago, IL
