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100 years of US routes: 1926-2026
Endpoints of
1963-1964
East: Pewaukee, WI
West: Worland, WY
1964-1978
East: Pewaukee, WI
West: Yellowstone East, WY
1978-present
East: Rapid City, SD
West: Yellowstone East, WY
Mileage: in 1989 AASHTO listed a figure of 526 miles for US 16... however, that included the mileage of Alternate US 16. According to the state subtotals on AASHTO's 1989 spreadsheet, mainline US 16's actual end-to-end total at the time was 489 miles. That closely matches our own 2020 measurement, which yielded 487.8 miles. Want historic mileages? Our handy reference book includes the mileages that were published in all 13 of AASHO/AASHTO's historic route logs (spanning the years 1927 to 1989).
Worland
An original 1926 route, the west end of US 16 was in Worland for nearly 40 years:
c. 1927, Rand McNally
c. 1951, Gousha
This photo was taken from westbound US 20...
Teresco, July 2003
...but oddly enough, the view there is actually looking east on Big Horn Avenue. US 20 continues by turning north (left) on 10th Street. Today westbound US 16 traffic is directed that way too, but until 1965, straight ahead was the west beginning of US 16. This photo shows a more recent version of that sign:
Sanderson, Sep. 2022
Here, we are looking south on 10th, or east on US 16-20:
Elbert, July 2005
Elbert, July 2005
As is typical in Wyoming, this urban highway junction is well-marked with big sign bridges. US 16 once began to the left. Eastbound US 20 actually goes west here for a few blocks before curving south again. Here is a more recent photo:
Sanderson, Sep. 2022
These next views were looking west on US 16:
Elbert, July 2005
Historically that was the west end of US 16. But in 1964 the designation was extended to the right with US 20, and US 16 is now overlapped with it for approx. 150 miles: all the way to the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Sanderson, Sep. 2022
US 16 formerly continued much further east of Rapid City: mostly along what is now I-90 to Milwaukee. From there, the route continued across Lake Michigan via car ferry, to Muskegon MI (the original ferry, restored by the Muskegon Maritime Museum to its original status as a World War II Landing Ship Tank, was actually named "Highway 16" when it served as a car ferry from 1946-1973). Then east across Michigan, roughly along modern I-96, to its original east end in Detroit.
Pewaukee
Michigan decommissioned US 16 in 1961. After that, the route's west end was briefly in Milwaukee, before US 16 was truncated to the interchange to which the sign in this photo refers:
Enslin, 2001
A mile ahead is I-94's interchange 293 in Pewaukee. In its later life, US 16 was routed along today's WI hwy. 16 until it was completely decommissioned in Wisconsin in 1978. That action was approved by AASHTO in June of that year, truncating US 16 to its current east terminus in Rapid City:
Rapid City
Heading north from downtown Rapid City, the last eastbound US 16 marker looks like this:
Barnes, Dec. 2017
Just ahead is the actual terminus of US 16 (and I-190 as well), at the junction with I-90:
Maynard, July 2002
Barnes, Dec. 2016
US 16 comes out of the Black Hills, goes through Rapid City, and is co-signed with I-190 north out of town. The end of that freeway at its interchange with I-90 also marks the east end of US 16. Here we are looking east on I-90 at the exit to the beginning of US 16:
Maynard, July 2002
Note the sign for "Truck US 16" at left; that is a bypass around the east side of town. Here is the same exit as viewed from westbound I-90:
Maynard, July 2002
Barnes, Dec. 2016
These next shots were taken looking south from I-90 along the east beginning of US 16, heading into downtown Rapid City:
Maynard, July 2002
That segment was recently rebuilt and re-signposted; the first two US 16 signs are shown here:
Barnes, Dec. 2017
Visible in the distance is a road aligned with this one, receding to the horizon. That is Mount Rushmore Road, which also carries US 16 traffic.
Research and/or image credits: Joseph Barnes; Monte Castleman; Chris Elbert; Jon Enslin; Quentin Hibben; Jay Maynard; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa; Jim Teresco
Page originally created 2000;last updated May 13, 2025.
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