Wisconsin Highway 52

State Trunk Highway 52 (often called Highway 52, STH-52 or WIS 52) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs east–west in central and northeastern Wisconsin from Wabeno to Wausau. It is one of four state highways that also serve Antigo.

State Trunk Highway 52
WIS 52 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by WisDOT
Existed	1924[1]–present
Major junctions
West end	US 51 in Wausau[a]
Major intersections	US 45 in Aniwa US 45 / WIS 47 / WIS 64 in Antigo
East end	WIS 32 in Wabeno
Location
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Marathon, Shawano, Langlade, Forest
Highway system
Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System Interstate US State Scenic Rustic
← WIS 51 → US 53

Route description

Running from west to east, WIS 52 begins at an interchange with U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) freeway, which serves as Wausau's western bypass. It then enters Wausau as Bridge Street, crossing the Wisconsin River into downtown.^{[citation needed]}

In downtown Wausau, WIS 52 runs on one-way streets in a loop around the central business district; the eastbound lanes join Business US 51 northbound, run around the Wausau Center shopping mall, and then back north via 6th Street. Meanwhile, the westbound lanes run along southbound Business US 51 past Athletic Park, home of the Northwoods League Wausau Woodchucks baseball team, and also past the Dudley Tower, the tallest commercial building in Wisconsin outside of the Milwaukee area.^{[citation needed]}

Northeast of Wausau, WIS 52 runs past Hogerty, with access to the Dells of the Eau Claire River Park, a popular recreational park and campground known for its rock formations and waterfalls; the Ice Age Trail also runs through the park.^{[citation needed]}

Just past Marathon County, WIS 52 meets up with US 45 and joins it for the drive north to Antigo, the Langlade County seat. WIS 47 and WIS 64 also intersect WIS 52 along this stretch. From Antigo, WIS 52 zigzags northeast past Lily, where it has a junction with WIS 55 along the Wolf River. The road then enters the Nicolet National Forest and into Forest County before ending at WIS 32 just northwest of Wabeno.^{[citation needed]}

• 
  The northern terminus with WIS 32 near Wabeno
• 
  A kayak statue along the Wisconsin River as WIS 52 enters downtown Wausau near the Dudley Tower

History

In 2013, WIS 52 was extended 600 feet (180 m) because of the new interchange.^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

In 2025, Wis 52 was rerouted along Bridge Street instead of Stewart Avenue.^{[citation needed]}

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Marathon	Wausau			US 51 – Merrill, Stevens Point	Western terminus of WIS 52
				Bus. US 51
Shawano	Aniwa			US 45 south – Birnamwood, Wittenberg, Clintonville	Southern end of US 45 concurrency
Langlade	Town of Rolling			WIS 47 south – Keshena	Southern end of WIS 47 concurrency
	Antigo			US 45 north / WIS 47 north – Monico WIS 64 west – Merrill	Northern end of US 45/WIS 47 concurrency; western end of WIS 64 concurrency
	Langlade			WIS 64 east – Langlade	Eastern end of WIS 64 concurrency
	Lily			WIS 55 north – Crandon	Northern end of WIS 55 concurrency
				WIS 55 south – Langlade	Southern end of WIS 55 concurrency
Forest	Wabeno			WIS 32 – Laona, Wabeno	Eastern terminus of WIS 52
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

See also

• U.S. Roads portal

Notes

1. This interchange, completed in 2013, extended WIS 52 westerly past its previous western terminus for about 600 feet (180 m) to connect with WIS 29.^[2]