Highways

U.S. Highway and State highway options connect the region, offering multilane roadway options that include U.S. Highway 151 and State Highway 18.

Highway 151 connects Madison, Wisconsin to Dubuque, Iowa with over 7,080 miles of communities in-between. Additionally, Highway 151 transitions to State Highway 18 connecting Madison, Wisconsin to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

U.S. Highway 61 also drives down into Southwest Wisconsin, connecting La Crosse, Wisconsin to Highway 151 into Dubuque, Iowa, while U.S. Highway 14 travels through Richland County, connecting Madison to La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Waterways & Ports

Grant and Crawford Counties border the Mississippi River to the West which allows barge access and shipping to the region. Harbors can be found in Cassville, a private regional harbor, and Prairie du Chien, a public harbor.

Railways

Southwestern Wisconsin is serviced by a shortline rail network operated by Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR). WSOR allows access to regional and national markets directly and via Class I carriers and offers direct loading and transloading opportunities to access the rail network. This rail system administrator also connects Prairie du Chien to Madison, Chicago, and Milwaukee.

Class I private rail carriers operate in western Grant and Crawford Counties. Rails operated by Burlington Norther-Santa Fe (BNSF) and Canadian Pacific (CPRS) travel along the Mississippi River. Canadian national also operates just south of Grant and Lafayette Counties in northern Illinois.

Airports

Medium and small general aviation facilities connect the region by air. Medium general aviation airports are located in Boscobel, Mineral Point, Monroe, Platteville, Prairie du Chien, and Lone Rock. These facilities accommodate regional and in-state flying needs, especially for businesses utilizing single and multi-engine general aircraft. Medium general aviation airports include access to on-site taxi or loner-car service, and runway lengths between 4,000 and 5,499 feet.

Small general aviation airports in the region are located in in Cassville, Lancaster, and Richland Center. These airports typically support single-engine aircraft, but some may also support smalltwin engine and business air activities.

While the region does not have commercial aircraft services in Southwest Wisconsin, residents do have access to these services in Madison and La Crosse, Wisconsin, Dubuque, Iowa, and Rockford, Illinois.