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Arcadia–Independence–Blair Loop

Arcadia–Independence–Blair Loop is 32.7 miles of loop riding through Trempealeau County in Wisconsin — the Coulee Region, the coulees, ridge tops and river bluffs of south-west Wisconsin. Moving time is about 40 minutes; allow 60 with stops — a half morning. It is scored CS-2, Easy: 37 corners, 102° of turning per mile, 799 feet of climbing. The roads it uses, in the order you ride them, are in the app.

Curviness
CS-2Easy · 1.13/mi
Distance
32.7 mi40 min riding
Corners
3746% sharp · Tight
Climbing
799 ft25 ft/mi · Gentle
Shape
LoopHalf morning
Roads
Highway miles3% county & local
Traffic
3,700vehicles a day, median
Speed limit
55 mphtypically 55
Open this route in the app

About this road

Arcadia, Independence, and Blair form a triangle of small cities in Trempealeau County with strong Polish and other European heritage. Rolling to hilly farm country has a more open feel than the deepest coulees, yet the landscape remains Driftless in origin. Festivals and churches continue to reflect the immigrant settlement patterns around Arcadia, Independence, and Blair. Noticing the cultural markers and the slightly different topographic texture adds interest beyond pure elevation statistics. Ideal for riders who value cultural landscape and a more approachable physical demand, and who want to experience the northern Coulee Region’s distinct flavor. Also a practical and scenic base for multi-day exploration of the Trempealeau and Mississippi corridors. The open character and visible heritage make the miles feel purposeful even when the climbing is moderate. Different texture, same region. Worth exploring for the contrast and the culture.

How it rides

37 corners over 32.7 miles — 1.13 a mile, and 102° of turning for every mile ridden. That scores CS-2, Easy on the five-point curviness scale. 46% of those corners are sharp ones, and the road reads as tight.

What it climbs

The road climbs 799 feet in total, 25 feet per mile, between 725 and 1,175 feet — 450 feet of relief. The longest single climb is 310 feet over 3.8 miles, and the steepest grade on it is 8.5%. By Driftless standards that is gentle.

Surface, speed and traffic

98.3% paved; the odd short stretch is gravel or seal coat. 3% of it is back road rather than highway, the other 97% state or US route. Posted speeds run to 55 mph, typically 55, measured across 42% of the route. Where traffic counts exist — 31% of the miles — the median is 3,700 vehicles a day, busiest at mile 8.1 with 8,100.

Where to stop

4 of the towns on this road have somewhere to stop — 3 fuel, 2 food, 3 bars.

Longest stretch without fuel: 14.3 miles. Worth knowing before you set off if your tank is small.

Listed alphabetically, and chosen by us rather than rated by anybody. The order you reach them, and the mile each one sits at, are in the app.

Worth knowing

Turn-by-turn directions and the spoken guidance are in the app. Every figure on this page is measured from the route itself — corner counts and gradients from the road geometry, elevation from the national elevation dataset, traffic from the state transport departments where counts exist.

Nearby roads