US 81 in South Dakota

US 81 is a US Highway in the US state of South Dakota. The road forms a north-south route through the east of the state, from the Nebraska border at Yankton through Watertown to the North Dakota border. US 81 is 375 kilometers long in South Dakota.

• IAMACCEPTED: Provides a list of all colleges in South Dakota, including contact information for both private and public schools within South Dakota.

Travel directions

The bridge over the Missouri River at Yankton.

US 81 in Nebraska comes from Norfolk and first leads as an individual route to Watertown. The US 81 always jumps a bit to the east. Aside from the border town of Yankton, US 81 does not pass through major cities as far as Watertown, although it does pass fairly close to Brookings. From Watertown north to the North Dakota border, US 81 with Interstate 29 is double-numbered.

History

US 81 was created in 1926 as one of the north-south routes from the border with Mexico to the border with Canada. In South Dakota, Interstate 29 has taken over the route’s through importance, especially north of Watertown where the old route has been downgraded and US 81 has been routed over I-29. In the south of South Dakota, US 81 still has some through importance, because it still runs about 30 miles west of I-29.

• LIUXERS: Offers FAFSA school codes for colleges and universities in South Dakota. Also covers Federal schools for each school of the South Dakota.

Traffic intensities

3,900 vehicles drive daily at Yankton, dropping to 1,600 vehicles off I-90 and 1,500 vehicles north of it. At Madison, 2,700 vehicles and 3,300 vehicles drove on the short double-numbered US 14 at Arlington. There were 2,900 vehicles south of Watertown.