State Trunk Highway 85 is a state highway in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

. It runs east–west in west central Wisconsin from Durand

Durand, Wisconsin

Durand is a city in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census. The city is located within the Town of Durand and is also the county seat....

 to Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...

. About midway along the route, the highway passes through Rock Falls

Rock Falls, Wisconsin

Rock Falls is a town in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 598 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.2 square miles , of which, 47.8 square miles of it is land and 1.4 square miles of it...

, and three miles (5 km) further, Caryville

Caryville, Wisconsin

Caryville is an unincorporated community in the town of Rock Creek, in Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States. The community is on the south shore of the Chippewa River, along State Highway 85, near where Dunn County Highway "H" crosses the river, approximately southwest of Eau Claire, northeast...

, the only two recognizable settlements between the route's termini. In recent years, the corridor between Rock Falls and Caryville, especially the western side of the highway (i.e., along the Chippewa River

Chippewa River (Wisconsin)

The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary...

), has seen some suburban development.