Iowa Highways: 20 to 29

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10-19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30-39
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Iowa 20
Designated: July 1, 1920
Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
Original northern terminus: Minnesota state line south of Harmony, MN
Original southern terminus: Missouri state line (Des Moines River) at Keokuk
Counties: Howard (1920-1924), Winneshiek, Allamakee, Clayton, Dubuque, Jackson, Clinton, Scott, Muscatine, Louisa, Des Moines, Lee
Paving history: At the time of designation, the segment from Sageville to Dubuque was the only paved segment.
  • 1921: Short segment east of Eldridge paved
  • 1922: Remaining segment from the Clinton/Scott county line (Wapsipinicon River) to Davenport paved
  • 1923: Paved from De Witt to the Clinton/Scott county line
  • 1925: Paved from Davenport to the Scott/Muscatine county line west of Buffalo
  • Major alignment changes:
  • August 18, 1924: A new riverside alignment was built between Rockingham and Muscatine, eliminating the old IA 2 duplex between the two cities. (Rockingham was annexed by Davenport in April 1926.) The Highway Commission temporarily numbered the segment in Scott County as IA 200 on June 23 but it was never signed until the segment was extended to Muscatine and renumbered as part of IA 20. This segment was signed as IA 22 between 1926 and 1958.
  • Also in 1924: Replaced part of IA 11 north of Decorah, connecting with Minnesota Route 20.
  • Replaced by:
  • IA 130 (I) (between Cresco and Minnesota in 1924)
  • IA 9 (duplex between Cresco and Decorah in 1924)
  • US 55 (between the Minnesota line north of Decorah and Dubuque)
  • US 61 (between Dubuque and Keokuk)
  • The number has since been used for US 20.
    For a map of its street alignment in Burlington in 1922, see Jeff Morrison's Burlington Highway Chronology page.
    For a map of its estimated street alignment in Muscatine in 1920, see Jeff Morrison's Muscatine Highway Chronology page.
    For a map of its estimated street alignment through Davenport in 1924, see the Highways of Davenport and Bettendorf page.
    Iowa 21 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: June 25, 1934
    Original northern terminus: Minnesota state line south of Worthington, MN
    Original southern terminus: Ida Grove; it was truncated at IA 35 (I) west of the city on January 6, 1925. On December 1, 1930, it was extended southward to IA 141 north of Denison, superseding IA 150 (II) between Schleswig and Denison.
    Counties: Osceola, O'Brien, Cherokee, Ida, Crawford (1925-1934)
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation.
  • 1924: A short paved multiplex with IA 19 (I), later US 18, east of Sanborn was added after a realignment between Sanborn and Primghar was approved on June 23.
  • 1928: Paved from US 18 to the split with IA 10 north of Calumet. This was the only paved segment at decommissioning.
  • Major alignment changes:
  • 1922: Realigned away from Larrabee, creating IA 110 (I).
  • November 3, 1924, it was routed onto the present US 59 alignment south of Cherokee; the previous route followed present-day County Roads L56 and C44. The realignment also caused the truncation of IA 31.
  • Replaced by: IA 73 (II). On February 28, 1934, the state announced that IA 21 would be extended from Denison to the Missouri state line (replacing part of IA 4 (I)) as a way to get this corridor onto the US highway system. Although the extended IA 21 ended up on some maps, it was never signed since the road became IA 73 after a meeting in Harlan on March 23, 1934. It did become a US highway by the end of the year – US 59.
    Iowa 21
    Length: 97 miles/156 kilometers
    Northern terminus: US 20 (exit #230) in Waterloo
    Southern terminus: IA 149 near Hedrick
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Black Hawk, Tama, Benton, Iowa, Poweshiek, Keokuk
    Cities along route: Waterloo, Dysart, Belle Plaine, What Cheer, Delta

    Multiplexes:
  • 2½ miles with IA 8 west of Dysart
  • 4 miles with US 6, in eastern Poweshiek and western Iowa counties near Victor
  • History
    Designated: October 1934 (number approved September 25), between Dysart and US 6 at Victor. It superseded IA 212 between Dysart and Belle Plaine.
    Paving history: At designation, the only paved segment was from the split with US 30 (later IA 212, now County Road E66) northwest of Belle Plaine to the Benton/Iowa county line.
  • 1949: Paved from What Cheer to IA 92
  • 1955: Paved from the Benton/Iowa county line to the split with IA 212
  • 1956: Paved from the former US 6 in Victor to the realigned US 6.
  • 1961: Paved from IA 212 to US 6 northeast of Victor
  • 1963: Paved from US 6 to IA 85 at Deep River (on a segment that was realigned in 1962, creating IA 419 to serve Victor)
  • 1966: Segment from Deep River to What Cheer upgraded from bituminous to paved
  • 1980: Last segment, from IA 8 near Dysart to the former IA 212 northwest of Belle Plaine, upgraded from bituminous to paved. The extension to IA 149 was entirely paved.
  • Major alignment changes:
  • June 7, 1939: Extended southward from Victor to IA 92 near Delta, superseding IA 85 south of Deep River
  • August 11, 1969: Extended northward from Dysart to IA 412 (San Marnan Drive) in Waterloo, replacing the proposed IA 402.
  • August 26, 1980: Extended southward from Delta, along part of IA 108 and the former County Road V33, to IA 149 west of Hedrick.
  • October 25, 1983: Truncated north of the US 20 freeway (¼ mile south of San Marnan) after IA 412 was decommissioned.
  • For maps of the route in Waterloo, see Jeff Morrison's Waterloo/Cedar Falls Highway Chronology page.
  • Iowa 22 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
    Original northern terminus: Minnesota state line north of Rock Rapids
    Original southern terminus: IA 12 in Sioux City; it was truncated at Le Mars on November 3, 1924.
    Counties: Lyon, Sioux, Plymouth, Woodbury (1920-1924)
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation; the segment from the Plymouth/Woodbury county line to Sioux City was paved in 1922.
    Replaced by: IA 5 (I) (duplicated segment between Le Mars and Sioux City in 1924); US 75 (at decommissioning)
    Iowa 22
    Length: 98 miles/158 kilometers
    Western terminus: IA 21 near Thornburg
    Eastern terminus: Business US 61 in Davenport
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Keokuk, Washington, Johnson, Muscatine, Scott
    Cities along route: Thornburg, Keswick, Webster, South English, Kinross, Wellman, Kalona, Riverside, Lone Tree, Nichols, Muscatine, Buffalo, Davenport

    NHS: From the eastern split with IA 70 to the split with IA 38 and IA 92 in Muscatine
    Multiplexes:
  • 4 miles with IA 149 between Webster and South English
  • 3 miles with IA 70 east of Nichols
  • 4 miles with US 61 along the north edge of the Muscatine bypass
  • 1 mile with IA 38 and Business US 61 in Muscatine
  • 5 miles with IA 92, overlapping the multiplexes with US 61 and IA 38 in Muscatine
  • History
    Designated: October 16, 1926, to the inland route (part of former IA 2 (I)) between Muscatine and Davenport via Blue Grass
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the segment from the Muscatine/Scott county line at Blue Grass to Davenport was paved.
  • 1931: Paved segment from Webster to South English (the multiplex with IA 149) added; also paved from Riverside to the junction with US 218
  • 1955: Paved from IA 21 to Keswick, from South English to Kalona, and from Nichols to the split with IA 76 (now 70)
  • 1957: Paved from Muscatine to Blue Grass (before the switch with US 61, which was entirely paved)
  • 1958: Paved from Keswick to Webster and from a point north of Lone Tree to Nichols (on a new alignment, creating IA 405 to serve Lone Tree).
  • 1963: Paved from Kalona to Riverside
  • 1970: Segment from the split with IA 70 to Muscatine upgraded from bituminous to paved
  • 1988: Last segment, from US 218 east of Riverside to IA 405 north of Lone Tree, upgraded from bituminous to paved
  • Major alignment changes:
  • July 8, 1931: Extended westward from Muscatine to Thornburg, replacing IA 181 (I) between Riverside and Lone Tree
  • October 23, 1958: Switched routes with US 61 between Muscatine and Davenport; IA 22 now follows the Mississippi River through Buffalo.
  • June 3, 1986: Realigned around the US 61 bypass of Muscatine and Park Avenue, which it shared with a newly-extended IA 38. While most of the old segment along Cedar Street was turned over to the city in July, a short segment outside of the Muscatine city limits was maintained by the state as unsigned IA 917 until July 1, 2003.
  • For other alignment changes in Davenport that are not listed here, see the Highways of Davenport and Bettendorf page.
  • For alignment changes in Muscatine that are not listed here, see Jeff Morrison's Muscatine Highway Chronology page.
  • Iowa 23 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
    Original western terminus: South Dakota state line at Sioux City
    Original eastern terminus: IA 5 in Fort Dodge
    Counties: Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Webster
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation.
  • 1921: Paved from Sioux City to Moville
  • 1923: Paved from a county road (now L37) east of Correctionville to the Woodbury/Ida county line at Cushing
  • 1924: Paved from Moville to the county road east of Correctionville. There were no paved segments outside of Woodbury County at decommissioning.
  • Major alignment changes:
  • 1924: Realigned between a point east of Cushing and Holstein; IA 131 (I) was created in January 1925 as a bypass of Holstein.
  • September 7, 1926: IA 23 replaced IA 131 to bypass Holstein to the south; the change was approved a month before IA 23 became US 20. IA 131 was then routed onto the old IA 23/US 20 segment through Holstein.
  • Replaced by: IA 141 west of downtown Sioux City, and US 20 east of there. This number was assigned to the Hawkeye Cutoff.
    For a map of its 1925 street alignment through Sioux City, see Jeff Morrison's Sioux City Highway Chronology page.
    For a map of its 1923 estimated street alignment in Fort Dodge, see Jeff Morrison's Fort Dodge Highway Chronology page.
    Iowa 23 (II)
    Designated: October 16, 1926
    Decommissioned: January 1, 1969
    Original northern terminus: IA 2 in Milton
    Original southern terminus: Missouri state line south of Milton
    Counties: Van Buren
    Paving history: Unpaved at designation, it had a bituminous surface until it was paved in 1955.
    Replaced by: IA 15 (southern leg) as part of a swapping of highway numbers; this replaced part of IA 11.
    Iowa 23 (III)
    Designated: January 1, 1969
    Decommissioned: July 16, 1997
    Original northwestern terminus: IA 137 in Eddyville
    Original southeastern terminus: US 63 in Ottumwa
    Counties: Wapello
    Paving history: Unpaved outside of Ottumwa at designation, it had a bituminous surface until it was paved in 1975.
    Replaced by: US 63 between Eddyville and a point near Chillicothe, where a new expressway segment continued eastward toward Ottumwa. The remaining segment of IA 23 from Chillicothe southeastward to Ottumwa, following Eddyville Road and 2nd Street, was transferred to local jurisdictions on September 5, 1997. IA 23 was given part of old US 63 in return.
    Former terminus photos
    Iowa 23
    Length: 16 miles/26 kilometers
    Northwestern terminus: IA 92 in Oskaloosa
    Southeastern terminus: IA 149 south of Fremont
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Mahaska, Keokuk
    Cities along route: Oskaloosa, University Park, Fremont

    NHS: The segment in Oskaloosa
    History
    Designated: July 16, 1997, to a former US 63 segment after the completion of the new US 63 expressway northwest of Ottumwa.
    Paving history: The entire road was paved at the time of designation.
    Iowa 24 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: August 9, 1927
    Original western terminus: IA 12 in Council Bluffs; it was truncated at IA 18 (future US 71) north of Lyman on October 6, 1924
    Original eastern terminus: IA 8 in Ottumwa; it was truncated at Oskaloosa on October 16, 1926
    Counties: Pottawattamie (1920-1924), Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Wapello (1920-1926)
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation; a short paved segment through Atlantic was added as a result of the 1921 reroute.
    Major alignment changes: In 1921, at the request of the Cass County Board of Supervisors, IA 24 was rerouted away from Lewis, where it followed the route that would eventually become IA 414. IA 24 would follow IA 2 (I) west of Atlantic and IA 18 between Atlantic and Lyman until its 1924 truncation.
    Replaced by:
  • IA 2 (I) (duplicated segment between Council Bluffs and Atlantic; this segment became US 32 two years later)
  • US 63 (between Oskaloosa and Ottumwa, partially overlapping with IA 13, in 1926)
  • IA 2 (I) (at decommissioning)
  • Iowa 24
    Length: 27 miles/43 kilometers
    Western terminus: US 18/63 west of New Hampton
    Eastern terminus: The US 52 and IA 150 junction in Calmar
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Chickasaw, Winneshiek
    Cities along route: New Hampton, Lawler, Jackson Junction, Fort Atkinson, Calmar
    History
    Designated: December 1, 1928 (number approved October 29)
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at the time of designation.
  • 1941: Paved from New Hampton to Lawler
  • 1946: Paved from Fort Atkinson to Calmar
  • 1951: Paved from Lawler to Jackson Junction
  • 1954: Last segment, from Jackson Junction to Fort Atkinson, paved
  • Major alignment changes:
  • July 23, 1935: New diagonal gravel alignment approved between Lawler and Jackson Junction; it previously followed what are now County Roads V56 and B33.
  • October 5, 2002: Extended westward to the relocated US 18/63 west of New Hampton, replacing part of US 18's old route.
  • Iowa 25 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
    Original northern terminus: IA 7 in Adel
    Original southern terminus: IA 24 in Winterset
    Counties: Dallas, Madison
    Paving history: There were no paved segments.
    Replaced by: IA 16 (I)
    Iowa 25
    Length: 103 miles/166 kilometers
    Northern terminus: US 30 near Scranton
    Southern terminus: IA 2 at the Taylor/Ringgold county line
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Greene, Guthrie, Adair, Union, Adams, Ringgold, Taylor
    Cities along route: Scranton, Bayard, Guthrie Center, Greenfield, Orient, Creston, Clearfield

    NHS: The segment in Creston and multiplex with US 34
    Multiplexes:
  • 3 miles with IA 141 east of Bayard
  • 7½ miles with US 34 southwest of Creston
  • History
    Designated: October 16, 1926, from Scranton to Creston
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation.
  • 1932: Paved multiplex with US 34 and paved segment with IA 3 along the Taylor/Ringgold county line added to highway
  • 1937: Paved multiplex with IA 3 (now IA 2) added to highway
  • 1938: Paved from Scranton to IA 141 north of Bayard
  • 1940: Remainder of the multiplex with IA 3 along the Taylor/Ringgold county line paved
  • 1952: Multiplex with IA 141 east of Bayard paved
  • 1955: Paved from Guthrie Center to Greenfield
  • 1956: Paved from the old IA 141 alignment (now County Road E63) to IA 141 east of Bayard and from the split with IA 2 to County Road D (now J55) south of Blockton
  • 1959: Paved from the split with IA 141 to Guthrie Center
  • 1964: Paved from the split with US 34 northwest of Kent to the split with IA 2
  • 1977: Segment from Greenfield to Creston upgraded from bituminous to paved. The segment south of Blockton was still a gravel road when it was turned over, but it is paved today.
  • Major alignment changes:
  • August 1931: Straightened between Guthrie Center and US 32 (later US 6) east of Casey; it previously intersected US 32 at Menlo.
  • December 20, 1932: Extended southward from Creston to Blockton, replacing IA 184 (I). That year it was also straightened from Guthrie Center northward to Bayard, creating a multiplex with IA 46 (now 141); the old Bayard-Guthrie Center segment followed present-day County Roads N70 and F32.
  • May 24, 1938: Extended southward from Blockton to the Missouri state line, creating IA 357 from its former route in Blockton
  • Fall 1952: Straightened between US 6 west of Menlo and IA 92 at Greenfield
  • June 17, 1978: Decommissioned south of County Road J55 near Blockton
  • July 1, 1980: Decommissioned south of IA 2; the north-south segment is now County Road P14.
  • Notes
    South of US 34, this southwest Iowa road straddles the county line between Adams and Union, and then Taylor and Ringgold, counties.
    Iowa 26 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: April 1930
    Original western terminus: Rock Valley; it was extended northward to US 18 on December 1, 1928
    Original eastern terminus: IA 22, later US 75
    Counties: Lyon (1928-1930), Sioux
    Paving history: There were no paved segments.
    Replaced by: A realigned US 18 and a county road (now numbered K30) northward from Rock Valley
    Iowa 26 (II)
    Designated: April 1930 (number approved March 19)
    Decommissioned: January 1, 1969
    Original northern terminus: IA 9 south of Larchwood
    Original southern terminus: US 18 at Inwood
    Counties: Lyon
    Paving history: Unpaved at designation, it remained a gravel road before it was paved in 1956.
    Replaced by: IA 182 in a numbering swap
    Iowa 26
    Length: 11 miles/18 kilometers
    Northern terminus: Minnesota state line at New Albin; continuation of MN 26
    Southern terminus: IA 9 in Lansing
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Allamakee
    Cities along route: New Albin, Lansing
    History
    Designated: January 1, 1969, replacing IA 182 (I)
    Paving history: The road had a bituminous surface at the time of designation; it was upgraded to a paved road in 1972.
    Iowa 27 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: February 4, 1929
    Original western terminus: IA 12 in Akron
    Original eastern terminus: IA 22 in Le Mars
    Counties: Plymouth
    Paving history: There were no paved segments.
    Replaced by: IA 5 (I)
    Iowa 27 (II)
    Designated: May 28, 1929
    Decommissioned: April 1930
    Original western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) east of Blair, NE
    Original eastern terminus: US 75 and US 30 in Missouri Valley
    Counties: Harrison
    Paving history: There were no paved segments.
    Replaced by: IA 130 (II), which was replaced by US 30 a year later
    Iowa 27 (III)
    Designated: August 5, 1930
    Decommissioned: August 11, 1980
    Original western terminus: US 75 south of Rock Rapids; it was extended westward to Alvord on June 4, 1935
    Original eastern terminus: George; it was truncated at the junction with US 75 on June 10, 1936
    Counties: Lyon
    Paving history: Unpaved at designation, it had a gravel surface until the remaining segment west of US 75 was paved in 1955.
    Replaced by:
  • County road, now numbered A34 (segment between US 75 and George in 1937)
  • Local road (Main Street) in Alvord — IA 27 made a turn to the south before ending — and County Road A34 east of Alvord (at decommissioning). The city of Alvord took over its segment on September 27, 1980.
  • Iowa 27
    Length: 282 miles/453 kilometers
    Northern terminus: Minnesota state line south of Albert Lea, MN (with I-35)
    Southern terminus: Missouri state line (Des Moines River) near St. Francisville, MO; continues as MO 27
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Worth, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Chickasaw, Bremer, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Benton, Linn, Johnson, Washington, Henry, Lee
    Cities along route: Hanlontown, Clear Lake, Mason City, Nora Springs, Rudd, Floyd, Charles City, Nashua, Plainfield, Waverly, Janesville, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Evansdale, Elk Run Heights, Raymond, Brandon, Urbana, Center Point, Robins, Hiawatha, Cedar Rapids, Swisher, Shueyville, North Liberty, Tiffin, Coralville, Iowa City, Hills, Riverside, Ainsworth, Crawfordsville, Olds, Mount Pleasant, Donnellson, Keokuk

    NHS: Entire route
    Commercial and Industrial Network: Entire route
    Freeway segments:
  • 44 miles, from the Minnesota state line to the Cerro Gordo/Floyd county line near Nora Springs (with I-35 and US 18)
  • 6 miles, bypass to the west and south of Charles City (with US 218 and US 18)
  • 7 miles, bypass to the west and south of Waverly (with US 218)
  • 12 miles, from the Cedar River crossing in Janesville to Greenhill Road in Cedar Falls (with US 218 for the first 9 miles and IA 58 for the last 3)
  • 95 miles, from IA 58 in Cedar Falls to IA 22 near Riverside (with US 20, most of I-380, and US 218)
  • 6½ miles, bypass to the east of Mount Pleasant (with US 218 and partially with US 34 and IA 163)
  • 2 miles, between IA 2 east of Donnellson and the split with US 218
  • Expressway segments:
  • About 17 miles, between the Cerro Gordo/Floyd county line and the interchange with Business US 218/Floyd County Road B35 near Charles City (with US 18 and US 218)
  • 24 miles, from County Road T64 at Charles City to the north end of the Waverly bypass (with US 218)
  • 3 miles, from the south end of the Waverly bypass to the Cedar River crossing in Janesville (with US 218)
  • 3½ miles, between Greenhill Road and US 20 in Cedar Falls (with IA 58)
  • 34 miles, from the end of the freeway segment near Riverside to the end of the Mount Pleasant bypass (with US 218)
  • 21 miles, from the end of the freeway segment south of Mount Pleasant to the junction with IA 2 at Donnellson (with US 218)
  • 10 miles, from the split with US 218 south of Donnellson to the Iowa/Missouri state line
  • Exit lists:
  • Segment between Wayland, MO, and I-80
  • Segment along I-380
  • Segment along US 20
  • Segment between Cedar Falls and I-35
  • Multiplexes:
  • 28 miles with I-35, between the Minnesota state line and exit #190 (US 18) south of Clear Lake
  • 40 miles with US 18, between the I-35/IA 122 interchange at Clear Lake and IA 14 west of Charles City; this includes a 3½-mile triplex with I-35.
  • 50 miles with US 218 between US 18 near Floyd and IA 57/58 in Cedar Falls, including a 4½-mile triplex with US 18 between Floyd and Charles City.
  • 6 miles with IA 58, between US 218 and US 20 in Cedar Falls
  • 13 miles with US 20, between IA 58 in Cedar Falls and the I-380 split east of Raymond
  • 71 miles with I-380, between the US 20/218 interchange in Waterloo and I-380's southern terminus at I-80; this includes a 6-mile triplex with US 20 east of Waterloo
  • 95 miles with US 218 (again), between US 30 in Cedar Rapids and an interchange southeast of Donnellson; this includes a 16-mile triplex with I-380 between US 30 and I-80 near Coralville.
  • 2½ miles with US 34 and IA 163 east of Mount Pleasant, part of a four-highway multiplex with US 218
  • History
    Designated: August 30, 2001; signage was completed in late September.
    Paving history: The entire road was paved at the time of designation.
    Upgrades:
  • December 19, 2001: Freeway bypass of Mount Pleasant opened, except for the southbound lanes between the north interchange (with the future US 34 north bypass) and US 34. In March 2002 one lane of northbound traffic was moved onto the bypass in order to finish the connections at the north interchange; the bypass opened to four lanes of traffic by August 1, 2002. The old segment became unsigned IA 438.
  • July 19, 2002: 5-mile expressway segment between a point south of Plainfield and the north end of the Waverly bypass opened.
  • November 8, 2002: 2-mile expressway segment bypassing Plainfield opened, with the old segment becoming unsigned IA 390 (II).
  • September 3, 2003: A 2-mile expressway segment between 240th Street in Floyd County (where the Charles City bypass ended) and Walnut Street northwest of Nashua opened, as did a 2-mile bypass of Nashua. The bypassed segment became unsigned IA 254 (III) outside of the Nashua city limits.
  • November 6, 2003: A 2-mile expressway segment between Walnut Street and 270th Street (the north end of the Nashua bypass) opened. The remaining segment between Nashua and Plainfield (5 miles) opened around November 18.
  • February 19, 2004: Bypass to the east of Donnellson opens; initially, the 2-mile segment between IA 2 and the split with US 218 opened to four lanes of traffic. A 3-mile bypass of unincorporated Argyle (which was two lanes when it opened but eventually became four lanes) also opened around this time. The old segments became unsigned IA 460.
  • December 8, 2004: Four-lane bridge across the Des Moines River opens, replacing the old two-lane toll bridge. A seven-mile segment of MO 27 between St. Francisville and US 61 south of Wayland opened at the same time.
  • June 2005: 11-mile expressway segment between the south end of the Mount Pleasant bypass and the junction with IA 16 opens
  • August 25, 2005: 10-mile expressway segment between the US 218/IA 27 split and the Des Moines River bridge opens
  • May 23, 2006: 10-mile segment between IA 16 and IA 2 opens, completing the Avenue of the Saints expressway in Iowa
  • October 14, 2016: Expressway segment from Janesville to Cedar Falls upgraded to freeway with the opening of a new interchange at County Road C57 and the closing of three at-grade intersections along that segment.
  • November 21, 2023: Interchange at the split of US 18 and US 218 in Floyd completed
  • Notes
  • The latest version of IA 27 follows the entire length of the Avenue of the Saints mostly as a second (and in some cases, third) number for the highways that already follow it. First planned in the late 1980s and completed on July 25, 2008, the Avenue of the Saints expressway connects St. Paul, MN, and St. Louis, MO. It was made a high-priority corridor by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and the National Highway System Act of 1995. (See the hyperlinked routes in the "multiplexes" section for history on when each freeway and expressway segment was completed.) The Iowa DOT made the IA 27 designation for continuity purposes, hoping to make it easier for motorists to follow the Avenue of the Saints route by giving it its own number. Missouri then designated the new four-lane segment between St. Francisville and US 61 as MO 27; Minnesota did not follow suit since it already has a lengthy MN 27 in the central part of the state.
  • Plans are currently in place to remove all intersections between Waverly and US 20. Interchanges opened at County Road C50 in Janesville on October 20, 2012, and at County Road C57 south of there on October 14, 2016, while a new single-point urban interchange (SPUI) at Viking Road in Cedar Falls opened November 10, 2019. A new interchange at 260th Street south of Waverly is programmed for paving in 2026 and an interchange at Greenhill Road is programmed for 2028, but an upgraded interchange with US 20 is currently unfunded.
  • Before the bypasses of Donnellson and Argyle opened in early 2004, IA 27 also ran concurrently with IA 394 in Lee County. All IA 394 signs along the route were removed afterwards, and the 10-mile segment between the US 218 split and the Missouri state line is the only one where IA 27 is signed by itself.
  • Iowa 28 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
    Original southwestern terminus: IA 11 in Cedar Rapids
    Original northeastern terminus: Eagle Point Bridge in Dubuque; the number continued into Wisconsin.
    Counties: Linn, Jones, Dubuque
    Paving history: The only paved segment at designation was from present-day 40th Street NE in Cedar Rapids to Indian Creek in Marion; in 1921, it was paved between 32nd Street (then the north city limits of Cedar Rapids) to 40th Street.
    Replaced by: US 161
    For a map of its 1926 street alignment through Cedar Rapids and Marion, see the Highways of Cedar Rapids page.
    Iowa 28
    Length: 22 miles/35 kilometers
    Northern terminus: I-35/80 (exit 131) at the Johnston/Urbandale city limits
    Southern terminus: IA 92 at Martensdale
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Polk, Warren
    Cities along route: Urbandale, Des Moines, Windsor Heights, West Des Moines, Norwalk, Martensdale

    NHS: From I-35/80 in Urbandale through Norwalk
    Commercial and Industrial Network: From I-35/80 to IA 5 in the Des Moines area
    Multiplexes: 1½ miles with US 6, between Douglas Avenue and 63rd Street in Des Moines
    History
    Designated: October 16, 1926, to a segment of IA 15 (I) between Des Moines and Martensdale
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the segment from Des Moines to the Polk/Warren county line was paved. The segment from the county line to Martensdale was paved in 1934.
    Major alignment changes:
  • August 1942: Realigned along Army Post Road (with IA 60, later IA 5) between 42nd Street and SE 14th Street (US 65/69); it had previously followed SW 9th Street out of town. The old segment became IA 46 (II) for a short time.
  • August 23, 1961: Truncated north of IA 60 in Des Moines
  • August 21, 1980: Extended from IA 5 northward, via 63rd Street along the Des Moines/West Des Moines border, to Hickman Road (US 6).
  • March 12, 1991: Extended northward along former IA 401 (Merle Hay Road) between US 6 and I-35/80.
  • For other alignment changes in Des Moines not listed here, see the Highways of Des Moines page.
  • Iowa 29
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: November 1957
    Original northern terminus: IA 27, later IA 3/5, in western Plymouth County
    Original southern terminus: IA 12, later US 77, in Sioux City
    Counties: Plymouth, Woodbury
    Paving history: Unpaved at designation, the segment in Sioux City was paved in 1924. The rest of the road had a bituminous surface at the time of decommissioning.
    Replaced by: IA 7 (III) to avoid a numbering conflict with the proposed I-29.
    For street alignments through Sioux City, see Jeff Morrison's Sioux City Highway Chronology page.

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