Iowa Highways: 1 to 9

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Iowa 1 (I)
Designated: July 1, 1920
Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
Original northern terminus: Minnesota state line north of Northwood; the number continued into Minnesota
Original southern terminus: Missouri state line south of Lamoni
Counties: Worth, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Hardin, Story, Polk, Warren, Clarke, Decatur
Paving history: At the time of designation, the segment through Mason City and from Des Moines to Fort Des Moines were paved.
  • 1920: Paved from Mason City to a county road (now B43) east of Burchinal, and from Ankeny to Des Moines (with IA 15 (I))
  • 1921: Paved from the county road to the Cerro Gordo/Franklin county line and from Des Moines to the Polk/Warren county line
  • 1923: Paved from the Story/Polk county line to Ankeny. The rest of the road was unpaved at the time of decommissioning.
    • Major alignment changes:
  • 1920: Realigned between the South River crossing and present-day County Road G76 in Warren County; the previous alignment followed 130th Avenue (and the section in line with the removed segment of 130th), Pershing Street, 120th Street, and G76.
  • February 25, 1924: IA 1 was straightened between Sheffield and Hampton; the old alignment followed what is now County Road S43.
    Replaced by: US 65 north of Leon, and US 69 south of Leon. This number was assigned to the Jefferson Highway through central Iowa, running through Mason City, Iowa Falls, Ames, and Des Moines, when the state began numbering highways in 1920. It was reassigned when the US highway system began in late 1926.
    For a map of its estimated street alignment through Des Moines in 1925, see the Highways of Des Moines page.
    • Iowa 1
    Length: 120 miles/193 kilometers
    Northern terminus: US 151 southwest of Anamosa
    Southern terminus: IA 2 south of Keosauqua
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Jones, Linn, Johnson, Washington, Keokuk, Jefferson, Van Buren
    Cities along route: Martelle, Mount Vernon, Solon, Iowa City, Kalona, Washington, Brighton, Fairfield, Birmingham, Keosauqua

    NHS: From the north end at US 151 through Fairfield
    Commercial and Industrial Network: From I-80 to US 218 in Iowa City
    Multiplexes:
  • ¾ mile with US 6 in Iowa City
  • 3 miles with IA 92 north of Washington
  • 7½ miles with IA 78 west of Brighton
  • 2½ miles with IA 16 in northern Van Buren County
    		•
    History
    Designated: October 16, 1926, along a segment of IA 11 between US 32 (now US 6) in Iowa City and IA 3 (now IA 2)
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation.
  • 1926: Paved from Fairfield to the Jefferson/Van Buren county line by the end of the year.
  • 1928: Paved from the junction with IA 77 in northern Jefferson County to Fairfield and from Keosauqua to the south end
  • 1939: Paved for a short distance north of Washington and through Brighton
  • 1940: Paved from the Jefferson/Van Buren county line to Keosauqua
  • 1951: Paved from Iowa City to Kalona
  • 1952: Paved from Washington to Brighton
  • 1955: Paved from West Branch to IA 38 (the segment from Iowa City to West Branch had a bituminous surface when it was turned over, while the new segment north of Iowa City was entirely paved.)
  • 1956: Paved from Kalona to Washington (on a new alignment, creating the duplex with IA 92 at the same time IA 92 west of Washington was realigned).
  • 1966: Segment from IA 78 east of Richland to Brighton upgraded from bituminous to paved
  • 1969: Last segment, from IA 78 to the junction with Jefferson County Road H17, upgraded from bituminous to paved
    • Major alignment changes:
  • March 1930 (approved November 20, 1929): Extended eastward from Iowa City to IA 38 in Cedar County (through West Branch) along the former IA 139 (I).
  • 1941: Realigned between Brighton and a point in north-central Jefferson County; the old alignment followed present-day County Roads H17 and W21.
  • 1950: Realigned (before paving) on a new road in southwestern Johnson County, between Iowa City and Kalona; the old route followed what are now County Roads F67 and W62.
  • December 6, 1962: Realigned along the former IA 261 from Iowa City northward to US 151; old segment east of there was originally designated as IA 979 but was eventually decommissioned and is now signed as County Road F44.
  • For alignment changes in Iowa City that are not listed here, see the Highways of Iowa City page.
    		•
    Notes
    IA 1 was supposed to become the first highway to be reconstructed into a "Super-2," which in Iowa are two-lane roads with wider lanes and shoulders, fewer intersections, and more turn lanes, but plans to reconstruct the 18 miles between US 30 and I-80 and the 29 miles between Washington and US 218 were removed from the five-year plan in late 2001 as a result of funding shortages.
    Iowa 2 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: February 1, 1939
    Original western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) at Council Bluffs; it was truncated at Oskaloosa on October 16, 1926; replaced IA 24 (I) between US 71 near Lyman and Oskaloosa on August 9, 1927; and was extended to US 32 (later 6) near Lewis on December 1, 1928.
    Original eastern terminus: Illinois state line (Mississippi River) at Davenport; it was truncated at Grandview on October 16, 1926, and extended along US 61 to Muscatine on January 7, 1931.
    Counties: Pottawattamie (1920-1926), Shelby (1922-1923), Cass, Audubon (1922-1923), Adair, Guthrie (1920-1926), Madison (1927-1939), Dallas (1920-1926), Warren (1927-1939), Polk (1920-1926), Jasper (1920-1926), Marion, Mahaska, Keokuk, Washington, Louisa, Muscatine (1920-1926, 1931-1939), Scott (1920-1926)
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the only paved segments were in Atlantic, which dated back from around 1915, and from Columbus Junction to Fredonia, which dated back from 1914 and ran closer to the railroad tracks; the latter was superseded by a new segment along IA 92's current route in 1937.
  • 1921: Paved from the Dallas/Polk county line to Des Moines
  • 1925: Paved from Des Moines to the Polk/Jasper county line and from the Muscatine/Scott county line west of Blue Grass to Davenport
  • 1926: Paved from a point east of Oskaloosa (near Lake Keomah State Park) to the South Skunk River crossing
  • 1927: Short segment west of Oskaloosa paved
  • 1928: Paved from Sigourney to Washington
  • 1929: Paved from Fontanelle to the Grand River crossing in Adair County and from Washington to Cotter
  • 1930: Paved from Martensdale to Indianola, from Pleasantville to Knoxville, and from Oskaloosa to Sigourney
  • 1931: Paved from Winterset to the Madison/Warren county line and from the Marion/Mahaska county line to a point west of Oskaloosa. The extension from Grandview to Muscatine was entirely paved.
  • 1932: Paved from the Madison/Warren county line to Martensdale, from Indianola to a point west of Ackworth, from the Warren/Marion county line to the junction with IA 181 (on a new alignment away from Pleasantville), and from Knoxville to the Marion/Mahaska county line (on a new alignment away from Tracy).
  • 1933: Paved from a point west of Ackworth to the Warren/Marion county line
  • 1936: Paved from Cotter to Columbus Junction
  • 1938: Paved from Fredonia to the US 61 split near Grandview. The segment between US 6 at Lewis and Fontanelle had a bituminous surface at decommissioning.
    • Major alignment changes:
  • August 22, 1922: Straightened from a point southwest of Harper to a point west of West Chester, moving the road away from Harper and Keota. IA 77 was truncated as a result but re-extended to Keota in 1924, while IA 159 was later created to serve Harper.
  • September 25, 1922: IA 2 and IA 7 (I) switched routes between Des Moines and Council Bluffs so that IA 2 went through Avoca, Harlan, and Guthrie Center at the request of the Whiteway-7 Highway Association. On May 7, 1923, the original alignments for both routes were restored.
  • 1930: Straightened between US 71 and a point southeast of Cumberland, creating to serve Cumberland.
    • Replaced by:
  • US 32 (between Council Bluffs and Des Moines in 1926)
  • US 63 (between Des Moines and Oskaloosa in 1926)
  • US 61 (between Grandview and Muscatine in 1926)
  • IA 22 (between Muscatine and Davenport in 1926)
  • IA 92 (at decommissioning)
    • The original IA 2 was assigned to the Great White Way between Council Bluffs and Davenport via Atlantic, Des Moines, Pella, Oskaloosa, Washington, and Muscatine. It was originally known as the White Pole Road, named for its white-painted poles, in 1910 and was renamed the Great White Way when it became Iowa's first registered auto trail on July 20, 1914. In recent years the White Pole Road Development Corporation has promoted the former IA 925 as the White Pole Road, complete with utility poles that have been painted white, and it will be signed as a state scenic byway between Adair and Dexter in 2018. The association has a more comprehensive history of the White Pole Road here.
    For maps of estimated street alignments in Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Muscatine, and Davenport, please see their respective highway chronology pages.
    Iowa 2
    Length: 251 miles/404 kilometers
    Western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) near Nebraska City, NE; continuation of NE 2
    Eastern terminus: West city limits of Fort Madison, about ¼-mile east of US 61
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, Appanoose, Davis, Van Buren, Lee
    Cities along route: Shenandoah, Clarinda, New Market, Bedford, Benton, Mount Ayr, Kellerton, Decatur City, Leon, Corydon, Promise City, Centerville, Bloomfield, Pulaski, Milton, Cantril, Farmington, Donnellson

    NHS: From the Nebraska state line to I-29, from US 59 in Shenandoah to the split with US 71 in Clarinda, from Centerville to the split with US 63 in Bloomfield, and from US 218/IA 27 in Donnellson to the east end in Fort Madison
    Commercial and Industrial Network: From the Nebraska state line to I-29, and the multiplexes with US 71 and US 63
    Expressway segment: 3 miles, between the Nebraska state line and I-29; the segment continues for another 51 miles in Nebraska, ending at US 77 in Lincoln.
    Exit lists: From US 77 in Lincoln, NE, to I-29
    Multiplexes:
  • 5 miles with US 275 east and south of Sidney
  • 2 miles with US 71 east of Clarinda
  • ¼ mile with IA 148 in Bedford
  • 2½ miles with US 169 west of Mount Ayr
  • ¾ mile with US 69 in Leon
  • 5 miles with US 63 west of Bloomfield
    		•
    History
    Designated: November 3, 1941, along the former IA 3 (I) through southern Iowa
    Paving history: At the time of designation, IA 2 was paved from the Nebraska state line to Mount Ayr, from a point west of Kellerton to the Ringgold/Decatur county line, and from Leon to Fort Madison.
  • 1941: Paved from Decatur City to Leon
  • 1942: Paved from Mount Ayr to a point west of Kellerton and from a county road (now R18) south of Grand River to Decatur City
  • 1946: Last segment, from the Ringgold/Decatur county line to the county road, paved
    Major alignment changes:
  • September 4, 1972: Two-lane bypass to the south of Clarinda opened west of US 71
  • September 18, 1973: Remainder of Clarinda bypass opened (with US 71); part of the old alignment became Business IA 2.
  • December 4, 1975: Realigned between a point east of Sidney and Shenandoah; the old route west of US 59 became County Roads L68 and J32.
  • October 14, 1976: Realigned to the south of Bloomfield; the old route, named "Old Highway 2" is now County Road J40.
  • December 24, 1976: New route east of US 63 in Bloomfield opened; the old route east of Bloomfield is now 215th Street (County Road J40) and Nuthatch Avenue.
  • May 18, 1979: Relocated to the north of Bedford, truncating IA 49 in the process; it previously followed Madison Street (IA 148) and Pearl Street in Bedford, and 265th Street outside the city limits.
  • September 2006: 2-lane bypass to the east of Sidney opens (with US 275)
  • December 4, 2013: Segment inside Fort Madison was turned over to the city. IA 2 previously connected with IL 9 via a toll bridge across the Mississippi, even though the end sign was posted just before the bridge. The segment through Fort Madison was co-signed with US 61 before the bypass opened and remains signed as part of Business US 61.
    • Upgrades:
  • November 1986: Expressway segment from I-29 westward into Nebraska opened as part of a plan in Nebraska to connect their state capital, Lincoln, with a four-lane highway to I-29.
    		•
    Business IA 2
  • Clarinda: This follows the pre-1973 alignment of IA 2 — State Street, Glenn Miller Avenue, and Washington Street — between the IA 2 bypass and US 71. (Terminus photos)
    		•
    Iowa 3 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: November 3, 1941
    Original western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) near Nebraska City, NE
    Original eastern terminus: Illinois state line (Mississippi River) at Burlington; it was truncated at Fort Madison on November 3, 1924, eliminating a redundant multiplex with IA 20 (I). On January 6, 1925, it was truncated to the west junction with IA 20, now US 61, west of Fort Madison but was re-extended to the state line by 1936.
    Counties: Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, Appanoose, Davis, Van Buren, Lee, Des Moines (1920-1924)
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation.
  • 1926: Paved from IA 138 south of Mystic to Centerville
  • 1928: Paved through Page County and from Bloomfield to IA 1 south of Keosauqua
  • 1929: Paved from Sidney to the Fremont/Page county line at Shenandoah, from the Decatur/Wayne county line to IA 138, and from West Grove to Bloomfield.
  • 1930: Paved through Taylor County, from Centerville to IA 142 north of Moulton, and from IA 1 to Donnellson
  • 1931: Paved from the Nebraska state line to Sidney and from IA 142 to West Grove
  • 1932: Paved from Donnellson to Fort Madison
  • 1939: Paved from Benton to Mount Ayr and from a point west of Kellerton to the Ringgold/Decatur county line
  • 1940: Paved from the Taylor/Ringgold county line to Benton. The segments from Mount Ayr to a point west of Kellerton and from the Ringgold/Decatur county line to Leon were gravel at the time of decommissioning.
    • Major alignment change: In 1930 it was realigned between the Missouri River and Sidney, creating a duplication with IA 4 (now US 275); part of the old road followed present-day County Road J34. In addition, the bridge to Nebraska City, NE, was dedicated on October 17, 1930.
    Replaced by: IA 2 (at decommissioning)
    For a map of its street alignment in Burlington in 1922, see Jeff Morrison's Burlington Highway Chronology page.
    Iowa 3
    Length: 322 miles/518 kilometers
    Western terminus: South Dakota state line (Big Sioux River) near Westfield; continuation of SD 50
    Eastern terminus: The Southwest Arterial in Sageville
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Humboldt, Wright, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Fayette, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque
    Cities along route: Akron, Le Mars, Remsen, Marcus, Cleghorn, Meriden, Cherokee, Pocahontas, Gilmore City, Humboldt, Dakota City, Goldfield, Clarion, Latimer, Hampton, Dumont, Allison, Shell Rock, Waverly, Oelwein, Strawberry Point, Edgewood, Colesburg, Luxemburg, Holy Cross, Rickardsville, Durango, Sageville

    NHS: From US 75 in Le Mars to the east end
    Multiplexes:
  • 5 miles with IA 12 south of Akron
  • 3 miles with IA 17 west of Goldfield
  • 2 miles with US 69 in eastern Wright County
  • 1 mile with IA 14 through Allison
  • 2½ miles with IA 150 north of Oelwein
  • 6 miles with IA 13, east and south of Strawberry Point
    		•
    History
    Designated: June 22, 1945 (number approved May 15), along segments of IA 5 (I) (Akron to a point east of Cherokee, co-signed until 1962), IA 221 (II) (a point east of Cherokee to Pocahontas), and IA 10 (Pocahontas to Dubuque).
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the segments from Le Mars to IA 5 (now 7) east of Cherokee, from Pocahontas to a point near the IA 38 junction, and from Colesburg to Dubuque were paved.
  • 1948: Paved from a point west of IA 38 to Colesburg
  • 1951: Paved from US 71 to IA 197 south of Albert City in Buena Vista County
  • 1954: Paved from IA 29 in Plymouth County to Le Mars (on a new alignment between IA 29 and a point south of Brunsville)
  • 1956: Paved from IA 197 to Pocahontas
  • 1958: Paved from IA 5 in Cherokee County to US 71 in Buena Vista County
  • 1963: Segment from the South Dakota state line to Akron upgraded from a bituminous surface to a paved surface
  • 1967: Last segment, from Akron to IA 7 (formerly IA 29), upgraded from bituminous to paved
    • Major alignment changes:
  • July 5, 1949: Extended from Akron westward to the South Dakota state line, sharing part of IA 12 along the way
  • September 21, 1956: Straightened through Humboldt County, bypassing Humboldt and Dakota City on a new road one mile to the north of its old alignment. This created the longest straight stretch of any state highway in Iowa — 67 miles from western Pocahontas County to US 69 in Wright County.
  • November 1961: Realigned to the north of Cherokee along a new diagonal road; the old route into the city was maintained as unsigned IA 977 until July 1, 2003.
  • November 18, 1967: Realigned from IA 188 south of Clarksville to Shell Rock; the old alignment followed several county roads south of the present alignment
  • Early 2021: Truncated at the intersection with the Northwest Arterial in Sageville after the August 18, 2020, opening of the Southwest Arterial, in a jurisdictional transfer with the city of Dubuque that was approved in 2013; it previously followed Central Avenue and 9th Street, with westbound traffic following 11th, White, and 21st Streets, to the interchange with US 61/151. This truncation also removed a 26-mile overlap with US 52, which was rerouted onto IA 136, US 20, and the Southwest Arterial. (The city streets that US 52 and IA 3 followed in Dubuque before the truncation remain part of the NHS as non-primary roads.)
  • For alignment changes in Dubuque that are not listed here, see Jeff Morrison's Dubuque Highway Chronology page.
    		•
    Notes
  • IA 3 is the second-longest numbered road in Iowa (behind US 30) by only nine miles.
  • IA 3 has also been known as the American Veterans Memorial Highway since June 25, 1994. Signs are posted intermittently along the route.
  • Judging by some maps, you may think that IA 3 enters South Dakota after Akron and becomes SD 48 there, but it doesn't — IA 3 joins with IA 12 in Akron before splitting just north of Westfield. IA 3 becomes SD 50, while a local road that was IA 403 before July 1, 2003, becomes SD 48.
  • A bypass of Akron, which would have gone due west from the point where IA 3 makes its northwesterly turn to the existing IA 3/12 south of Akron, was scheduled for paving in 2009 but was canceled after a biofuels plant that was supposed to be built in Akron was not built.
    		•
    Iowa 4 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: January 1, 1969
    Original northern terminus: Minnesota state line northeast of Spirit Lake; the number continued into Minnesota. It was truncated at Early on October 16, 1926; extended to Storm Lake along a new alignment on January 8, 1931; truncated at US 71 on November 7, 1934 (sharing part of IA 35 east of Odebolt and sharing US 71 to the junction with US 20 near Early) and truncated at the relocated US 71 in Sac County on April 4, 1935. It may have been truncated at Odebolt sometime after 1957 to eliminate the redundant multiplex with IA 175 (originally IA 35 (I)).
    Original southern terminus: Hamburg. An extension to the Missouri state line to connect with MO 1 was approved on July 9, 1928. It was moved to IA 48 at Shenandoah in November 1931 (approved October 27) and it replaced a segment of that highway to the Missouri border on November 25, 1931. It was truncated at Denison on June 25, 1934.
    Counties: Dickinson (1920-1926), Clay (1920-1926), Buena Vista (1920-1926, 1931-1934), Sac, Crawford, Shelby (1920-1934), Pottawattamie (1920-1934), Mills (1920-1934), Fremont (1920-1934), Page (1931-1934)
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation.
  • 1921: Paved from Milford to the Dickinson/Clay county line; there were no paved segments after truncation in 1926.
  • 1928: Paved from Tabor to the Missouri state line
  • 1929: Paved from Harlan to Avoca and from Hastings to Tabor
  • 1931: Paved from Denison to Harlan (after truncation in 1934, IA 4 was entirely gravel)
  • 1934: Paved from a point south of Deloit to Denison (this was the only paved segment after truncation in 1940)
  • 1938: Paved from US 71 to the IA 35 (now 175) split at Odebolt
  • 1951: Last segment, from Odebolt to a point south of Deloit, paved (on a new alignment along the former County Road L from Odebolt to the southwest corner of Sac County)
    • Major alignment changes: IA 4 was rerouted between Macedonia and Hastings in July 1930, creating IA 177 (I) to serve Carson.
    Replaced by:
  • US 71 (north of Early in 1926)
  • US 275 (between US 34 and Hamburg in November 1931)
  • US 34 (duplicated segment in November 1931)
  • IA 73 (II), later US 59 (south of Denison in June 1934)
  • IA 110 (between Storm Lake and Schaller in November 1934)
  • County road, now numbered M43 (between US 20 and Odebolt in November 1934)
  • IA 39 (at decommissioning)
    		•
    Iowa 4
    Length: 146 miles/235 kilometers
    Northern terminus: Minnesota state line north of Estherville; continuation of MN 4
    Southern terminus: IA 44 in Panora
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Emmet, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Calhoun, Greene, Guthrie
    Cities along route: Estherville, Wallingford, Graettinger, Mallard, Pocahontas, Pomeroy, Rockwell City, Lohrville, Churdan, Jefferson, Panora

    NHS: The segment through Estherville, the multiplexed segment with US 18 through Emmetsburg, and from US 30 in Jefferson to the southern split with IA 141
    Multiplexes:
  • 5 miles with US 18 west of Emmetsburg
  • 3 miles with IA 7, in southern Pocahontas and northern Calhoun counties through Pomeroy
  • 9 miles with IA 175, in Calhoun County through Lohrville
  • ½ mile with IA 141 in northeast Guthrie County
    		•
    History
    Designated: January 1, 1969, replacing IA 17 (I).
    Paving history: The entire road was paved at the time of designation.
    Iowa 5 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: January 1, 1969
    Original western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) at Sioux City; it was truncated at Le Mars on October 16, 1926, and extended westward to Akron on February 4, 1929, replacing IA 27 (I). In 1962 it was truncated west of the IA 3 junction north of Aurelia; it had shared a 60-mile segment of IA 3 between Akron and this junction upon IA 3's designation in 1945.
    Original eastern terminus: Illinois state line (Mississippi River) at Dubuque (the number continued into Illinois); it was truncated at Fort Dodge on October 16, 1926.
    Counties: Woodbury (1920-1926), Plymouth (1920-1962), Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton (1920-1926), Hardin (1920-1926), Franklin (1920-1926), Butler (1920-1926), Grundy (1920-1926), Black Hawk (1920-1926), Buchanan (1920-1926), Delaware (1920-1926), Dubuque (1920-1926)
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the segment from Cedar Falls to Waterloo, which opened June 10, 1920, was the only paved segment.
  • 1922: Paved from Sioux City to the Woodbury/Plymouth county line, from Waterloo to a point south of Dunkerton (where IA 281 turns to the north today), and from Jesup to Winthrop (except for a short segment west of Winthrop that was not paved until 1929, after US 20 was designated)
  • 1923: Paved from the Grundy/Black Hawk county line to Cedar Falls and from a point south of Dunkerton to Jesup.
  • 1926: Paved from Le Mars to the Plymouth/Woodbury county line. There were no paved segments after the truncations in 1926.
  • 1928: Paved from Le Mars to the Plymouth/Cherokee county line
  • 1931: Paved from the Calhoun/Webster county line to Fort Dodge
  • 1936: Paved from Aurelia to Alta (on a new diagonal alignment that was approved April 27)
  • 1937: Paved from the Plymouth/Cherokee county line to Aurelia, from Alta to Storm Lake, and from a point east of Fonda to the Calhoun/Webster county line (on a new alignmment south and east of Pomeroy)
  • 1938: Paved from Storm Lake to a point east of Fonda (on a new alignment, creating IA 360 to serve Newell)
  • 1954: Paved from IA 29 (later IA 7) in Plymouth County to Le Mars (on a new alignment between IA 29 and a point south of Brunsville). The last unpaved segment, from Akron to IA 7, was dropped from IA 5 after truncation in 1962.
    • Major alignment changes: In 1931 it was realigned along a new gravel road between a point south of Marcus and Cherokee to serve Cleghorn and Meriden (two towns that were previously served by IA 145 (I) and IA 33 (I) respectively).
    Replaced by:
  • US 75 (between Sioux City and Le Mars in 1926; this segment had overlapped with IA 22 (I) before 1924)
  • US 20 (between Fort Dodge and Dubuque in 1926 except for the segment between Cedar Falls and Waterloo — see note below)
  • US 218 (between Cedar Falls and Waterloo in 1926)
  • County roads, now numbered L36 and C38 (after the IA 143-Cherokee alignment change in 1931)
  • IA 3 (duplicated segment in 1962)
  • IA 7 (east of IA 3 at decommissioning)
    • Note: State highway maps prior to 1926 showed that IA 5 and IA 40 (I) had run on different alignments between Cedar Falls and Waterloo than US 20 and 218 did, with IA 5 running south of the Cedar River. However, the Highway Commission's Service Bulletin for the fall of 1925 noted that US 20 would replace the entire route of IA 5 east of Fort Dodge, but US 20 was routed north of the Cedar River instead. Waterloo's request to have US 20 run south of the Cedar was denied at a Highway Commission meeting on December 14, 1926.
    For alignment changes in Sioux City, Fort Dodge, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, and Dubuque that are not listed here, please see their respective highway chronology pages.
    Iowa 5
    Length: 105 miles/169 kilometers
    Northern terminus: I-35 (exit 68) south of West Des Moines
    Southern terminus: Missouri state line south of Cincinnati; continues as MO 5
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Polk, Warren, Marion, Monroe, Appanoose
    Cities along route: West Des Moines, Des Moines, Carlisle, Hartford, Pleasantville, Knoxville, Hamilton, Lovilia, Albia, Moravia, Centerville, Cincinnati

    NHS: From I-35 through Centerville
    Commercial and Industrial Network: From I-35 to the eastern split with US 65 in the Des Moines area
    Freeway segments:
  • 14 miles, between I-35 and the split with US 65 near Carlisle (partially with US 65)
  • 4 miles to the south of Knoxville (with IA 92)
    • Expressway segments:
  • 27 miles, from the split with US 65 near Carlisle to the end of the freeway segment west of Knoxville (about 7 miles of this are with IA 92)

    • Exit lists:
  • Freeway segment south of Des Moines
  • Knoxville bypass
    • Multiplexes:
  • 2½ miles with US 65, between US 69 and the Carlisle exit
  • 11 miles with IA 92, from the former IA 181 junction south of Pleasantville to the east end of the freeway segment near Knoxville
    		•
    History
    Designated: January 1, 1969, replacing IA 60 (I) southeast of Des Moines
    Paving history: The entire road was paved at the time of designation.
    Upgrades:
  • November 1978: Freeway segment around Knoxville (with IA 92) completed
  • 1999: Expressway segment between US 65 and County Road S23 northwest of Hartford opened
  • October 13, 2000: 6½-mile expressway segment from east of the IA 92/181 junction to the end of the existing Knoxville bypass opened.
  • January 12, 2001: 7-mile freeway segment between IA 28 and US 65/69 opened
  • August 2001: 1-mile freeway segment between I-35 and SW 96th Court opened to traffic to and from southbound I-35. The new interchange between I-35 and IA 5 was completed in September 2002, opening this segment to all traffic.
  • October 10, 2002: 3-mile freeway segment between SW 96th Court and IA 28 opened to complete the bypass of the Des Moines metro area. The old segment was unsigned IA 331 until 2005.
  • December 13, 2002: 10-mile expressway segment between County Road S23 and a point north of Pleasantville opened; old segments near Hartford and Pleasantville carried the IA 368 designation until the end of 2004.
  • September 2003: 4-mile bypass of Pleasantville opens, extending the expressway segment southward to the junction with IA 92 and County Road S45 (former IA 181). The one-mile segment between this and the four-lane segment that extends westward from Knoxville opened to traffic on October 10, 2003.
    		•
    Notes
    The Great Renumbering of 1969 created a Highway 5 that runs through Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas.
    Business IA 5
  • Pleasantville: Designated after the IA 5 bypass opened in September 2003, it is mostly noted by street signs, but two Business IA 5 shields (one in each direction) are present on the route. There are no shields along IA 5 itself.
    		•
    Iowa 6 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
    Original western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) at Council Bluffs
    Original eastern terminus: Illinois state line (Mississippi River) at Clinton; the number continued into Illinois.
    Counties: Pottawattamie, Harrison, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama, Benton, Linn, Cedar, Clinton
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the only paved segment was the "Seedling Mile," a 1-mile segment northwest of Mount Vernon that was paved in 1919 as the first paved mile of the Lincoln Highway.
  • 1920: Segment through Cedar Rapids (ending at Lincoln Heights Drive) paved
  • 1921: Paved through Jefferson and Marshalltown, from Belle Plaine to a point northeast of there, and from Cedar Rapids to the "Seedling Mile," in Linn County
  • 1922: Paved from the Cedar/Clinton county line to a point west of Calamus, and from the east edge of Calamus to Clinton
  • 1923: Remaining segment through Greene County and the gap through Calamus were paved
  • 1924: Paved west of Marshalltown, between Highland Acres Road and Linn Creek
  • 1925: Remaining segments in Marshall (excluding the Chicago & Northwestern railroad crossing at Linn Creek) and Linn counties paved, as was the segment through Mechanicsville. The rest of the road was unpaved at the time of decommissioning.
    • Major alignment changes: In 1924, it was straightened between Woodbine and Dunlap, with the new segment following the railroad tracks. This segment would be paved after decommissioning.
    Replaced by: US 30. This number was assigned to the Lincoln Highway.
    For a map of estimated street alignments in Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids, and Clinton, please see their respective highway chronology pages.
    Iowa 6 (II)
    Designated: October 16, 1926
    Decommissioned: December 1, 1931
    Original northern terminus: US 63 in Des Moines
    Original southern terminus: Missouri state line south of Cincinnati
    Counties: Polk, Warren, Marion, Monroe, Appanoose
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the only paved segment was from Des Moines to the Polk/Warren county line near Carlisle.
  • 1926: Paved from the Chariton River crossing to Centerville by the end of the year.
  • 1927: Paved from Centerville to a point east of Numa
  • 1930: Paved from the Polk/Warren county line to IA 156 west of Bussey (on a new alignment between Carlisle and Pleasantville that was graded in 1928) and from Lovilia to the Chariton River crossing
  • 1931: Paved from IA 156 to Lovilia. The only unpaved segment at decommissioning was from Numa to the Missouri state line.
    • Replaced by: IA 60 (I) upon the designation of US 6. It was originally part of IA 17 (I).
    For its street alignment in Des Moines, see the Highways of Des Moines page.
    Iowa 7 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: July 22, 1939
    Original western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) at Council Bluffs; it was truncated at US 34 in Council Bluffs on October 16, 1926
    Original eastern terminus: Illinois state line (Mississippi River) at Davenport (the number continued into Illinois); it was truncated at Des Moines on October 16, 1926.
    Counties: Pottawattamie, Shelby (1920-1922, 1923-1939), Cass (1922-1923), Audubon (1920-1922, 1923-1939), Adair (1922-1923), Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper (1920-1926), Poweshiek (1920-1926), Iowa (1920-1926), Johnson (1920-1926), Muscatine (1920-1926), Cedar (1920-1926), Scott (1920-1926)
    Paving history: At the time of designation, the only paved segment was from the junction at IA 89 at Johnston Station (now Johnston) to Des Moines.
  • 1921: Paved from Coralville to Iowa City
  • 1923: Paved from Walcott to Davenport
  • 1924: Paved from Des Moines to the Polk/Jasper county line near Mitchellville (on a new alignment between Des Moines and Altoona, leaving via Hubbell Avenue instead of Easton Boulevard)
  • 1925: Paved from the Dallas/Polk county line near Grimes to IA 89. The segment from the county line to Des Moines was the only paved segment after its truncation in 1926.
  • 1929: Paved from Council Bluffs to Neola and from Avoca to Harlan (with IA 4)
  • 1930: Paved from a point east of Minden to Avoca, from Harlan to the Shelby/Audubon county line, from Hamlin (at US 71) to the Audubon/Guthrie county line, from Guthrie Center to the Guthrie/Dallas county line, and from US 169 west of Dallas Center to the Dallas/Polk county line
  • 1931: Paved from Neola to a point east of Minden, from the Shelby/Audubon county line to Hamlin, and from the Audubon/Guthrie county line to Guthrie Center
  • 1932: Last segment, from the Guthrie/Dallas county line to US 169, paved
    • Major alignment changes:
  • 1921: Realigned between Altoona and Mitchellville. Its original route followed what is now NE 72nd Street, NE 70th Avenue, and NE 112th Street between Altoona and Mitchellville; after relocation, it was moved onto NE 46th Avenue and NE 116th Street, a segment which was paved in 1924.
  • September 25, 1922: IA 7 and IA 2 (I) switched routes between Des Moines and Council Bluffs so that IA 7 went through Atlantic and Adel at the request of the Whiteway-7 Highway Association. On May 7, 1923, the original alignments for both routes were restored despite opposition by the Association. A new "River to River Primary Number 7 Highway Association" wanted to put IA 7 back on its 1922-1923 alignment in late 1925 but the Commission declined; however, the entire 1922-1923 alignment became US 32 in 1926.
  • 1925: Straightened between Brooklyn and Victor
    • For alignment changes in Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Davenport, and Iowa City that are not listed here, please see their respective highway chronology pages.
    Replaced by:
  • US 32 (east of Des Moines in 1932)
  • IA 64 (at decommissioning)
    • IA 7 was originally assigned to the River-to-River Road, which ran from Council Bluffs to Davenport via Harlan, Des Moines, Newton, Grinnell, and Iowa City.
    Iowa 7 (II)
    Designated: 1955
    Decommissioned: 1957
    Original northern terminus: Oakville
    Original southern terminus: IA 99
    Counties: Louisa
    Paving history: The entire road was paved at the time of designation.
    Replaced by: IA 407; it was created following a paving-related realignment of IA 99.
    Iowa 7 (III)
    Designated: November 1957
    Decommissioned: January 1, 1969
    Original northern terminus: IA 3/5 between Akron and Le Mars
    Original southern terminus: US 77, and later I-29, in Sioux City
    Counties: Woodbury
    Paving history: The segment outside of Sioux City had a bituminous surface and was not paved until 1971, after it was decommissioned.
    Replaced by: County Road K22 and city streets in Sioux City; at decommissioning it followed Perry Creek Road (now part of Hamilton Boulevard), Dearborn Boulevard, Hamilton Boulevard, West 7th Street, and Wesley Way. The segment through Sioux City was maintained by the state as unsigned IA 985 until November 7, 1973.
    This version of IA 7 replaced IA 29 because of the numbering conflict with I-29.
    For a map of its street alignment through Sioux City, see Jeff Morrison's Sioux City Highway Chronology page.
    Iowa 7
    Length: 74 miles/119 kilometers
    Western terminus: IA 3 near Aurelia
    Eastern terminus: US 169 on the outskirts of Fort Dodge
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Calhoun, Webster
    Cities along route: Aurelia, Alta, Storm Lake, Newell, Fonda, Pomeroy, Manson

    NHS: The segments through Storm Lake (including the multiplex with US 71), and between Lizard Creek and US 169 west of Fort Dodge
    Multiplexes:
  • 2 miles with US 71 southeast of Storm Lake
  • 3 miles with IA 4, in southern Pocahontas and northern Calhoun counties through Pomeroy
    		•
    History
    Designated: January 1, 1969, along part of former IA 5 (I)
    Paving history: The entire road was paved at the time of designation.
    Major alignment changes:
  • December 7, 1990: Truncated at US 169; segment between US 169 and US 20 in Fort Dodge became part of Business US 169 (officially IA 926 until 2014) after the US 20 expressway south of Fort Dodge opened.
  • For maps of its street alignments in Fort Dodge, see Jeff Morrison's Fort Dodge Highway Chronology page.
    		•
    Iowa 8 (I)
    Designated: July 1, 1920
    Decommissioned: October 16, 1926
    Original western terminus: Nebraska state line (Missouri River) at Council Bluffs
    Original eastern terminus: Illinois state line (Mississippi River) at Burlington; the number continued into Illinois.
    Counties: Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Adams, Union, Clarke, Lucas, Monroe, Wapello, Jefferson, Henry, Des Moines
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation. The only paved segments at decommissioning were a short segment to the southeast of Council Bluffs and a segment from Middletown through Burlington, both of which were paved in 1921.
    Major alignment changes:
  • November 5, 1923: Rerouted between Woodburn and Lucas, ultimately creating IA 104 (II) to Woodburn.
  • September 7, 1926: Reroute approved from a point near Thayer to a point south of Murray that created IA 152 (I)
    • Replaced by: US 34. This number was assigned to the Blue Grass Route through southern Iowa via Red Oak, Creston, Ottumwa, Fairfield, and Mount Pleasant.
    For maps of estimated street alignments in Council Bluffs, Ottumwa, and Burlington, please see their respective highway chronology pages.
    Iowa 8
    Length: 14 miles/23 kilometers
    Western terminus: US 63 in Traer
    Eastern terminus: US 218 in northwest Benton County
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Tama, Benton
    Cities along route: Traer, Dysart

    Multiplexes:
  • 2½ miles with IA 21 west of Dysart
    		•
    History
    Designated: October 16, 1926, from part of IA 58.
    Paving history: The road was unpaved at designation and had a bituminous surface from 1941 until the segment in Tama County was paved in 1966. The segment in Benton County was paved in 1970.
    Iowa 9
    Length: 296 miles/476 kilometers
    Western terminus: South Dakota state line near Sioux Falls, SD; continuation of SD 42
    Eastern terminus: Wisconsin state line (Mississippi River) at Lansing; continues as WI 82
    Terminus photos

    Counties: Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth, Mitchell, Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee
    Cities along route: Larchwood, Lester, Rock Rapids, Ocheyedan, Lake Park, Spirit Lake, Superior, Estherville, Armstrong, Swea City, Buffalo Center, Thompson, Leland, Forest City, Hanlontown, Manly, Osage, Riceville, Cresco, Ridgeway, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing

    NHS: From a point west of IA 86 to the eastern split with US 169, and from US 63 through Decorah
    Multiplexes:
  • 1 mile with US 75 through Rock Rapids
  • 7 miles with US 71 east of Spirit Lake
  • 600 feet (2 city blocks) with IA 15 in Armstrong
  • 6 miles with US 169 in northern Kossuth County
  • 7 miles with US 69 north of Forest City
  • 4 miles with US 218 east of Osage
  • 2 miles with IA 76 south of Waukon
    		•
    History
    Designated: July 1, 1920, from the South Dakota state line to Lansing. Most of this route followed the old Imperial Highway (which had also incorporated the former IA 105 between Lake Mills and St. Ansgar).
    Paving history: There were no paved segments at designation.
  • 1929: Paved from IA 59 (now US 63) in Howard County to Cresco
  • 1930: Paved from a point west of Spirit Lake (at the eventual junction with IA 32 (II), now IA 86) to Spirit Lake, from Swea City to a point northeast of Lakota, and from Cresco to Decorah
  • 1931: Paved from a point north of Ocheyedan to the Osceola/Dickinson county line, from the Dickinson/Emmet county line to Swea City, from the Kossuth/Winnebago county line to a point east of Thompson, and from Waukon to the Wisconsin state line. The segment in Osceola County was part of a straightening of IA 9 between IA 21 (now US 59) and Spirit Lake that happened in November 1930. The old alignment followed current county roads A22 and L58 between Sibley and Ocheyedan, and County Road A18 between Lake Park and Harris. The alignment change created IA 219 to serve Lake Park, IA 237 to serve Ocheyedan, and IA 238 to serve Harris. Also, the paving of IA 9 north of Waukon routed it away from present-day Green Valley Road and Iron Mine Drive.
  • 1932: Paved from IA 21 north of Allendorf to IA 237 near Ocheyedan, from a point northeast of Lakota to the Kossuth/Winnebago county line, from a point east of Thompson to a point east of Forest City (on a new alignment, lengthening the multiplex with IA 15, now US 69, north of Forest City), and from Decorah to Waukon
  • 1933: Paved from a point north of the Little Cedar River crossing in Mitchell County to Riceville. The paved segment from Sibley to IA 21, which was paved as part of IA 33, was added by the end of the year.
  • 1935: Paved from Osage to a point near the Little Cedar River crossing
  • 1936: Paved from the Lyon/Osceola county line to Sibley, from the Osceola/Dickinson county line to IA 32 west of Spirit Lake, and from Saratoga to US 63
  • 1937: Paved from Rock Rapids to IA 178 south of Little Rock and from Manly to a point east of the Shell Rock River crossing
  • 1938: Paved from Lester to Rock Rapids
  • 1939: Paved from Spirit Lake to the Dickinson/Emmet county line, from a point east of Hanlontown to Manly, and from Mitchell County Road S (now T26) to Osage.
  • 1940: Paved from Fertile to a point east of Hanlontown (on a new alignment to the north of Hanlontown)
  • 1941: Paved from Larchwood to Lester and from a point east of the Shell Rock River crossing to Mitchell County Road S
  • 1946: Paved from the South Dakota state line to Larchwood (on a new alignment that opened in September)
  • 1947: Paved from a point east of Forest City to Fertile
  • 1950: Last segment, from IA 178 south of Little Rock to Sibley, paved (on a new alignment following the former County Road I; the old route followed current county roads L26 and A22 plus IA 60, which was still IA 33 at the time).
    • Major alignment changes:
  • June 17, 1931: Extended into Wisconsin, across the newly-completed Black Hawk Bridge, to connect with WI 82.
  • October 25, 1932: Segment from Sibley to the junction with IA 21 north of Allendorf was replaced by IA 33 (II); IA 9 was realigned to follow what is now County Road A22. On December 19, 1933, IA 9 was put back on its previous alignment.
  • March 18, 1945: Truncated east of Lansing after the Black Hawk Bridge closed because of ice jams at one of the approach bridges; the bridge reopened May 31, 1957, and is scheduled for replacement in 2024.
  • December 1968: Realigned to the south and west of Waukon; the old route followed what is now Pole Line Road and County Road A52.
  • January 1970: New southern bypass of Decorah opens; the previous route was along Short Street, Mechanic Street, Water Street, and Montgomery Street. (US 52 ran with IA 9 along Short and Mechanic Streets before 1964.)
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