Iowa Highway 122 (Iowa 122) is an east–west route in

Cerro Gordo County Cerro Gordo County (; ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,127. Its county seat is Mason City. The county is named for the Battle of Cerro Gordo, which took place during the Mexican–Am ...

which connects the county's two largest cities, Clear Lake and Mason City. The length of the highway is . Much of the route is constructed as a four-lane

expressway Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...

with at-grade intersections. It was designated in 1999 after US 18 was rerouted onto a four-lane bypass around Mason City.

Route description

Iowa 122 begins at a

diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...

with

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

on the eastern edge of Clear Lake. The route, overlapped by U.S. Highway 18 Business, begins as a four-lane divided highway, serving the

Mason City Municipal Airport Mason City Municipal Airport is located six miles west of downtown Mason City, in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. It is in the northern part of Lake Township, just east of the city of Clear Lake. It is used for general aviation and ...

before entering Mason City proper. Between Eisenhower and Jefferson Avenues in Mason City the highway is undivided. This road is the primary east–west artery through Mason City. At Jefferson Avenue, Iowa 122 separates into a pair of one-way streets, remaining in this configuration through the downtown area where the Park Inn Hotel, one of

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

's few commercial buildings, resides. Iowa 122 intersects U.S. Highway 65 at Federal Avenue. US 18 Business turns to the south to follow US 65. The one-way streets rejoin at Massachusetts Avenue forming an undivided four-lane road. The Iowa 122 designation ends at the eastern city limits of Mason City, just beyond

North Iowa Area Community College North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) is a public community college in Mason City, Iowa. History NIACC began as Mason City Junior College in 1918, becoming the first public two-year college in Iowa. The college was located in the high school ...

History

Prior to December 1999, the road currently designated as Iowa 122 was a segment of U.S. Highway 18. In that year, the state completed work on a new

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

segment of US 18, bypassing Mason City to the south. This bypass was part of the

Avenue of the Saints The Avenue of the Saints is a highway in the Midwestern United States that connects St. Louis, Missouri and St. Paul, Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. Route description Missouri The southern end of the Avenue of the Saints is at exit 28A of In ...

project. The bypassed segment of US 18 was designated as Iowa Highway 122. Iowa 122 originally incorporated all of the bypassed segment of US 18. Its original eastern end was at

Rudd ''Scardinius'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae commonly called rudds. Locally, the name "rudd" without any further qualifiers is also used for individual species, particularly the common rudd (''S. erythrophthalmus''). Th ...

, at the junction with Floyd County Road T26. In 2000, a new segment of Iowa 122 opened east of Rudd, connecting 122 with 18 directly. In 2001, the segment between Nora Springs and Rudd was turned over to Floyd County. In 2003, the segment between Mason City and Nora Springs was turned over to Cerro Gordo County.

Major intersections

References

{{Attached KML 122 Transportation in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa U.S. Route 18