The primary highway system makes up over , approximately 8 percent of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
's public road system. The
Iowa Department of Transportation
The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is the government organization in the U.S. state of Iowa responsible for the organization, construction, and maintenance of the primary highway system. Located in Ames, Iowa, DOT is also respons ...
is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the primary highway system, which consists of Interstate Highways, United States Highways, and Iowa state highways. Currently, the longest primary highway is
U.S. Highway 30 at . The shortest highway is
Interstate 129
Interstate 129 (I-129) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway which connects South Sioux City to I-29 in Sioux City, Iowa. Opened in 1976, I-129 is a route, running in Nebraska. At , I-129 is the shortest highway in the state of Iowa. All of ...
at .
The 20th century was a transformative time for vehicular transportation. In the early years of the century, roads were problematic at best – dusty dirt roads when dry and impassably muddy when wet. Over time, federal money was set aside and bonds were issued allowing the roads to be paved. The
U.S. Highway and
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
s connected Iowa to the rest of the country and made national travel feasible. Periodically, new highway construction and changing driving habits have resulted in the obsolescence of local highways, to which the primary highway system has adapted. The former primary highways, turned over to
counties
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
and local jurisdictions, county highways, and
farm-to-market road
In the United States, a farm-to-market road or ranch-to-market road (sometimes farm road or ranch road for short) is a state highway or county road that connects rural or agricultural areas to market towns. These are better quality roads, usually ...
s make up the secondary highway system.
Early on, Iowa's registered routes were marked with hand-painted signs created by the group maintaining the highways. When the primary highway system was created, prisoners in Iowa's correctional system began making highway signs. Today, Iowa's highway markers are compliant with standards set forth in the
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
The ''Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways'' (usually referred to as the ''Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices'', abbreviated MUTCD) is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the Unit ...
.
History
Early highways
At the turn of the 20th century, roads in Iowa were suited for
horse and buggy
]
A horse and buggy (in American English) or horse and carriage (in British English and American English) refers to a light, simple, two-person carriage of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn usually by one or sometimes by two h ...
and ill-suited for
automobiles. As more Iowans purchased automobiles, the Iowa legislature set up in 1904 a
commission at
Iowa State College
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
in Ames to handle issues that arose concerning travel and safety. In 1904, less than 2 percent, or just over of public roads in Iowa had been improved with gravel or broken stone.
The first task of the Iowa State Highway Commission, now the
Iowa Department of Transportation
The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is the government organization in the U.S. state of Iowa responsible for the organization, construction, and maintenance of the primary highway system. Located in Ames, Iowa, DOT is also respons ...
, was to study Iowa's problematic roads.
At the time, roads were merely dusty dirt trails when dry, and quagmires of mud when wet. By 1906, every county was maintaining its dirt road with drags. Designed by
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
an E. Ward King, road drags were a cost-effective way to smooth out dirt roads, costing as much as $3.00 ($, adjusted for inflation) to build.
In 1913, the Commission separated from Iowa State College and gained control over
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
and local transportation officials, who were responsible for road construction and maintenance. The Iowa Highway Commission did not gain jurisdiction over public roads until 1924.
![Lincoln Highway marker by Matthew Bisanz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Lincoln_Highway_marker_by_Matthew_Bisanz.JPG)
The predecessor of the primary highway system was the registered route system. Organizations, such as the
Lincoln Highway Association
The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 191 ...
, volunteered to sponsor and register certain roads with the highway commission. Each organization chose their colors and designed route markers to guide motorists along the way. Eventually, confusion reigned and the highway commission took action. Beginning in 1920, primary road numbers were assigned to registered routes. Route numbers were assigned so they would match those of neighboring states – Primary Road Number 1 (No. 1) was assigned to the
Jefferson Highway
The Jefferson Highway was an automobile highway stretching through the central United States from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jefferson Highway was replaced with the new numbered US Highway system in the late 1920s. ...
, the
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913 ...
became No. 6, and the
Red Ball Route became No. 40.
U.S. Highway System
In 1925, the
American Association of State Highway Officials approved a national numbering system for roads, which quickly replaced the registered route system. The new
U.S. Highway system grew and improved for thirty years, until Interstate highways were created. Iowa
renumbered some primary roads in 1926; marking them with a unique number as to not duplicate the new U.S. Highways.
Iowa highways were signed with a circle with the route's number beneath the word Iowa.
![Iowa1926us](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Iowa1926us.jpg)
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, highway paving had begun in earnest. In September 1929 alone, the Iowa State Highway Commission spent $3 million ($, adjusted for inflation) on road construction, with two-thirds of that spent on highway paving.
By the end of 1929, the first roads connecting two state borders neared completion. The Lincoln Highway from
Ames
Ames may refer to:
Places United States
* Ames, Arkansas, a place in Arkansas
* Ames, Colorado
* Ames, Illinois
* Ames, Indiana
* Ames, Iowa, the most populous city bearing this name
* Ames, Kansas
* Ames, Nebraska
* Ames, New York
* Ames, Ok ...
to
Clinton made travel to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
easier, while the Jefferson Highway from
Lamoni
In the Book of Mormon, Lamoni (; believed to mean "Lamanite" or "of Laman") is a Lamanite king. The missionary Ammon converts him back to the Law of Moses. After this, Lamoni becomes righteous again.
Lamoni was a lesser king of part of the gr ...
to Ames facilitated travel to
Kansas City.
These two new roads also made travel easier between Iowa's two most populous cities,
Des Moines and
Cedar Rapids.
Interstate Highway System
In the 1950s, the Iowa State Highway Commission planned an east-west toll road across the state, roughly along the current
Interstate 80 corridor. When the
Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, was enacted on June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. With an original authorization of $25 billion for ...
created the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
, plans for the toll road were scrapped with great fervor.
In Iowa, interstate corridors were designed to follow existing U.S. Highway corridors –
Interstate 29
Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...
followed
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it once continued as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side ...
and
U.S. Route 275, Interstate 35 followed
U.S. Route 65 and
U.S. Route 69, and Interstate 80 followed
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
.
The first section of interstate highway in Iowa, a section of
I-35 and of
I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
near
West Des Moines
West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. A majority of the city is located in Polk County, a minority of the city is located in Dallas County, and small portions extend into Warren and Ma ...
, opened on September 21, 1958.
Over the next 30 years, sections of interstate were completed and opened for traffic.
As the interstates grew and expanded, many U.S. Highways were truncated at, relocated onto, or replaced by interstates. The last section of
Interstate 380 to be completed, was opened on September 12, 1985.
System improvements
In 1959, the nascent Interstate Highway System was growing while the existing primary highway system was beginning to show its age. The 58th
General Assembly
A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company.
Specific examples of general assembly include:
Churches
* General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presb ...
passed a resolution creating the Iowa Highway Study Committee, consisting of senators, congressmen, and representatives from the Iowa League of Municipalities, county engineers, and the Iowa State Highway Commission. The study committee hired two consulting firms to find the physical and financial needs of the primary highway system for the next twenty years. The study committee itself held frequent meetings across the state to gather public opinions on the state of the highway system. In its final report to the 59th General Assembly, the study committee recommended:
[
]
* Limiting the primary highway system to including extensions into municipalities.
* Transferring of local service highways to local jurisdictions or a separate division of primary highways.
* Classifying the primary highway system into two groups – of freeways and of other primary roads.
* Reclassifying county roads into trunk, feeder, and local secondary roads.
* Classifying municipal roads not in the primary highway system into arterials and access streets.
* Distributing 55% of the road use tax fund for use on primary roads, 30% to the counties for secondary roads, and 15% to municipalities for local roads.
The study committee urged caution on immediately adopting their report, instead recommending to adopt the findings over time.
As a result, in 1980, a large number of local service primary highways were turned over to counties and local jurisdictions.
On January 1, 1969, many highways in Iowa were
renumbered, largely creating the numbered routes which remain today.
System modernization
In 2002, the Road Use Tax Fund Committee (RUTF), a mix of city, county, and state transportation officials, met to review and recommend changes to Iowa's public road system. The report was necessitated by increasing costs to maintain the highway system and a level of funding that was not keeping up with the rising costs. The RUTF committee had two major recommendations:
* Transferring of primary highways to county and city governments.
* Transferring farm-to-market road
In the United States, a farm-to-market road or ranch-to-market road (sometimes farm road or ranch road for short) is a state highway or county road that connects rural or agricultural areas to market towns. These are better quality roads, usually ...
extensions in cities under 500 population to the counties.
On April 17, 2003, the
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, United States. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . ...
introduced a bill, Senate File 451,
which would allow the mass transfer. The bill was passed by the Senate and House and was signed by
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Tom Vilsack
Thomas James Vilsack (; born December 13, 1950) is an American politician serving as the 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture in the Biden administration. He previously served in the role from 2009 to 2017 during the Obama administration. ...
on May 23, 2003.
Over of state highways, mostly short
spur routes
A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...
and segments bypassed after new construction, were turned over to county or municipal governments on July 1, 2003.
Typically, when the Iowa Department of Transportation transfers a highway to a county or local jurisdiction, the DOT must ensure the highway is in good condition or provide the county compensation to repair the highway.
[Iowa Code 200]
§306.8
Retrieved January 8, 2009. Senate File 451, codified as Iowa Code §306.8A, instead created a fund for the maintenance of newly transferred highways. Until 2013, 1.75% of the primary highway fund will be directed to this fund to compensate counties receiving highways. Over $1.1 million has been allocated to counties for the August 2009 – July 2010 period.
Iowa has over
of Interstate highways, over
of U.S. Highways, and over
of state highways, many of which overlap. Today, the primary highway system represents over 8% of the total public road miles in the state.
Funding
While the Iowa Highway Commission was growing, the Iowa legislature allowed organizations to sponsor and register certain roads. Sponsors brought in much needed funds to maintain the roadways. Road sponsors were allowed to choose the colors of their road markers and slogans for road signs.
The first registered route, the River-to-River Route, connected
Davenport and
Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...
.
Interstate 80 and
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
largely follow the River-to-River Route today. The most famous registered route was the Lincoln Highway. At the peak of the registered route system, there were over 100 registered routes in Iowa.
![Lincoln Highway Bridge, Tama, IA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Lincoln_Highway_Bridge%2C_Tama%2C_IA.jpg)
The
Federal Aid Road Act of 1916
The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 (also known as the Bankhead–Shackleford Act and Good Roads Act), , , was enacted on July 11, 1916, and was the first federal highway funding legislation in the United States. The rise of the automobile at the star ...
set aside $75 million over 5 years
[,] ($, adjusted for inflation) of which $146,000 per year ($, adjusted for inflation) was earmarked for Iowa.
The first section of hard roads build with federal money was a section between
Mason City and
Clear Lake, near what is now
U.S. Route 18. Soon after, a massive road-paving drive began to solve Iowa's "road problem" by getting Iowa out of the mud.
This created much needed jobs during the
Great Depression. The paving lasted until
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, when resources were reallocated.
In 1919, the Iowa legislature created the Primary Road Fund, which provided funding for new road projects. In addition to the Primary Road Fund, counties were allowed to issue bonds to expedite the improvement of roads. A gasoline tax (, adjusted for inflation) was created in 1925, with one-third of revenues going into the Primary Road Fund and the other two-thirds going towards county and township roads.
In 1927, in order to align the public road system with the tax revenues coming in, Iowa's public roads were divided into primary and secondary roads, with primary roads under the state's jurisdiction and secondary roads under county jurisdiction. This division remains today.
Iowa's highways are funded today through a number of sources which are distributed into the Iowa Road Use Fund. Gasoline, regular and ethanol-blend, and diesel fuel is taxed in the range of , while vehicle purchases and rentals are taxed at a rate of 5 percent.
Today, the Road Use Tax Fund is distributed into funds based on classifications – 47.5% is distributed into the Primary Road Fund, 32.5% is distributed to counties through the Secondary and Farm-to-Market Road Funds, and 20% is distributed into the City Street Fund.
Signage
U.S. and Iowa highways are marked with a , or rarely, a black sign with a white shield or white circle, respectively.
To make room for additional digits, fonts are adjusted accordingly: One-digit routes use MUTCD Series D, two-digit routes use MUTCD Series C, and three-digit routes use MUTCD Series B. Additional room for numbers on three-digit routes can be created by using numbers. In 2014, Iowa DOT began to use wider, signs on three-digit-numbered highways.
Interstate Highways in Iowa are signed with, compared to current MUTCD standards, an older style blue and red shield which features smaller numbers, wider striping, and the state's name on every shield.
When in use in the field, two-digit shields are , while three-digit shields are , and and , respectively, on intersecting roads.
All county routes are signed with the MUTCD-standard blue pentagonal shield, however some older signs still remain.
Secondary roads
![Louisa_County_Highway_W66_in_Iowa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Louisa_County_Highway_W66_in_Iowa.jpg)
Secondary roads are defined simply by the
Iowa Code
The Code of Iowa contains the statutory laws of the U.S. state of Iowa. The Iowa Legislative Service Bureau is a non-partisan governmental agency that organizes, updates, and publishes the Iowa Code. It is republished in full every odd year, and is ...
as ''those roads under county jurisdiction.''
[Iowa Code 200]
§306.3
Retrieved October 30, 2009. The 99 counties in Iowa divide the secondary road system into farm-to-market roads and area service roads.
Farm-to-market road
In the United States, a farm-to-market road or ranch-to-market road (sometimes farm road or ranch road for short) is a state highway or county road that connects rural or agricultural areas to market towns. These are better quality roads, usually ...
s, which connect principal traffic generating areas to primary roads or to other farm-to-market roads, are maintained by the route's respective county and are paid for by a special fund. The Farm-to-Market Road Fund consists of federal secondary road aid and 8% of Iowa's road use taxes.
The farm-to-market road system is limited to .
Unlike some other states in the United States, Iowa's signed secondary roads are not numbered on a county-by-county basis. With exception to
County Road 105, secondary roads use a uniform numbering grid using one letter and two or three numbers, e.g., E41. County roads running primarily east and west assigned letters (from north to south) A through J. County roads running primarily north and south are assigned letters (from west to east) K through Z. The letters I, O, Q and U are not used to avoid confusion with numbers and other letters.
See also
*
*
References
External links
Iowa Department of TransportationIowa DOT - Office of Transportation Data
{{Iowa
Transportation in Iowa
Roads in Iowa