U.S. Route 20 in Iowa

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U.S. Route 20
Length:	305 mi[1] (490.85 km)
Formed:	1926
West end:	Nebraska border at Sioux City
Major junctions:	US 71 near Early US 169 near Fort Dodge I-35 near Williams I-380 / US 218 / IA 27 in Waterloo To US 52 / US 61 / US 151 in Dubuque
East end:	Illinois border at Dubuque
Counties:	Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque
Major cities:	Sioux City, Fort Dodge, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Dubuque
Iowa State Highways < US 18 IA 21 >

U.S. Route 20 in Iowa is a major east-west artery running across the state approximately one-third of the way from the Minnesota border to the Missouri border. It enters the state concurrently with Interstate 129 and U.S. Route 75 by a Missouri River crossing at Sioux City and runs in a more-or-less straight line to Dubuque. The state of Iowa is in the process of upgrading U.S. 20 to a four-lane, limited-access highway for its entire length in Iowa.

Contents 1 Route description 1.1 Sioux City to U.S. Route 71 1.2 U.S. Route 71 to Moorland 1.3 Moorland to Iowa Highway 17 1.4 Iowa Highway 17 to Iowa Highway 14 1.5 Iowa Highway 14 to Waterloo 1.6 Waterloo to Delaware 1.7 Delaware to Dubuque 1.8 Business routes 2 History 2.1 Expansion project 2.2 Former alignment 3 Future 4 Miscellanea 5 Exit list 6 External links 7 References

[edit] Route description

There are seven primary sections of U.S. 20 in Iowa, as follows:

[edit] Sioux City to U.S. Route 71

U.S. 20 and U.S. 75 run concurrently on a freeway bypassing Sioux City to the southeast. Immediately after U.S. 20 enters Iowa, it junctions Interstate 29. This junction is the eastern terminus of Interstate 129. At Gordon Drive, U.S. 20 leaves the freeway (U.S. 75 continues as a freeway or expressway to Le Mars) and enters an expressway alignment which continues to a point just east of Moville. There, U.S. 20 becomes a two-lane highway. It passes through Correctionville and is briefly concurrent with U.S. Route 59 as an expressway south of Holstein. Its north junction with U.S. Route 71 is three miles north of the small town of Early. The two roads run concurrently until a point two miles south of Early, where U.S. 20 turns east.

[edit] U.S. Route 71 to Moorland

From U.S. 71, U.S. 20 remains a two-lane highway until Moorland. It passes through the towns of Sac City, Lytton, Rockwell City, and Roelyn before reaching Moorland.

[edit] Moorland to Iowa Highway 17

Just east of Moorland, U.S. 20 again becomes an expressway, running to the south of Fort Dodge. There are two full interchanges on this section, one at U.S. Route 169 and the other at Webster County Road P59 in Coalville. Otherwise, all intersections are at grade level.

[edit] Iowa Highway 17 to Iowa Highway 14

Beginning at the junction of Iowa 17 on the Webster County/Hamilton County line near the unincorporated village of Flugstad, U.S. 20 becomes a full freeway and remains so throughout this entire section. U.S. 20 and Iowa 17 run together until Webster City, where Iowa 17 departs and turns south. U.S. 20 junctions Interstate 35 near Williams in eastern Hamilton County. It then junctions U.S. Route 65 south of Iowa Falls and Iowa Highway 14 south of Parkersburg, as well as a number of county roads along the way.

[edit] Iowa Highway 14 to Waterloo

East of Iowa 14, U.S. 20 is a major bypass allowing through traffic to avoid passing through the cities of Cedar Falls and Waterloo. At the junction of Iowa Highway 58, U.S. 20 joins with Iowa Highway 27 and thus becomes part of the route of the Avenue of the Saints. U.S. 20 junctions U.S. Route 63 at Sergeant Road in Waterloo, then junctions Interstate 380 and U.S. Route 218 on the southeast side of Waterloo. U.S. 20, Iowa 27, and Interstate 380 run together approximately six miles to a point near Raymond, where Iowa 27 and Interstate 380 turn southeastward towards Cedar Rapids.

[edit] Waterloo to Delaware

U.S. 20 continues as a freeway through this section. It junctions Iowa Highway 150 at Independence and Iowa Highway 13 at Manchester, as well as junctioning a number of county roads serving smaller communities.

The approximately 21 miles between Independence and Manchester goes over a terminal moraine and enters the Driftless Area, a region it will not exit until Stockton, Illinois.

[edit] Delaware to Dubuque

At Delaware, U.S. 20 becomes an expressway once again, with at-grade intersections. However, there are still many interchanges where U.S. 20 meets major roads, mostly at the towns along U.S. 20's route. U.S. 20 serves Earlville, Dyersville (passing near the Field of Dreams filming site), Farley, Epworth, and Peosta before entering Dubuque. U.S. 20 remains at least four lanes through Dubuque, but there are several stoplights along the route, particularly on the western edge of the city. There is a brief controlled-access section where the highway descends into the Mississippi River valley. Near the river, a short connecting road connects U.S. 20 with U.S. Route 52, U.S. Route 61, and U.S. Route 151, which have entered the city from the south as an expressway and continue northward as a freeway. U.S. 20 crosses from Iowa into Illinois via the Julien Dubuque Bridge.

[edit] Business routes

• Sioux City: Business U.S. 20 in the Sioux City area actually originates in Nebraska, at the junction of Dakota Avenue and Interstate 129 in South Sioux City. Business U.S. 20 follows U.S. 20's old alignment through South Sioux City before crossing into Iowa concurrently with U.S. Route 77. Business U.S. 20 joins with Interstate 29 via a complicated interchange, running with the Interstate for about one mile before exiting onto Gordon Drive. It follows Gordon Drive through central Sioux City to the U.S. 20/U.S. 75 bypass, where Business U.S. 20 ends.
• Fort Dodge: In the Fort Dodge area, Business U.S. 20 begins at the western end of the current U.S. 20 expressway near Moorland and follows U.S. 20's former route through the city via Kenyon Road and 5th Avenue South. Just east of Fort Dodge's eastern city limits, Business U.S. 20 turns south on Webster County Road P59, passing through several gypsum mining areas before ending at the U.S. 20 expressway in Coalville.

[edit] History

U.S. 20 was designated in Iowa on October 16, 1926. ^[1] The designation created a single route number for drivers to follow across the state from Sioux City to Dubuque; previously, three route numbers were used.

[edit] Expansion project

The first segment of U.S. 20 in Iowa to become four lanes was a short expressway segment east of Moville, which opened in 1958. Another short expressway segment in the Dubuque area opened in 1959. The rest of the expressway from Sioux City to Moville opened in 1964. By 1979 the Sioux City bypass was complete, as well as the section from Iowa 17 to Interstate 35, and the section from Independence to Delaware. By the end of the 1980s, the four-lane portions of U.S. 20 ran from Coalville (near Fort Dodge) to Interstate 35 and from Waterloo to Dubuque.

During the 1990s little work was done to the route. It was extended westward to U.S. 169 in 1991, and eastward to U.S. 65 the same year, though initially the section from Interstate 35 to U.S. 65 was only two lanes. The new, semi-controlled section in Dubuque opened in 1996.

Work began to accelerate in 2000. The section between Interstate 35 and U.S. 65 became four lanes that year. The segment from Iowa 14 to Cedar Falls also opened in 2000. By 2003, the highway was complete from Fort Dodge to Dubuque. ^[1]

[edit] Former alignment

It is possible to drive most of U.S. 20's former two-lane alignment from Moorland to Dubuque. Most of this routing (with the exception of Iowa Highway 57 from U.S. 65 to Cedar Falls) is now under city and county control, but most of the guide signs remain from when U.S. 20 followed this route. From Moorland, the highway's former alignment Business U.S. 20 through Fort Dodge. At County Road P59, it continues on County Road D20. The road changes designations several times between this point and Iowa Falls, but its route is very clear. It follows U.S. 65 north out of Iowa Falls to the junction of Iowa 57, then follows 57 to Cedar Falls. At Cedar Falls, the former alignment continues on U.S. 218 to Broadway Street; through Waterloo, it follows Broadway to Franklin Street to Dubuque Road. Beyond Waterloo the designation of the road again changes several times, but the route to follow remains clear. Between Dyersville and Farley U.S. 20 follows its historic alignment. At Farley, the former alignment follows Old Highway Road into Dubuque.

[edit] Future

As of 2006, the state of Iowa is acquiring right of way to extend the U.S. 20 expressway westward from its current end at Moorland to a point 1.5 miles west of the current north junction with U.S. 71.^[2] Paving work is scheduled between Iowa Highway 4 and Moorland in 2010. However, it is expected that only two lanes of this segment will initially be paved, with the other two lanes to be paved at some later date.^[3] No work beyond right of way acquisition is scheduled on the segment between Iowa 4 and U.S. 71 as of October 2006.

West of U.S. 71, the remaining length of U.S. 20 (approximately 60 miles) faces an uncertain future. The state has stated its intention to finish the project, but has not formally committed to a completion date.^[4] Community leaders in the northwestern Iowa communities which would be served by a four-lane U.S. 20 continue to advocate for its completion, and impact studies are under way. ^[3]

[edit] Miscellanea

• The interchange of Business U.S. 20 and U.S. 77 with Interstate 29 in Sioux City is a three-level diamond interchange, with turns between the two highways being handled by a set of interlocking frontage roads. Because of the interchange's complexity, the local Chamber of Commerce has dubbed this "Iowa's Most Stupid Intersection." ^[5] A similar interchange is found at the junction of Interstate 380 and Iowa Highway 100 in Cedar Rapids. This interchange will be converted to a standard diamond interchange when Interstate 29 is reconstructed in Sioux City between 2007 and 2011.
• The crossing of the Iowa River near Owasa was built using environmentally friendly construction techniques to avoid disturbing the river valley's ecosystem. ^[1]
• When the segment from U.S. 65 to Iowa 14 opened, U.S. 20 no longer entered Butler County at all.
• If the former alignment of U.S. 20 is turned over to local control once the four-lane expansion is completed to U.S. 71, Sac City will be the only county seat in Iowa not located on a U.S. or state highway.

[edit] Exit list

County	Location	Mile	#[1]	Destinations	Notes
Crossing the Missouri River from South Sioux City, Nebraska. See US 20 for exit list.
Woodbury	Sioux City		1	I-29 / I-129 West / US 75 Bus. North – Sioux City, Council Bluffs, South Sioux City	End of overlap with I-129. Signed as exits 1A (north) and 1B (south).
			1	Lakeport Road
			2	Sunnybrook Drive
			3	Morningside Avenue	Former IA 982
			4	US 20 East / US 75 North / US 20 Bus. (Gordon Drive) – Le Mars	End of overlap with US 75. Signed as exits 4A (east) and 4B (west).
	Moville			IA 140 North (1st Street)
	Correctionville			IA 31 (Driftwood Street)
Ida	Holstein			US 59 North (Main Street)	1 mile overlap with US 59.
				US 59 South
Sac	Schaller			IA 110 North
	Early			US 71 North	2 mile overlap with US 71.
				US 71 South
	Sac City			IA 196 South	Westbound: signed To US 71 South
Calhoun	Rockwell City			IA 4 North
				IA 4 South (Norridge Avenue)
Webster	Moorland			US 20 Bus. / CO D20	US 20 Business signed eastbound only
	Fort Dodge		121	US 169 – Fort Dodge, Humboldt
	Coalville	Crossing the Des Moines River
			124	US 20 Bus. / CO P59 – Fort Dodge, Coalville	US 20 Business signed westbound only
Hamilton	Webster City		136	IA 17 North / CO R21 South – Eagle Grove, Stratford	5 mile overlap with IA 17.
			140	IA 17 South – Webster City, Stanhope
			145	CO R38 – Kamrar
	Blairsburg		149	US 69 – Jewell, Belmond
	Williams		153	I-35 – Des Moines, Mason City	Signed as exits 153A (south) and 153B (north)
			157	CO R77 – Williams
Hardin	Buckeye		162	CO S27 – Alden, Buckeye	Former IA 359
	Iowa Falls		168	US 65 – Iowa Falls, Hubbard
	Owasa		175	CO D35 – Eldora, Owasa, Steamboat Rock
		Crossing the Iowa River
	Steamboat Rock		181	CO S56 – Ackley, Eldora
Grundy	Wellsburg		187	CO T19 – Wellsburg	Former IA 214
	Holland		208	IA 14 – Parkersburg, Grundy Center	Gap in exit numbers due to using older set of mile markers east of CR T19.
	Dike		215	CO T55 – Dike, New Hartford
			220	CO D18 – Cedar Falls
Black Hawk
	Cedar Falls		224	IA 58 South (Hudson Road) – Hudson, University of Northern Iowa, UNI-Dome	1 mile overlap with IA 58.
			225	IA 27 North / IA 58 North – Cedar Falls, Airport	Begin overlap with IA 27.
	Waterloo		227	US 63 (Sergeant Road) – Hudson
			229	Ansborough Avenue
			230	IA 21 (Hawkeye Road) – Dysart
			71 232	I-380 North / US 218 – Waterloo, La Porte City	Begin overlap with I-380. Signed as exits 232A/71B (south) and 232B/71A (north)
	Evansdale		70	River Forest Road
			68	Evansdale Drive – Elk Run Heights
	Raymond		66	CO V49 – Raymond, Gilbertville	Former IA 297
				I-380 South / IA 27 South – Cedar Rapids	End overlap with I-380 / IA 27.
			240	CO V51 – Dunkerton, La Porte City
Buchanan	Jesup		245	CO V65 – Jesup
	Independence		252	Independence
			254	IA 150 – Independence, Vinton
		Crossing the Wapsipinicon River
	Winthrop		261	CO W40 – Quasqueton, Winthrop	Former IA 282
	Masonville		266	IA 187 North – Masonville, Lamont
Delaware	Manchester		275	IA 13 – Manchester, Central City
			277	CO D5X – Manchester
	Delaware		282	IA 38 – Delaware, Monticello
	Earlville		285	CO X35 – Earlville
Dubuque	Dyersville		294	IA 136 – Dyersville, Cascade
	Farley		300	CO Y13 – Farley
	Epworth		304	CO Y17 – Epworth
	Peosta		308	CO Y21 – Peosta, Northeast Iowa Community College
	Dubuque			IA 32 North (Northwest Arterial) – Asbury
				Grandview Avenue, Fremont Avenue
				Hill Street, Bryant Street
				IA 946 (Locust Street) to US 52 / US 61 / US 151
Crossing the Mississippi River into East Dubuque, Illinois. See US 20 for exit list.

[edit] External links

• US 20 at the Iowa Highways Page
• U.S. 20 Corridor Association (group advocating completion of the four-lane expressway in western Iowa)
• Pictures of "Iowa's Most Stupid Intersection" at Iowa Highway Ends

[edit] References