Iowa Highway 9

Infobox road
state=IA
type=IA
route=9
alternate_name=


length_mi=296
length_round=0
length_ref=Iowahighwaysref|lowrg=1|hirng=9|num=9|access_date=November 8, 2007]
established=
direction_a=West
starting_terminus=
junction=
direction_b=East
ending_terminus=
counties=Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth, Mitchell, Howard, Winneshiek , Allamakee
cities=Rock Rapids, Spirit Lake, Estherville, Forest City, Osage, Cresco, Decorah, Waukon
previous_type=IA
previous_route=8
next_type=IA
next_route=10

Iowa Highway 9 is the most northern of Iowa's east-west highways, traversing the entire northern tier of counties. It runs from the eastern terminus of South Dakota Highway 42 at the South Dakota border east of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to the Wisconsin border at Lansing where it continues as Wisconsin Highway 82. It is largely rural in character, bypassing any large city. Making a few dips north and south, the highway largely follows a very straight east-west alignment.

Route Description

Iowa Highway 9 enters from South Dakota as a continuation of South Dakota Highway 42, northwest of Larchwood in Lyon County. It runs south of Lester, at the northern edge of Rock Rapids and south of Little Rock. Crossing into Osceola County, Iowa Highway 60 crosses it just north and slightly west of Sibley. Continuing west, is runs to the north of Ocheyedan. Entering Dickinson County, the highway passes south of Silver Lake and then across the Little Sioux River, into Spirit Lake where it briefly joins U.S. Route 71. It dips southeasterly as it enters Emmet County, continuing into
Estherville where it crosses Iowa Highway 4 and a tributary of the Des Moines River. Passing just south of Armstrong it has an intersection with Iowa Highway 15. Inside Kossuth County, it passes through Swea City. East of Swea City, it is joined by U.S. Route 169. It passes north of Lakota, where US 169 turns north. Travelling through Buffalo Center in Winnebago County, takes a slight southwesterly dip to pass northeast of Thompson, then continues east, and then south to join U.S. Route 69 at the northern edge of Forest City where it again turns east. Into Worth County, it travels past the northern edge of Hanlontown, where it soon crosses Interstate 35. West of I-35, it passes through the south side of Manly. In Mitchell County it makes a straight run to and through Osage. It swings back north and resumes going west to Riceville, crossing the Wapsipinicon River in the process. In Howard County, the highway makes a transition into the Driftless Area of Iowa, with progressively more rugged terrain evident as one travels east. West of Cresco, and south of Lime Springs, it crosses U.S. Route 63 before going through Cresco. In the process, it crosses two tributaries of the Turkey River In Winneshiek County, it runs southeasterly, straightening out to go through Decorah in the valley of the Upper Iowa River. In Decorah, it crosses U.S. Route 52. It again takes a southeasterly drift. In Allamakee County, the highway becomes crooked. Just east of the county line, Iowa Highway 51 meets its northern terminus. Running south of Waukon, then turns north through Waukon, briefly joined by Iowa Highway 76. North of Waukon, it curves north and east, into Lansing, through the valley of Clear Creek and downtown Lansing. Just before crossing the Mississippi, it meets the southern terminus of Iowa Highway 26. It then turns onto the Black Hawk Bridge, where it joins Wisconsin Highway 82.

Major intersections

Jctint
state=IA
county=Lyon
cspan=6
location=Larchwood
lspan=2
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=SD|SD|42
notes=Western terminusJctint
state=IA
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|182|dir1=South
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Rock Rapids
lspan=2
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|75|dir1=North
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|75|dir1=South|name1=Union Street
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=George
lspan=2
type=decomd
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|CR|L14|nolink1=L14|county1=Lyon
notes=Former Jct|state=IA|IA|91|dir1=North, Jct|state=MN|MN|91|to1=91 Jctint
state=IA
type=decomd
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|CR|L14|nolink1=L14|county1=Lyon
notes=Former Jct|state=IA|IA|339|dir1=South Jctint
state=IA
county=Osceola
cspan=3
location=Sibley
lspan=2
type=
mile=
road=jct|state=IA|IA|60
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|59
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Harris
lspan=
type=decomd
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|CR|M20|nolink1=M20|county1=Osceola|noshield1=M20
notes=Former jct|state=IA|IA|238|dir1=North Jctint
state=IA
county=Dickinson
cspan=4
location=Spirit Lake
lspan=4
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|86
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|71|dir1=South
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=decomd
mile=
road=Hill Avenue
notes=Former Jct|state=IA|IA|276|dir1=North Jctint
state=IA
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|71|dir1=North
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Emmet
cspan=3
location=Estherville
lspan=
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|4|name1=9th Street
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Armstrong
lspan=2
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|15|dir1=South|name1=4th Street
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|15|dir1=North|name1=6th Street
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Kossuth
cspan=2
location=Ledyard
lspan=
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|169|dir1=South
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Lakota
lspan=
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|169|dir1=North
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Winnebago
cspan=2
location=Leland
lspan=
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|69|dir1=North
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Forest City
lspan=
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|69|dir1=South
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Worth
cspan=2
location=Hanlontown
lspan=
type=
mile=
road=jct|state=IA|I|35|IA|27
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Manly
lspan=
type=
mile=
road=jct|state=IA|US|65|name1=Orchid Avenue
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Mitchell
cspan=2
location=Osage
lspan=2
type=mplex
mile=
road=jct|state=IA|US|218|dir1=North|name1=7th Street
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|218|dir1=South
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Howard
location=Lime Springs
lspan=
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|US|63
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Winneshiek
cspan=2
location=Cresco
lspan=
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|139|dir1=North
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Decorah
lspan=
type=
mile=
road=jct|state=IA|US|52
notes=Jctint
state=IA
county=Allamakee
cspan=5
location=Waukon
lspan=3
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|51|dir1=South
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=mplex
mile=
road=jct|state=IA|IA|76|dir1=South
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=mplex
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|76|dir1=North|name1=Main Street
notes=Jctint
state=IA
location=Lansing
lspan=2
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=IA|IA|26|dir1=North|name1=2nd Street
notes=Jctint
state=IA
type=
mile=
road=Jct|state=WI|WI|82
notes=Eastern terminus

References

Sources

* "Iowa Atlas and Gazeteer", 3rd edition, DeLorme, 2004.
* "2007 Transportation Map", Iowa Department of Transportation, 2007.