Interstate 80 in Iowa

infobox road
state=IA
route=80
type=I

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length_mi=303.23
length_ref= [Federal Highway Administration, [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table1.cfm Route Log and Finder List: Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways] as of October 31, 2002]
length_round=2
direction_a=West
terminus_a=Jct|state=NE|I|80 at Nebraska state line
junction=Jct|state=IA|I|29 in Council Bluffs
Jct|state=IA|I|680 near Neola
Jct|state=IA|I|35 near Des Moines
Jct|state=IA|I|380 near Iowa City
direction_b=East
terminus_b=Jct|state=IL|I|80 at Illinois state line
previous_type=IA
previous_route=78
next_type=IA
next_route=81In the U.S. state of Iowa, Interstate 80 runs east-west between the Omaha-Council Bluffs area and the Quad Cities area, serving Des Moines and Iowa City. It was built in the U.S. Highway 6 corridor and three sections of Interstate 80 overlap with U.S. 6 in Iowa. There are also significant overlaps with Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs and with Interstate 35 in the Des Moines area.

Route description

Interstate 80 enters Iowa from Nebraska after crossing the Missouri River and immediately meets Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs. They overlap along the southern edge of Council Bluffs and separate in southeastern Council Bluffs. I-80 then goes northeast past Council Bluffs and follows an alignment which parallels the former alignment of Iowa Highway 191. Near Neola, I-80 meets Interstate 680. Interstate 80 then immediately turns east, parallelling a former alignment of Iowa Highway 83 west of Avoca and the current one east of Avoca. At Avoca, I-80 meets U.S. Highway 59. Near Atlantic, I-80 meets U.S. Highway 71 and U.S. Highway 6 and the first overlap with U.S. 6 begins. The overlap ends when I-80 meets U.S. Highway 169 at De Soto. Shortly afterwards, I-80 meets Interstate 35 and Interstate 235 at the West Mixmaster interchange in West Des Moines and turns north.

Interstate 80 and Interstate 35 go north through the western Des Moines suburbs until the interchange with Iowa Highway 141 and they turn east. They go east together and meet U.S. Highway 69 and then separate at the East Mixmaster interchange, which is also an interchange with Interstate 235. Shortly afterwards, in Altoona I-80 meets U.S. Highway 65 and they overlap for a mile. When I-80 and U.S. 65 separate, U.S. 6 joins I-80 and their second overlap begins. The overlap continues through Newton. At Malcom, I-80 meets U.S. Highway 63. Near Williamsburg, I-80 meets U.S. Highway 151. I-80 continues east and meets Interstate 380, U.S. Highway 218 and Iowa Highway 27, the Avenue of the Saints, near Coralville.

After passing through the Iowa City area, Interstate 80 continues east and near Wilton, meets U.S. 6, and the third overlap begins. The overlap ends in northwestern Davenport when I-80 meets Interstate 280. I-80 continues east through the northern part of Davenport and meets U.S. Highway 61 and Interstate 74. I-80 passes through Bettendorf and Le Claire, meeting U.S. Highway 67 at Le Claire. I-80 then leaves Iowa to enter Illinois via the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River.

Exit list

References