"Secret routes" have been around for a while. Some date back to the 1970s. In the past decade or so, the Iowa DOT started to let the secret out, so to speak, and began signing them. Highways 927, 965, and 982 all show up on the 1991 map. Jason Hancock explains it this way: "Iowa apparently uses this series of numbers for decommissioned routes that they want to turn over to the appropriate county or city, but haven't been able to do so yet. They may be short and isolated stubs of a few hundred feet, or longer routes that follow the new route of a US or state highway. Most of these routes are marked as "unmarked primary" roads on the state highway map but appear on county maps, the Iowa Primary Road Sufficiency Log, the Iowa Detour and Road Embargo Map, and other DOT publications as well as some commercial maps (most notably DeLorme's atlas). ... In recent years abandoned highway segments have been given numbers that are not in the 900s, such as IA 432, the former segment of IA 163 in Oskaloosa." Indeed, since 2000, all the roads have been given numbers NOT in that range.
Jason's page lists all 900-series roads longer than two miles at his site. This table picks up where Jason's left off. In addition to those, all 900-series roads found on the PDF map from the DOT's site and unsigned non-900s past and present are listed below. Some only live a short time. Some may live for a long time. These don't seem to be numbered by rhyme or reason, unless the missing numbers are roads we just don't know about; no 9xx lower than 912 has been found. And there are a lot more than numbers beginning with 9 in the "900s." You may be surprised...
KEY
Number: Self-explanatory.
Year(s): Start date for this number and end date if decommissioned;
may not be exact. If possible, year is last year before removal
from the DOT map (for example, 392 was on 2000 but not 2001, meaning
decommissioning in 2000; 431 not on 2002 map, meaning gone in
2001). Year in parentheses, ex. (-1994), means part but not all
of the route was decommissioned that year and part still exists.
Recent dates are Board of Supervisors meetings or the Transportation
Committee meeting on Jan. 14, 2003.
Old/Co.: Its number when it was signed, _not_ the route the number
was originally used for/county it's in, in the case of the non-9xxs.
Length: Self-explanatory. Most numbers are courtesy Jason Hancock's
research into the "Primary Road Sufficiency Log".
On list (Y/N/D): Y: Died as a result of the Second Great Decommissioning
(July 1, 2003). N: Still alive. D: Decommissioned before list
issued or in separate transaction as noted in county supervisors'
minutes.
Proof of life: Image(s) from at least one of the following: official
state maps (if visible) and most recent PDF state and/or county
maps from DOT site. State clips are from the map dated 1/1/00
and are more pixelated; county clips are from maps dated 1/1/01
unless noted. Jason Hancock did some additional research
in May 2002; if there are no images his research is credited as
proof.
NOTE: Images are severely trimmed to show number and part
or all of the route. Images are at a large size because otherwise
sometimes you can't even see it. Download
the county maps from the DOT's site for context.
Other notes: Self-explanatory. If you can help us fill out the
holes and question marks please send me an e-mail.
Page last edited 11/22/03
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| No. | Year(s) | Old/Co. | Length | On list |
Proof of life | Other notes |
| 107 | 2003 |
IA 107 Cerro Gordo |
? | Y, but | DOT county maps as of 1/1/04 show them. Route is discontinuous within city limits of Thornton and Meservey; rest of road was turned over to county in deal that was not part of Second Great Decommissioning (meaning the towns did not have to accept the road) | |
| 116 | 1998 |
US 218 Bremer |
2.62 | N | 2001 (big map below) |
Bus. 218 S of IA 3; see big map below; orig. 116 spur to fish hatchery near Manchester |
| 162 | 2000-2001 |
US 218 Floyd |
4.18 | N |
|
Bus. 218 S of US 18; see big map below; orig. 162 spur to Pammel SP |
| 231 | 2000-July 1, 2003 |
US 34 Henry |
4.06 | Y | Orig. 231 spur to Ireton | |
| 254 | Sept. 3, 2003 |
US 218 Floyd/ Chickasaw |
? | N | Jason Hancock's research | Prev. 254 was IA 9 N to MN 254 |
| 263 | 2000 (-Jan. 7, 2003) -2003 |
US 20 Grundy (/Black Hawk) |
12 | D | ![]() 2001 |
Orig. 263 Latimer- Coulter; N-S piece give to Black Hawk in Jan. '03 |
| 289 | 2000-Dec. 17, 2002 |
US 61 Lee |
2.27 | D |
Bypassed segment farther south was closer to river |
See big map below; orig. 289 spur to Alta Vista |
| 296 | 2000 -2001 -Jan. 14, 2003 |
IA 28 Polk/ Warren |
0.29 | D | ![]() |
Old 42nd St. S of airport; orig. 296 spur to Wadena; all gone by 1/14/03 |
| 312 | November 2002-2003 |
US 65 Polk/ Jasper |
? | N | 2003
2003 |
Bypassed for marsh; is the infamous "Marsh Kink" in otherwise perfect diagonal; orig. 312 spur to McIntire; most of separate segment gone |
| 331 | Oct. 10, 2002 |
IA 5 Polk |
3.8 | N | ![]()
Top: 2003; bottom, 2003 Des Moines |
Only segment of original Army Post Road not turned over; orig. 331 spur to Eldridge |
| 335 | 1999-2000 |
IA 163 Marion |
1 | D |
![]() |
Orig. 335 spur to Dawson |
| 337 | 2000-2001 |
US 218 Floyd |
2.78 | N | See 162 map; this was completely gone in 2002 map | Bus. 218 N of US 18; see big map below; orig. 337 spur to Grafton |
| 337 | Oct. 14, 2003 |
US 151 Jones |
? | N | Yes, another secret 337, by unincorporated Langworthy (Jason Hancock's research) | |
| 341 | 1988-July 1, 2003 |
IA 341 Palo Alto |
0.06 (317 ft., ca. 105 yds.) |
Y | ![]() |
Orig. 341 was Ruthven to Lost Island SP; remnant btwn old and current 18 |
| 356 | 2000-July 1, 2003 |
US 71 Dickinson |
0.94 | Y | 2002 PDF![]() |
Smudge on 2001 map; orig. 356 spur to Packwood |
| 368 | Dec. 13, 2002, 2003 |
IA 5 Warren |
>2 | N |
2003 |
Orig. 368 spur to Renwick |
| 374 | 1999-2000 |
IA 163 Jasper |
1.5 | D | ![]() |
Orig. 374 spur to Webb; E dead-end stub serves PCM school |
| 376 | Nov. 19, 2001 |
US 75 Woodbury |
9 | N | Former (now Business) US 75 through Sioux City; thanks to Kurt Berge for finding it | Orig. 376 spur to Colesburg |
| 377 | 1940s (-1980) -July 1, 2003 |
IA 377 Woodbury |
0.21 (1108 ft., ca. 369 yds.) |
Y |
2001 Sioux City |
Part of orig. 377 in SC; rest turned over in 1980 |
| 390 | Nov. 8, 2002-Nov. 1, 2003 |
US 218 Bremer |
? (~2) | D |
2003 (both) |
Old 218 through Plainfield; orig. 390 spur to Marathon |
| 392 | 1998-2000 |
IA 163 Jasper |
3.5 | D |
2000 |
Orig. 392 spur to Dubuque airport |
| 421 | 2000-Jan. 14, 2003 |
US 61 Muscatine |
0.71 | D |
Also assigned to old 61 through Blue Grass
|
Right along old 61 NE of Muscatine; Jason Hancock says trailer park and Casey's on road |
| 424 | 1999-July 1, 2003 |
US 218 Henry |
2.81 | N |
|
See big map below; old 218 N and S of IA 78; orig. 424 in Britt |
| 431 | 1998-2001 |
US 218 Bremer |
1.89 | N | See 116 map (segment outside of Waverly) | Bus. 218 N of IA 3; see big map below |
| 431 | 2004-2005 (probably) |
US 30 Marshall |
? | N | Mark Odor correspondence with DOT; through Le Grand after bypass | Part is orig. Lincoln Hwy. |
| 432 | 1997-Dec. 2002 |
IA 163 Mahaska |
1.9 | D |
2000 |
BGSs at S end stayed from when it was 163 until late 2003 or early 2004 |
| 438 | 2002, 2003 (-2003) |
US 218 Henry |
? | D |
534 is TEMPORARY designation for new 34 bypass; currently only used for connecting road. Number is echo of when DOT used to designate (not sign) new freeways as 5xx's (see 520) |
All of old 218 through town; 34 will not get designation after bypass because M.P. is already set to take it; currently only old 218 north of 34 |
| 475 | 1969-1975 |
US 75 Woodbury/ Monona |
31.8 | D |
1973 Rand McNally (prob. not signed in Iowa) |
Renamed IA 970 in 1975; old 75 N of Onawa; see also 970 |
| 478 | Oct. 2002- Oct. 2003 |
US 63 Chickasaw |
~.75 | D |
Left: 2003; below: MrSid file
showing actual extent of 478 (red line running north from 24) |
Number has no logical reasoning; kept on roll until DOT fixed RR crossing |
| 520 | 1968-1976 |
new road (to be 20) Hamilton |
3 | N |
1973 Rand McNally (prob. not signed in Iowa) |
Oldest freeway part; also 520 in Sioux City |
| 912 | 1997-1999 |
IA 141 Dallas |
0.22 (1161 ft., ca. 387 yds.) | D | Jason Hancock's research: "near IA 210". Curve just east of 210 had radius significantly increased with four-laning; this might have been old road | Lowest 9xx found |
| 913 | 1996-1997 |
US 61 Des Moines |
1.7 | D | Jason Hancock's research: "south of Burlington" | |
| 914 | 1996-July 1, 2003 |
US 71 Buena Vista |
1.01 | Y |
|
Old US 71 north of IA 7 (Bus. 71) in Storm Lake limits |
| 915 | 1986-1988 |
IA 3 Fayette |
0.3 | D | Jason Hancock's research: "in Oelwein"; prob. btwn. old and new routes (SEE 916 map) | |
| 915 | 1993-1994 |
IA 415 Polk |
3.7 | D | Jason Hancock's research: "Both ends are at IA 415 in the Ankeny area, has bridge over Rock Creek. My guess is that this was Polk City Drive west of Ankeny, as this was once an alignment of 415." | |
| 915 | 1995-1997 |
??? Monroe |
0.4 | D | Jason Hancock's research: In Albia, but unsure of which route | |
| 916 | 1986 (-1988) -July 1, 2003 |
IA 150 Fayette |
2.6 (1986) 1.3 (now) |
Y |
2001 |
Makes thicker red line on map; first was from old int. of 3/150 to present S end (3 segment became 915) |
| 917 | 1986-July 1, 2003 |
IA 22 Muscatine |
0.15 (792 ft., ca. 264 yds.) |
Y | ![]() ![]() 2001
Musc. |
Result of US 61 Muscatine bypass and reroute of 22 onto it |
| 918 | 1984-July 1, 2003 |
IA 16 Wapello |
1.12 | Y |
|
Makes thicker black line on map; Jason Hancock reports "Hwy 918" sign on road |
| 919 | 1984-1995 |
IA 363 Benton |
0.3 | D | Jason Hancock's research: Old part into Urbana removed when 363 was rerouted north of town to I-380 | Came in to Urbana on Ash Ave. |
| 920 | Aug. 14, 1984-July 1, 2003 |
IA 150 Benton/ Linn |
12.56 | Y |
2001 |
Old 150 that did not parallel I-380 |
| 921 | 1983-1984 |
IA 150 Linn |
1.1 | D |
1983 Cedar Rapids (921 in Hiawatha only) |
Center Pt./ Boyson Rd. to NCL CR |
| 921 | 1984-1985 |
IA 150 Linn |
12.5 | D | Jason Hancock's research: All of old 150 between SCL Center Point and NCL Cedar Rapids (extension of above 921), paralleled I-380 | Now W6E |
| 921 | 1985-July 1, 2003 |
US 218 Johnson |
2.49 | Y |
![]() |
Old 218 segment south of US 6 designated at same time as 965; there were two "Hwy 921" signs on road |
| 922 | 1984-1986 |
US 61 Muscatine |
1.3 | N | Jason Hancock's research: Old 61 btwn. bypass and IA 22; now IA 38/22 | Park Ave. in Musc. |
| 922 | 1987-1988 |
IA 149 Iowa |
1.3 | D | Jason Hancock's research: "through North English" | |
| 922 | 1989 |
US 151 Linn |
8.82 | N | 2001 |
Business US 151 in Cedar Rapids |
| 923 | 1982, 1983, 1985, (-1991), 1997 (-April 1, 2003) -July 1, 2003 |
US 218 Johnson/ Washington |
4.5 (1982) 9.0 (1983) 21.3 (1985) 19.5 (1991) 26.49 (1/1/03) |
Y |
Far left: Middle part, see big map below; Left: 1986 1982-83: Hills to IA 22 1983-85: Iowa City (Riverside Dr., current N end) to Hills 1985-91: Iowa City to Ainsworth (in '91, 2 mi. S of G36 decom'd) 1997-present: Broken - Ainsworth and Crawfordsville segments added |
Old US 218 designated in segments as freeway was completed Segment at left is east of Ainsworth See below map for more info Wash. Co. turned over April 1, 2003; rest July 1 |
| 924 | 1980-1982 |
None (P29) Webster |
4 | D |
1981 (924 is by "4", 144 by "7") |
Not any road before or since; IA 144 nearby was decom'd, restored |
| 924 | 1982-1992 |
US 61/151 Dubuque |
2.2 | D |
1991 Dubuque |
Rhomberg Ave. to old Eagle Pt. bridge |
| 924 | 1994-July 1, 2003 |
US 61/ Lee |
0.67 | Y |
![]() |
Was 998 before 1994; see big map below |

Big Maps: