A Comprehensive(?) Listing of the 900s - Page 1

Up to 924

What is a 900-series highway in Iowa?

"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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Longer than 2 miles

Signed

Decommissioned

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

2001 (does NOT touch 218; big map below)

2002 PDF; notice that alongside 218 it is gray (turned over), but a gray portion north of 218 (T64) is now black. Swapped most of 162 for this part of T64? (also see big map below to show it was T64)

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 2001 (old 34 through New London) 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

(north part; 2 parts; see below)

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 2001 2002 PDF Smudge on 2001 map; orig. 356 spur to Packwood
368 Dec. 13, 2002, 2003

IA 5

Warren

>2 N

Also includes old route through Pleasantville

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

2001

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 2001 (See big map below) 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 2000 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/
IA 998

Lee

0.67 Y   Was 998 before 1994; see big map below

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

 

Big Maps:

Far left:

IA 289 and 924 (both defunct)

Left:

Secret roads along US 218 (all defunct)

Red ovals, top to bottom:

IA 921 - Iowa City

IA 923 and 957 (not visible) - south of Hills

IA 923 (again) and 936 (not visible) - east of Ainsworth

IA 923 (yet again) - Crawfordsville

IA 424 - Olds and Swedesburg, north and south of IA 78

Below:

Business routes along 218 (north halves decommissioned in 2001)

IA 116 and 431 - Waverly

IA 162 and 337 - Charles City