US highways in Iowa
(decommissioned routes are in italics):
6
18
20
30
32
34
52
55
59
61
63
65
67
69
71
75
77
136
151
161
163
169
218
275
For an explanation of the route listings, click here.

US 169
Length in Iowa: 235 miles/378 kilometers
Northern terminus: Minnesota state line south of Elmore, MN
Southern terminus: Missouri state line south of Redding
Entrance photos

Counties: Kossuth, Humboldt, Webster, Boone, Dallas, Madison, Union, Ringgold
Cities along route: Bancroft, Algona, Humboldt, Fort Dodge, Harcourt, Boxholm, Ogden, Minburn, Adel, De Soto, Winterset, Lorimor, Afton, Arispe, Mount Ayr, Redding

NHS: From US 18 in Algona to IA 141 in Dallas County
Freeway segments: None
Expressway segments: 6 miles, from IA 7 on the outskirts of Fort Dodge to the US 20 interchange
Multiplexes:
  • 6 miles with IA 9 in northern Kossuth County
  • 4 miles with IA 175 in Webster County, north and east of Harcourt
  • 4 miles with US 30 west of Ogden
  • 5 miles with US 6, between Adel and I-80 at De Soto
  • 2 miles with IA 92 west and north of Winterset
  • 6 miles with US 34 east of Afton
  • 2½ miles with IA 2 west of Mount Ayr
  • History
    Designated: October 23, 1930, replacing IA 16 (I).
    Paving history: At the time of designation, these segments were paved: IA 9 to Algona, the Humboldt/Webster county line to Fort Dodge, a point south of US 20 to IA 91 (now 175), the split with IA 17 (now 141) near Bouton to IA 7 (now 44) north of Adel, and from US 34 in Union County (including the multiplex) to the Union/Ringgold county line
  • 1931: Paved from IA 7 to Adel and from Winterset to US 34
  • 1932: Paved from IA 91 to US 30 (including the multiplex) at Ogden
  • 1933: Paved from the city of Humboldt to the Humboldt/Webster county line and from US 20 to a point south of Fort Dodge (on a new diagonal alignment)
  • 1935: Paved from Algona to the Kossuth/Humboldt county line
  • 1936: Paved from the Kossuth/Humboldt county line to Humboldt and from the North River crossing in Madison County to Winterset
  • 1938: Paved from the Union/Ringgold county line to Mount Ayr
  • 1940: Paved from the Minnesota state line to IA 9 (on a new alignment, creating IA 91 (II) to serve Ledyard; the old alignment also followed what is now County Road P50 between Ledyard and IA 9). It was also paved from County Road G (now E57) south of Ogden to IA 141.
  • 1947: Paved from De Soto to the North River crossing
  • 1951: Paved from Adel to De Soto
  • 1955: Last segment, from IA 2 west of Mount Ayr to the Missouri state line, paved

  • Major alignment changes:
  • November 18, 1960: Re-routed to the west of Fort Dodge (it had run into the city center); the old segment was redesignated as IA 413 and an extended IA 320.
  • 1976: Re-routed to the west and north of Winterset along a new two-lane bypass. The old route south of Winterset is now County Road P71.
  • November 19, 1990: Expressway segment between Webster County Road D20 and the relocated US 20 completed, connecting it with an existing segment between there and IA 7.
  • Business US 169
  • Fort Dodge: The second of two business US routes in Fort Dodge was designated along parts of IA 7 and US 20 after the US 20 expressway opened and IA 7 truncated in 1990. Officially designated as IA 926, it shares about two of its three miles with Business US 20 heading out of downtown Fort Dodge. (Terminus photos)

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    © 1997-2006 by Jason Hancock / Last updated December 3, 2006