The Iowa Highways Photo Gallery

The Lincoln Highway

A blurry photo of a Lincoln Highway banner. (Photographed by Sandor Gulyas)

The Lincoln Highway was America's first transcontinental highway, running from San Francisco to New York City. In Iowa it ran from Council Bluffs to Clinton via Carroll, Ames, Marshalltown, and Cedar Rapids, among countless other towns. When Iowa first numbered its state highways in 1920 it became Iowa 6, and when the US highway system was enacted in 1926 it became US 30. Although US 30 still follows the Lincoln Highway's general route, some portions were given different numbers as US 30's alignments changed over the years, and some segments have been abandoned altogether. Nevertheless, awareness of the Lincoln Highway has increased over the years thanks to the effort of organizations like the Lincoln Highway Association and communities along the route.

Western and Central Iowa
	The Lincoln Highway followed a "stairstep" alignment of gravel roads through much of Harrison County, but their intersections with US 30 are marked on street sign poles as this example shows.
	No, the Lincoln Highway isn't going to become a dirt road again. This is a shot of US 30 resurfacing between Carroll and Denison, photographed in mid-1998. (Photographed by Sandor Gulyas)
	Same sight, looking westbound. (Photographed by Sandor Gulyas)
	The Lincoln Highway logo is painted on this old signpost on US 30 west of Vail.
	The Lincoln Highway follows County Road E41 at Colo, which intersects US 65 at this unusual sight: an interchange between two two-lane highways. According to aerial photos at the Iowa Geographical Map Server, this interchange has been around since at least the late 1930s, likely making it the oldest highway interchange in the state.
	This Lincoln Highway sign is on a pole near Breskin Auto Parts and Service in Marshalltown. (Photographed by Mark Odor)

Tama
	This unusual big green sign in Tama is where US 30 turns northwestward toward Toledo (and the junction with US 63). Although there is no "up" arrow next to "TAMA," a closer look at the sign reveals that there was indeed one in the past.
	Almost immediately after leaving US 30, drivers would cross the restored Lincoln Highway Bridge en route to Tama's business district. It was built in 1915 and restored, thanks to a community-wide effort, in 1987.

There is a roadside park near the point where US 30 splits off from the old Lincoln Highway eat of Tama where people can view the bridge. The park features this Lincoln Highway banner, pole with the Lincoln Highway logo painted on it, and a sign from the restoration committee noting the history of the bridge. By mid-2007 the sign was replaced with a memorial plaque, as the photo on the right shows.

Here is a closer view of the original sign (top) and replacement plaque (bottom).

Belle Plaine
	Before 1937, US 30 — and the Lincoln Highway before it — went through Belle Plaine via what is now County Road E66, IA 21, and IA 131. This marker stands along IA 21...
	...in front of another Iowa Lincoln Highway landmark, the George Preston service station.
	This side view of the station — featuring tons of old gasoline company and other logos — is what drivers on southbound IA 21 en route to downtown Belle Plaine would see.
	A view of the garage.

Clinton
	After US 30/67 (Lincoln Way) in Clinton was reconstructed in 2000, street lamps were put up along the road. Clinton's version of the Lincoln Highway logo is present at the base of this lamp.
	Clinton's Lincoln Highway logo is also present on overhead street signs (top). Street signs at cross streets (bottom) feature images of a paddlewheel.