U.S. 218

U.S. 218 travels just 319 miles overall between Keokuk, in southeastern Iowa, and Owatonna, Minnesota. The 273 mile route within Iowa is mostly four lane, with exceptions south of Donnellson, between southeast Benton County and Evansdale, and north of Floyd. U.S. 218 travels as a full freeway from Riverside north to Cedar Rapids as part of the Avenue of the Saints Corridor (Iowa 27) and partially alongside Interstate 380. Other freeway segments exist at Mount Pleasant, Waverly and Charles City.

The Avenue of the Saints is a multi-lane route linking St. Louis with the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Upgrades along U.S. 218 as part of the Avenue of the Saints Corridor took place from 1991 to 2006.¹ The corridor overlaps with U.S. 61 or U.S. 218 for the bulk of route from Ladue, Missouri to Floyd, Iowa.

The U.S. 218 expressway and freeway south of Interstate 80 was opened in stages from 1982 to May 23, 2006. The portion along Interstate 380 was completed between 1973 and 1976. Four laning of U.S. 218 north from Cedar Falls to Floyd took place between 1994 and 2003.

U.S. 218 Iowa Guides

U.S. 218 Business - Mount Pleasant

Signed only on guide signs along U.S. 218 at Exit 42 B and Exit 45, U.S. 218 Business follows the pre-freeway alignment of U.S. 218 through the city of Mount Pleasant. Locally maintained, the implied route follows Washington Street (old U.S. 34) west 1.11 miles from the exchange joining U.S. 34/218 to Grand Avenue east of Downtown Mount Pleasant. The business route lines Grand Avenue north 1.67 miles to the parclo interchange with U.S. 34/Iowa 163. Unsigned Iowa 438 coincides with the northern 1.16 miles taking U.S. 218 Business back to U.S. 218.

North

U.S. 218 Business heads north from CR H38 (Winfield Avenue) and Mount Pleasant to a parclo interchange with U.S. 34/Iowa 163. 03/30/16

U.S. 34/Iowa 163 combine with U.S. 218/Iowa 27 around the east side of Mount Pleasant back to U.S. 34 Business/218 Business along Washington Street. 03/30/16

U.S. 218 Business provides part of the movement from U.S. 34/Iowa 163 east to U.S. 218/Iowa 27 north to Iowa City. 03/30/16

U.S. 34 and Iowa 163 overlap west to Fairfield and Ottumwa. 03/30/16

Jewel Avenue ties into U.S. 218 Business at the westbound entrance ramp for U.S. 34 from 210th Street to the northeast. 03/30/16

U.S. 218 Business (Grand Avenue) north from the exchange with U.S. 34/Iowa 163 to the wye interchange with U.S. 218 north is unsigned Iowa 438. 03/30/16

U.S. 218 Business - Waverly

The Waverly business loop for U.S. 218 was designated after the freeway bypass opened to the west in December 1998.² The route lines the former alignment of U.S. 218 to Downtown along a 6.5 mile course between Exits 198 and 205. The 2.77 mile long section along 4th Street SW north to Iowa 3 is state-maintained and designated Iowa 116.

North

U.S. 218 Business (4th Street SW) transitions into a commercial arterial just north of the trumpet interchange with U.S. 218 at 29th Avenue SW. 05/23/08

U.S. 218 Business enters the Waverly street grid north at Waverly Memorial Park. A reassurance marker was posted after 5th Avenue SW along the two lane street until at least 2009, after which it was relocated one block further north. 05/23/08

A set of pedestal signals once operated at the intersection of 4th Street SW (U.S. 218 Business) and 2nd Avenue SW. These were removed by 2013, as was the house on the northwest corner of the intersection. 05/23/08

Entering the Waverly business district, U.S. 218 Business (4th Street SW) converges with Iowa 3 (Bremer Avenue). Iowa 3 stretches 322.91 miles across the width of the state, from the end of South Dakota Highway 50 near Westfield to Northwest Arterial in Sageville by the Dubuque city line. 05/23/08

U.S. 218 Business turns west onto Bremer Avenue in Downtown Waverly for a 0.99 mile long overlap with Iowa 3 to 20th Street NW. 05/23/08

Iowa 3 lines Bremer Avenue east to leave the city of Waverly en route to Oelwein. 05/23/08

scenes

County Route F46 (IWV Road) east becomes Melrose Avenue in Iowa City ahead of a diamond interchange (Exit 93) with U.S. 218/Iowa 27. 12/29/23

Melrose Avenue continues east from U.S. 218/Iowa 27 to the University of Iowa campus. U.S. 218 becomes Interstate 380 at the succeeding exit to the north. 12/29/23

Trailblazers for U.S. 20/Iowa 27 reference U.S. 218 south along Leo P. Roof Expressway from Williston Avenue in Waterloo. 12/29/23

Photo Credits:

12/29/23 by AARoads

Connect with:
Interstate 80
Interstate 380
U.S. 6
U.S. 20
U.S. 30
U.S. 34
U.S. 136

Page Updated 02-09-2024.