U.S. 218 North - Waterloo to Cedar Falls

U.S. 218 branches west at from its former alignment along Texas Street at Shaulis Road onto a freeway leading north to Interstate 380, U.S. 20 and Iowa 27.

12/29/23

The freeway along U.S. 218 extends 1.39 miles north to Interstate 380.

12/29/23

U.S. 218 utilizes the exit numbers of Interstate 380 at the exchange with U.S. 20 and Iowa 27 (Avenue of the Saints). I-380 south combines with U.S. 20 east across the Cedar River through Evansdale.

12/29/23

A high flyover takes the I-380 southbound mainline from U.S. 218 south onto U.S. 20 east.

12/29/23

A loop ramp (Exit 71 B) follows onto U.S. 20/Iowa 27 west across the south side of Waterloo to the Audobon neighborhood. The Avenue of the Saints corridor bypasses Waterloo to Cedar Falls, where Iowa 27 turns north along an expressway with Iowa 58.

12/29/23

I-380/U.S. 218 combine northward from U.S. 20 to a diamond interchange (Exit 72) with San Marnan Drive.

05/08/10

San Marnan Drive (former Iowa 412) originates at parallel Texas Street as a commercial boulevard angling southwest by Crossroads Center mall. The arterial parallels U.S. 20 west to W 4th Street.

05/08/10

Interstate 380 concludes a half mile north of the San Marnan Drive underpass where U.S. 218 intersects Mitchell Avenue.

05/02/20

Regulatory signs and beacons caution motorists of the freeway end as U.S. 218 transitions into an at-grade expressway between Mitchell and Hawthorne Avenues.

05/02/20

Mitchell Avenue constitutes a residential through street west to Miller Park and Kimball Avenue and east to Riverview Recreation Area.

05/23/08

U.S. 218 continues north along the Leo P. Roof Expressway toward Downtown Waterloo. The highway separates into a one way couplet between Williston Avenue and 6th Street before transitioning into a freeway en route to Cedar Falls.

05/02/20

U.S. 218 follows the Leo P. Rooff Expressway from Mitchell Avenue to Downtown Waterloo. Roof was Mayor of Waterloo between 1974 and 1984. During his tenure, he helped guide several beneficial projects to the metropolitan area including the $350 million interstate highway substitution plan in the 1980s.¹

12/29/23

The succeeding traffic light on U.S. 218 (Leo P. Woof Expressway) is at Hawthorne Avenue west of the Riverview Recreation Area along the Cedar River.

12/29/23

Hawthorne Avenue leads west from U.S. 218 between the Doe's and Liberty Park neighborhoods.

12/29/23

Curving northwest, U.S. 218 (Leo P. Rooff Expressway) continues to intersect Williston Avenue west to the Doe's neighborhood and 18th Street north across the Cedar River to the Ceder River and Northeast Side neighborhoods.

12/29/23

The Leo P. Rooff Expressway roadways diverge to accommodate a wide parklike median from ahead of Williston Avenue to a point north of W 9th Street. This at-grade stretch opened to traffic on November 21, 1991.²

05/23/08

A multi-use path runs along the northbound side of U.S. 218, resulting in some unique sign assemblies. The ensuing exits beyond forthcoming W 11th Street serve interests to Downtown Waterloo.

05/23/08

Exit 180 connects U.S. 218 with the continuation of Washington Street north to western areas of Downtown. Points of interest include the Grout Museum and Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.

05/23/08

U.S. 218 separates from Washington Street onto an elevated roadway to U.S. 63 at W 1st Street and Mullan Avenue.

05/23/08

West 11th Street provides another crossing of the parallel Cedar River east from U.S. 218 to Lafayette Street. Southward the street continues to the Doe's and Liberty Park neighborhoods.

05/23/08

Exit 180 is the slip ramp onto Washington Street north after W 11th Street. Washington Street comprises a east side frontage road to the freeway along U.S. 218 to Park Avenue, two blocks off the Downtown Riverfront.

05/23/08

W 9th Street ties into U.S. 218 north at the Exit 180 gore point.

05/23/08

U.S. 218 ascends onto a viaduct between 6th Street and Park Avenue northward to Exit 181 A for U.S. 63 (1st Street) north to the Downtown Riverfront at Young Arena. U.S. 63 separates into the couplet of 1st Street (north) and Mullan avenue (south) across the Cedar River.

05/23/08

Looking east at the Waterloo skyline from the U.S. 218 viaduct over W 5th Street.

05/23/08

Exit 181 A drops from U.S. 218 north onto W 1st Street ahead of Jefferson Street. U.S. 63 arcs northward from Downtown beside the Gates Park and Maples neighborhoods of north Waterloo to leave the city along an expressway to Denver and New Hampton.

05/23/08

Turning west, U.S. 218 enters a diamond interchange (Exit 181 B) with McKinley Street / Sergeant Road. U.S. 63 follows a couplet alongside the freeway to Sergeant Road, a multi-lane boulevard angling southwest by the Church Row Historic neighborhood and Black Hawk Creek to U.S. 20/Iowa 27. U.S. 63 joins Waterloo with Traer and Tama to the south.

05/23/08

U.S. 218 curves to the northwest from U.S. 63 across Black Hawk Creek to the split diamond interchange (Exit 182) with Fletcher and Ansborough Avenues. Exit 182 serves a John Deere plant, Riverfront Stadium via Conger Street east across the Cedar River, and National Cattle Congress.

05/23/08

Exit 182 departs U.S. 218 north at Fletcher Avenue. Fletcher Avenue is a residential street south to W 4th Street. Ansborough Avenue extends west from River Road at Conger Street by McElroy Auditorium as a commercial boulevard south to University Avenue (old U.S. 218).

05/23/08

An Iowa Northern Railway line spans U.S. 218 and the parallel service roads joining Fletcher and Ansborough Avenues at milepost 183.

05/23/08

Entering the diamond interchange (Exit 184) with Greenhill Road on U.S. 218 north. Greenhill Road ends just north of the freeway while connections with Rainbow Drive west lead motorists to the Hartman Reserve Nature Center.

05/23/08

U.S. 218 advances northward across the Cedar River toward Broadway Street / Exit 185 and Airport Boulevard.

05/23/08

George Wyth Memorial State Park lies west and south of U.S. 218 along the north banks of the Cedar River. Motorists are directed to the Broadway Street exit for Airport Boulevard south and Wyth Road to access the park.

05/23/08

Broadway Street is the historic alignment of U.S. 20 leading southeast to Franklin Street in Downtown Waterloo. The four lane boulevard extends east from U.S. 218 to the Greenbrier and Riverfront neighborhoods in north Waterloo.

05/23/08

Advancing west, U.S. 218 next enters an unnumbered directional cloverleaf interchange with Iowa 58 south and the Avenue of the Saints (Iowa 27).

05/23/08

U.S. 218 rejoins the Avenue of the Saints (Iowa 27) north from Cedar Falls to Waverly and Charles City. Beginning here, Iowa 57 extends west along former U.S. 20 to New Hartford and Iowa Falls.

05/23/08

Traffic bound for U.S. 218/Iowa 27 north to Waverly and Iowa 27/58 south to Hudson and the University of Northern Iowa depart in unison as the freeway mainline defaults onto Iowa 57 west to Downtown Cedar Falls. Iowa 27/58 comprise an expressway south to U.S. 20.

05/23/08