Interstate 880

Interstate 880 Iowa

Overview

Interstate 880 is a rural freeway linking I-29 at Loveland with I-80 north of Neola and Minden in western Iowa. The route provides a regional connection from I-80 west of Des Moines with I-29 south of Sioux City. Collectively with I-29 south and Interstate 680 around the north side of Omaha, I-880 also forms a bypass of the Council Bluffs/Omaha area.

Traversing the Loess Hills, I-880 rises from the Missouri River flood plain to a pair of rest areas and a scenic overlook. Two interchanges line the undulating route. County Route L34 links with I-880 south of Beebeetown and Iowa 191 with I-880 just west of the exchange with Interstate 80 in northeastern Pottawattamie County.

The redesignation of Interstate 680 to I-880 was announced by the Iowa Department of Transportation on October 14, 2019.1 Sign changes were implemented along the northern segment of I-680 in late October and November 2019.2 All I-680 guide signs were amended and mile markers and exits renumbered to reference I-880 by November 10, 2019. The cosigned portion with I-29 south to Crescent was unchanged at the time.7

Route Information

  • East End – Minden, IA

  • West End – Loveland, IA

  • Mileage – 19.63*

  • Cities – none

  • Junctions – I-29 I-80

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
* – This incorporates the entire mileage previously attributed to I-680 in Iowa. Google Maps estimates the total length of I-880 at 17.2 miles.

I-880 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

Location Vehicles per day
I-29 to CR L34 6,600
CR L34 to Iowa 191 6,600
Iowa 191 to I-80 6,800

Source: 2019 AADT – Iowa Traffic Data (IowaDOT)

I-880 Neola Township, IA

Interstate 880 eastbound in Neola Township, Iowa. 06/17/15

History

Interstate 880 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa was established by the Iowa Department of Transportation along the northern leg of I-680. Approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering on October 5, 2019, the designation aims to alleviate motorist confusion during closures of I-29 and I-680 due to flood waters from the Missouri River.3 With the need to differentiate the closures on I-29 and I-680 more accurately, communicating closures for local and regional travelers arose as an issue during the Spring 2019 flooding events. Renumbering the northern segment of I-680 as I-880 eliminates the confusion.2

The freeway for I-880 opened to traffic in its entirety along with Interstate 80 west from U.S. 59 on December 13, 1966.4 It was marked as Interstate 80N until 1973, when it was incorporated into an extension of I-680 northeast from Crescent.

Heavy rainfall over Nebraska and South Dakota in September 2019 resulted in another round of flooding from the Missouri River. Marking the third closure of I-29 and I-680 near Council Bluffs in 2019, all lanes of I-680 between the Mormon Bridge and Interstate 29 near Crescent, Iowa, and I-29 between N 25th Street in Council Bluffs and the north split with I-680 (Exit 71) near Missouri Valley were shuttered on September 21.5,6

East End I-80 – Minden, Iowa

I-880 East at I-80

I-880 east at I-80 - Neola, IA

The first sign for Interstate 80 (Exits 29A/B) posted along I-880 east appears ahead of Neola Creek. 02/22/20

I-880 east at I-80 - Minden, IA

I-880 continues a half mile from the diamond interchange (Exit 15) with Iowa 191 north and CR G8L south to the ramp partition (Exits 29A/B) for Interstate 80. 02/22/20

I-880 east at I-80 - Minden, IA

Crossing over Mosquito Creek, the eastbound roadway for I-880 turns southward into the three-wye interchange (Exit 16) with I-80. Exit 29B joins I-80 east 100 miles from the capital city of Des Moines. 02/22/20

I-880 east at I-80 - Minden, IA

Connecting traffic from Persia, Portsmouth, and Panama via Iowa 191 south, Exit 29B provides return access to I-80 southwest toward Council Bluffs and Interstate 29. 02/22/20

I-80 West at I-880

I-80 west at I-880 - Minden, IA

I-80 splits with I-880 2.5 miles west of the bridges crossing and old railroad grade and Keg Creek. 02/22/20

I-80 west at I-880 - Minden, IA

Interstate 880 is signed with Sioux City for the connection with I-29 north. The Missouri River city is located 89 miles to the northwest. 02/22/20

I-80 west at I-880 - Minden, IA

I-80 angles southeast to Neola, Underwood and Council Bluffs en route to Downtown Omaha while I-880 bee lines west to Loveland and I-29. 02/22/20

I-80 East at I-880

I-80 east at I-880 - Minden, IA

I-80 travels north from Neola to the three-wye interchange (Exit 27) with Interstate 880 west. Photo by Peter Johnson (06/21/20).

I-80 east at I-880 - Minden, IA

Advance guide signs omit control points for I-880 west on I-80 east. The route passes through unincorporated farmland to Interstate 29. Photo by Peter Johnson (06/21/20).

I-80 east at I-880 - Minden, IA

Left Exit 27 parts ways with I-80 east for Interstate 880 west back toward Omaha. Photo by Peter Johnson (06/21/20).

West End I-29 – Loveland, Iowa

I-880 West at I-29

I-880 west at I-29 - Loveland, IA

Interstate 880 lowers from the Loess Hills scenic overlook to Loveland and I-29. 02/22/20

I-880 west at I-29 - Loveland, IA

Interstate 29 travels north from I-880 to Sioux City and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 02/22/20

I-880 west at I-29 - Loveland, IA
I-880 west at I-29 - Loveland, IA

Interstate 880 concludes with two lanes continuing south along I-29 toward both Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska via I-680 west. 02/22/20

I-29 North at I-880

I-29 north at I-880 - Loveland, IA
I-29 north at I-880 - Loveland, IA

Interstate 880 branches east from I-29 at a trumpet interchange by the community of Loveland. 02/20/20

I-29 north at I-880 - Loveland, IA

Guide signs at the former split of I-680 east from I-29 north were greened out to display Interstate 880. 02/20/20

I-29 north at I-880 - Loveland, IA

I-29 continues 72 miles north to Sioux City while I-880 to I-80 east leads 116 miles to Des Moines. 02/20/20

I-29 South at I-880

I-29 south at I-880 - Loveland, IA

Interstate 29 travels south from Harrison County two miles to the trumpet interchange (Exit 71) with I-880 east. 02/22/20

I-29 south at I-880 - Loveland, IA

CR G12 extends west from parallel CR L20 (old U.S. 75) at Loveland to meet I-29 at Exit 72 ahead of Interstate 880. 02/22/20

I-29 south at I-880 - Loveland, IA

Sign changes were made to update I-680 east toward Des Moines as I-880 in November 2019. 02/22/20

I-29 south at I-880 - Loveland, IA

Exit 71 loops away from I-29 south onto Interstate 880 east. The rural freeway bee lines east across the Loess Hills to I-80 near Minden. 02/22/20

  1. @cnclbluffs511 (Council Bluffs 511). “The northern segment of Interstate 680 in western Iowa renamed I-880 https://news.iowadot.gov/newsandinfo/20.” Twitter, 14 Oct. 2019, 2:13 p.m., twitter.com/cnclbluffs511/status/1183808032993464320.
  2. “Northern tier of I-680 to be renamed I-880.” WOWT-TV (Omaha, NE), October 14, 2019.
  3. AASHTO 2019 Annual Meeting, Special Committee on U.S. Route Number, Agenda.
  4. “Iowa Completion Status of Interstate System as of January 1, 1982.” Iowa Department of Transportation.
  5. “Flooding closes parts of I-680, I-29 near Council Bluffs, Missouri Valley.” Omaha World-Herald (NE), September 21, 2019.
  6. “Flooding closes I-29, I-680 close due to flooding” Des Moines Register (IA), September 20, 2019.
  7. Brooks, Robert. “I-880 full signed” Message to AARoads. 10 November 2019. E-mail.

Page updated November 4, 2020.