Iowa-style reassurance, WB at 25th St. in Council Bluffs.


All WB, leaving Atlantic and ending up near Council Bluffs at I-80 Exit 8 (the little sign makes it so easy to find where I am). CR M37 should not have a dash. CR G43 is an east-west road (all letters from A to J are such), but heads south from US 6 until 1st St. curves east into Oxford St. in Lewis. That's where CR M56 (north-south because it begins with M, see) joins it, and follows US 6 briefly west across the East Nishnabotna River before heading north again. To the untrained eye, that name looks like it came from the actual Indians instead of the misnamed American natives.


US 6 heads onto I-80 for awhile for no good reason, so I followed the former route (see big link at bottom) starting at US 169, which is where US 6 WB heads south to get to 80. Despite the sign, I'm on US 6, not junctioning it.


This Michael Summa sign was on I-80 WB in 1976 as US 6 leaves it at Exit 60. As you can see, US 6 was moved after the freeway was constructed.


WB on the west side of Des Moines (first photo) and EB on the east side. Even detour shields get the state name.


The former US 6 WB, 8th St. SW leaving Altoona and becoming NE 46th Ave. in Des Moines, meeting the current US 6 (Hubbell Ave.) and the former US 65 (now on a freeway). This photo is courtesy Michael Summa and from 1979 when this arrangement had not been superseded by the current one (US 65 and US 6 meet at I-80 Exit 142 but never share an alignment). Notice that the Iowa-style reassurance was in use even then.


Back to US 6 EB, continuing on what's becoming US 65 NB under I-80 at Exit 142, but only under half of I-80 because the EB side is being reconstructed. The second shield is on the right side of the road on the far side of the left turn, so its usefulness is quite limited.


There's also a stretch of US 6 east of Des Moines that follows I-80 (starting at IA 14 with yet another Iowa-style reassurance), so I once again follow the old road WB, through Colfax to the signal at 7th Ave. SE in Altoona.


Traveling from west to east past the Jasper County Courthouse on the north side of US 6 in Newton. I bet the other sides have justice-related inscriptions as well.


On the east side of Newton, old US 6 heads straight while US 6 WB bears left. The old road has a pair of relatively sharp curves on the outskirts of town to rejoin the current alignment at Halter Ave.


Hiawatha Pioneer Trail signs are fast disappearing, so to find two of them in 10 miles is exceptional. The second lime green specimen is just before the US 63 junction, so that should help you check if they're still there. (I have a closeup on my US 52 page.)


WB in the Iowan Amish Country (land of the seven Amana Colonies), second photo in Marengo.


The only place you'll see US 6 and I-280 signed together, EB just after leaving I-80 and just before US 6 jumps off at Exit 1.

I-480 and US 6
IA 192 and US 6/IA 192
I-74 and US 6/I-74
Old US 6, White Pole Rd.

Into Nebraska on US 6
Into Illinois on US 6
To I-29
Onto I-80
Onto I-35
Onto I-280
Onto US 61
Back to Iowa Roads
Back to Roads