Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway
The historic Lincoln Highway across Iowa, from Clinton on the Mississippi to Council Bluffs on the Missouri, through dozens of main streets.
Also known as Lincoln Highway across Iowa
- Length197 miles[1]Travel Iowa's route across the state is longer; lengths differ by source.
- Drive timeNot verified
- RoadsNot verified
- Start and endClinton on the Mississippi River to Council Bluffs on the Missouri River[3]
- Fees and passesNone[1]
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
Iowa's section of the Lincoln Highway, America's first coast-to-coast road, crosses the state from Clinton on the Mississippi River to Council Bluffs on the Missouri. Travel Iowa says it follows the Union Pacific rail line and links the main streets of 43 communities.
Bigger stops include Cedar Rapids, Marshalltown, Ames and Boone. Jefferson has the Mahanay Bell Tower, and Council Bluffs has the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.
We haven't verified a complete route line for this byway yet, so the map shows the stops only.
Stops along the way
-
Clinton
Mississippi River town at the east end.
-
Cedar Rapids
One of the larger cities on the route.
-
Ames
College town and home of the Iowa DOT.
-
Jefferson
Home of the Mahanay Bell Tower.
-
Council Bluffs
Missouri River city at the west end, with the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Sources
- America's Byways: Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Byways: The Official Travel Guide to Iowa's Byways (Iowa DOT) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway (Travel Iowa) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).