U.S. Route 218

U.S. Route 218
Route information
Length:	319 mi (513 km) Iowa:272 mi (438 km) Minnesota:47 mi (76 km)
Existed:	1926 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 136 at Keokuk, IA
	US 34 at Mount Pleasant, IA I-80 / I-380 at Coralville, IA I-380 / US 30 / US 151 in Cedar Rapids, IA I-380 / US 20 at Waterloo, IA US 18 at Floyd, IA I-90 at Austin, MN
North end:	I-35 / US 14 at Owatonna, MN
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced ← Iowa 212 IA Iowa 220 → ← MN 217 MN MN 219 →

U.S. Route 218 is an original United States Highway, created in 1926. Although technically a spur of U.S. Route 18, US 218 neither begins nor ends at US 18, but overlaps US 18 for 8 miles (13 km) near Charles City, Iowa. US 218 begins at U.S. Route 136 in downtown Keokuk and ends 319 miles (513 km) away at Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 14 at Owatonna, Minnesota. A large portion of US 218 in Iowa is part of the Avenue of the Saints, which connects St. Louis, Missouri, and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Route description

Iowa

See also: Avenue of the Saints

U.S. 218 is part of the Avenue of the Saints between Floyd and Cedar Falls, and again between Cedar Rapids and a point south of Donnellson. North of Mount Pleasant, the parts of US 218 that follow the Avenue have been completely upgraded to four lanes, with either at-grade intersections or controlled access. When 218 is part of the Avenue of the Saints, it is co-signed with Iowa Highway 27.

Minnesota

U.S. 218 enters the state at Lyle, in Mower County. It follows along the east side of the Iowa, Chicago, and Eastern Railroad line as it continues northward through farm fields. Southeast of Austin, U.S. 218 angles northeastward to bypass the city, its former route following County Road 45 into town.

U.S. 218 passes by the Austin Municipal Airport just before its interchange with Interstate 90. The highway runs concurrent with I-90 for nearly three miles through northern Austin. When U.S. 218 departs from the interstate and turns back north, it becomes a four-lane divided highway for a short time. After its junction with State Highway 251, the highway angles north-northwestward again following the IC&E rail line, this time on the west side of the tracks.

The highway enters Dodge County for less than a mile, then reaches Steele County, Blooming Prairie, and an 8-block-long concurrency with State Highway 30. It continues north-northwest after leaving Blooming Prairie, traveling through predominantly agricultural scenery. It passes by Oak Glen Lake before going through the unincorporated town of Bixby.

After passing through the town of Pratt, U.S. 218 meets U.S. 14 at a folded diamond interchange. 218 runs westward concurrent with 14, while it's historic route through downtown Owatonna continues ahead as County Road 48. After an interchange with County Road 45 (former U.S. 65), 218 and 14 pass by Kaplan's Woods Park and reach Interstate 35, where U.S. 218 ends.

Legally, the Minnesota section of U.S. 218 is defined as Route 40 in Minnesota Statutes § 161.114(2).

History

In 1913, work on the road that is now U.S. 218 was begun. At this time it was called the Red Ball Route. It was called this because the original route was marked with poles which had red balls, six inches in diameter, mounted on each side. In 1920, the Minnesota portion of the route was designated as Constitutional Route 40, as part of the Babcock Amendment that established the Minnesota trunk highway system.

In Iowa, U.S. 218 was extended from its previous southern terminus, at its intersection with U.S. 30 in Benton County, in 1934 when U.S. Route 161 was split and renamed. The former U.S. 161 had extended from Dubuque, through Cedar Rapids, to Keokuk. After the split, the section of former U.S. 161 from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids extended U.S. 151 south, and the section of U.S. 30 from the former terminus of U.S. 218 to its intersection with the former U.S. 161 in Cedar Rapids, along with the section of former U.S. 161 from Cedar Rapids to Keokuk, extended U.S. 218 south.

In 1965, U.S. 218 was rerouted along bypasses of Austin, Minnesota and Owatonna, Minnesota, the latter following a route that would later become the U.S. 14 bypass of that city as well.

Major intersections

State	County	Location	Mile	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Iowa	Lee	Keokuk	0.000		US 136 west / US 61 Bus. south (7th Street) / US 136 east (Main Street)	South end of US 61 Bus. overlap
			3.480		US 61 south / US 61 Bus. south	South end of US 61 overlap; north end of US 61 Bus.
		Montrose Township	9.132		US 61 north	North end of US 61 overlap
		Charleston Township	18.746	18	Iowa 27 south – St. Louis	South end of Iowa 27 overlap
		Donnellson	20.673	19	Iowa 2 – Donnellson, Fort Madison
		Marion Township	30.760		Iowa 16
	Henry	Mount Pleasant	41.663	40	255th Street – Mount Pleasant
			43.349	42	US 34 east / US 218 Bus. east / Iowa 163 – Mount Pleasant, Burlington	South end of US 34 overlap; signed as exits 42A (east) and 42B (west)
			45.787– 47.223	45	US 218 Bus. (Iowa 438) to US 34 west / Iowa 163 west – Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa	North end of US 34 overlap; US 218 Bus. only signed southbound
		Olds	55.447		Iowa 78
	Washington	Oregon Township	67.581	66	Iowa 92 – Washington, Columbus Junction
			70.960	70	Co. Rd. G36
		Riverside	81.072	80	Iowa 22 – Kalona, Lone Tree
	Johnson	Liberty Township	85.534	85	Hills
		West Lucas Township	89.708	89	Riverside Drive, Airport
		Iowa City	91.318	91	Iowa 1 – Iowa City, Kalona
			93.561	93	Melrose Avenue – University Heights
		Coralville	96.934	0	I-80 / I-380 north – Davenport, Des Moines	Southern end of I-380; Southbound exits signed 0A (eastbound) and 0B (westbound); exit numbers follow I-380
		North Liberty	100.980	4	Co. Rd. F28 – North Liberty
		Shueyville	107.791	10	Co. Rd. F12 – Swisher, Shueyville
	Linn	Cedar Rapids	110.750	13	Wright Brothers Boulevard SW – Ely, The Eastern Iowa Airport
			113.263	16A	I-380 north / US 30 east / US 151 north / Iowa 27 north	North end of I-380 and Iowa 27 overlaps; south end of US 30 and US 151 overlaps
			113.596	252A	6th Street SW	Exit numbers follow US 30
			115.780	250	Edgewood Road SW
			117.151	248	US 151 south / US 151 Bus. (Williams Boulevard SW)	North end of US 151 overlap
		Clinton Township	119.130– 119.651	246	16th Avenue / 80th Street – Fairfax
	Benton	Eldorado Township	135.239		US 30 west	End of US 30 overlap
		Vinton	148.199		Iowa 150 north
		Monroe Township	158.602		Iowa 8 west
	Black Hawk	Waterloo	179.468	71	I-380 south / US 20 / Iowa 27 – Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque	South end of I-380 overlap; signed 71A (eastbound) and 71B (westbound); exit numbers follow I-380
			180.535	72	San Marnan Drive
			181.116		I-380 ends	North end of I-380; exit numbers follow US 218
			182.864– 183.102	181A	US 63 north – Downtown Riverfront, Young Arena, Sullivan Brothers Convention Center	Signed as exit 180 southbound; no northbound entrance
			183.425	181B	US 63 south to University Avenue	Signed as exit 181 southbound; no southbound entrance
			184.201– 184.785	182	Fletcher Avenue, Ansborough Avenue
			185.659	184	Greenhill Road
			187.228	185	Broadway Street, Airport
		Cedar Falls	189.067	—	Iowa 27 south / Iowa 57 west / Iowa 58 south – Cedar Falls, Hudson, UNI, UNI-Dome	South end of IA 27 overlap
			190.719	189	Lone Tree Road
	Bremer	Waverly	200.256	198	US 218 Bus. – Waverly
			204.757	203	Iowa 3 – Waverly, Shell Rock
			206.757	205	US 218 Bus. – Waverly Airport
		Plainfield	214.012	212	Iowa 188 – Plainfield
	Chickasaw	Nashua	221.316	220	Iowa 346 / Co. Rd. B60 – Nashua
	Floyd	Charles City	230.538	218	US 18 east / US 218 Bus. / Co. Rd. T64 – Charles City, New Hampton	South end of US 18 overlap; exit numbers follow US 18
			234.114	214	Iowa 14 – Charles City, Greene
			236.238	212	US 218 Bus. / Co. Rd. B35 – Charles City
		Floyd	238.655		US 18 west / Iowa 27 north	North end of US 18 and IA 27 overlaps
	Mitchell	Burr Oak Township	249.987		Iowa 9 east	South end of IA 9 overlap
		Osage	253.985		Iowa 9 west	North end of IA 9 overlap
		St. Ansgar	265.754		Co. Rd. 105
			274.995 0.000		Iowa–Minnesota state line
Minnesota	Mower	Austin	12.195	180B	I-90	East end of I-90 overlap
			12.478	180A	Oakland Place	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			13.071	179	11th Drive NE	Interchange
			13.725	178B	CR 16 (6th Street NE)	Interchange
			14.347	178A	CR 45 (4th Street NW)	Interchange
			15.031	177	I-90	West end of I-90 overlap
		Lansing Township	20.633		MN 251
	Dodge	No major junctions
	Steele	Blooming Prairie	28.365		MN 30	South end of MN 30 overlap
			29.459		MN 30	North end of MN 30 overlap
		Owatonna Township	43.717	—	US 14	East end of US 14 overlap
			45.539	—	CR 45	Former U.S. 65
			46.739	—	I-35
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

Related routes

Further information: Interstate 380, U.S. Route 18, U.S. Route 161, and Avenue of the Saints

Mount Pleasant business route

U.S. Route 218 Business
Location:	Mount Pleasant
Existed:	2003–present

U.S. Route 218 Business was designated along a former routing of US 218 through Mount Pleasant, the northernmost 0.7 miles (1.1 km) are officially known as Iowa Highway 438. The routing was created as a result of construction of the Avenue of the Saints corridor through Iowa. The new Avenue of the Saints corridor took US 218 / IA 27 and U.S. Route 34 around the eastern and northern edges of Mount Pleasant. The Iowa 438 section of US 218 Business serves as a connector from southbound US 218/IA 27 to westbound US 34.

Waverly business route

U.S. Route 218 Business
Location:	Waverly
Length:	6.6 mi (10.6 km)
Existed:	December 1998–present

U.S. Route 218 Business was designated December 2, 1998 on the old segment of US 218 after it was routed around Waverly, spanning 6.6 miles (10.6 km). It intersects Iowa Highway 3 in downtown Waverly and runs concurrently for about one mile. South of Iowa Highway 3, U.S. Route 218 Business is officially known as Iowa Highway 116. U.S. Route 218 Business begins at exit 198 of US 218 / IA 27 south of Waverly and ends at exit 205 of US 218 / IA 27.

Charles City business route

U.S. Route 218 Business
Location:	Charles City
Existed:	2000–present

U.S. Route 218 Business was designated along the old alignment of US 218 in 2000 after the construction of the Avenue of the Saints corridor created a bypass around Charles City. Upon its designation, the route was officially known by two Iowa state highways – Iowa Highway 337 and Iowa Highway 162. Iowa 337 was deleted in 2001 and Iowa 162 was deleted in 2006 after US 18 was relocated through Charles City.

Browse numbered routes
← Iowa 415	IA 438	Iowa 922 →
← Iowa 110	IA 116	Iowa 117 →

External links

• Endpoints of US highways