List of historic auto trails in Iowa

Last updated May 23, 2022

Prior to the primary highway system which exists in the U.S. state of Iowa today, signed highway routes known as auto trails were registered with the Iowa State Highway Commission. Organizations, such as the Lincoln Highway Association, volunteered to sponsor and register certain roads with the highway commission. Each organization chose their colors and designed route markers to guide motorists along the way. Eventually, confusion reigned and the highway commission took action. Beginning in 1920, primary road numbers were assigned to registered routes. Some of these registered routes, most notably the Lincoln Highway, are still famous today, while most have been long forgotten.

List of auto trails

	Atlantic–Yellowstone–Pacific Highway National route. Analogous to Iowa Highway 9, U.S. Route 71, U.S. Route 18, U.S. Route 218, and U.S. Route 20
	Black Diamond Trail Marshalltown to Cedar Falls Roughly analogous to Iowa Highway 14 and U.S. Route 20
	Black Hawk Trail Davenport to Davenport
	Black Hills Highway National Route. Analogous to U.S. Route 18
	Blue Grass Route Council Bluffs to Burlington Counties: Adams 'Analogous to U.S. Route 34
	Blue J Highway Lineville to Des Moines Roughly analogous to U.S. Route 65 and Iowa Highway 14
	Burlington Way Burlington to Cresco Roughly analogous to U.S. Route 61, Iowa Highway 70, U.S. Route 218, Iowa Highway 150, and U.S. Route 63
	Capitol Highway Lineville to Des Moines Analogous to U.S. Route 69
	Cedar Rapids, Ottumwa, and McGregor Trail Ottumwa to McGregor Also known as the Park Highway. Analogous to Iowa Highway 149 and U.S. Route 151
	Cedar Rapids, Urbana–Independence Short Line Cedar Rapids to Independence Roughly analogous to Iowa Highway 150
	Center Point Motor Club Cedar Rapids to St. Paul, Minn. Roughly analogous to Iowa Highway 150 and U.S. Route 63
	Chariton and Leon Short Line Leon to Chariton Analogous to U.S. Route 69 and U.S. Route 34
	Custer Battlefield Highway Omaha, Nebr. to Glacier National Park Analogous to Interstate 29 and Iowa Highway 12
	Daniel Boone Trail St. Louis, Mo. to St. Paul, Minn. Counties: Boone Analogous to U.S. Route 63, Iowa Highway 163, Iowa Highway 415, Iowa Highway 17, U.S. Route 30, and U.S. Route 169
	Denison – Sioux City Cut-Off Denison to Sioux City
	Detroit, Lincoln, and Denver Highway Denver, Colo. to Detroit, Mich.
	Diagonal Trail Davenport to Lake Park
	Diamond Trail Des Moines to Iowa City Counties: Benton
	Eldora – State Center and Colfax Highway Colfax to Eldora
	Everett Powers Highway Des Moines to Knoxville
	Farmers Highway Exira to Greenfield
	Glacier Trail St. Louis, Mo. to Glacier National Park
	Golden Rod Highway Nebraska City, Nebr. to Bedford
	Grand Line Lamoni to Hopeville
	Great White Way Council Bluffs to Davenport Counties: Adair Current routes: U.S. Route 6
	Green Crescent Muscatine to Cedar Rapids
	Hamlin Short Route Elk Horn to Guthrie Center
	Harding Highway Los Angeles, Calif. to Washington, D.C.
	Hawkeye Cut-Off Sioux City to Fort Dodge
	Hawkeye Highway Sioux City to Dubuque Counties: Black Hawk Current routes: U.S. Route 20, U.S. Route 218
	Herbert Hoover Highway Iowa City to Lowden
	Imperial Highway Sioux Falls, S. Dak. to Lansing
	Indian Trail Tama to Eldora
	I.O.A. Short Line Council Bluffs to Davenport
	Jefferson Highway New Orleans, La. to Winnipeg, Man.
	John D. Parmalee Trail Des Moines to Pleasantville
	King's Highway Cedar Rapids to Davenport
	Lincoln Hawkeye Pike Clinton to West Union
	Lincoln Highway San Francisco, Calif. to New York, N.Y.
	Lineville–Indianola Short Line Lineville to Indianola
	Marshalltown–Colfax Short Line Colfax to Marshalltown
	Marysville–Carroll Trail (M.C. Trail) Maryville, Mo. to Carroll
	Mississippi Valley Highway Louisiana to Minnesota Followed the same route as the Burlington Way.
	Muscatine – Des Moines Short Line Des Moines to Muscatine
	National Parks Pike Yellowstone National Park to Madison, Wis.
	Okoboji Trail Des Moines to Arnolds Park
	Old Military Trail Charles City to McGregor
	Perry Pike Guthrie Center to Ogden
	Pershing Way New Orleans, La. to Winnipeg, Man.
	Rainbow Trail Hawarden to Dubuque
	Red Ball Route St. Louis, Mo. to St. Paul, Minn.
	Red Line Route Missouri state line to Villisca
	Red X Route— 87 miles (140 km) Iowa City to Dubuque Current routes: Iowa Highway 1 and U.S. Route 151 Passed through Iowa City, Mount Vernon, Anamosa, Monticello, and Dubuque
	River to River Route Council Bluffs to Davenport Counties: Audubon
	Southwest Trails Kansas City, Mo. to Chicago, Ill. Counties: Appanoose Current routes: Iowa Highway 5
	Star Route Osceola to Des Moines
	Tall Corn Route Sioux City to McGregor
	Tourists Route Mount Ayr to Des Moines
	Washington Highway Seattle, Wash. to Washington, D.C.
	Waubonsie Trail Nebraska City, Nebr. to Keokuk
	Webster Trail Keokuk to Mt. Pleasant
	Whiteway–7–Highway Omaha, Nebr. to Chicago, Ill.
	Wilson Highway Missouri state line to Emmons, Minn.
	Woodward–Ogden Cut-Off Des Moines to Ogden

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References

Iowa Registered Highway Routes: 1914–1925 (PDF) (Map). Iowa Department of Transportation. 1986. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
Iowa Department of Transportation. "Routes and Roads Listed by County" . Retrieved March 24, 2010.
Junior Road Map: Eastern Iowa (Map). Rand McNally & Company. 1926. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
Junior Road Map: Western Iowa (Map). Rand McNally & Company. 1926. Retrieved March 24, 2010.

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