Iowa Highway 85
Encyclopedia
Iowa Highway 85 is a state highway
that runs from east to west in eastern Iowa
. Its western terminus is at the eastern city limits of Montezuma
. Its eastern terminus is at Iowa Highway 21
east of Deep River
.
. It heads in an eastward direction out of Montezuma, passing by County Road V18 along the way. The highway turns to the southeast as it enters Deep River
. After passing through Deep River, IA 85 heads eastward and meets IA 21
, where it terminates.
northward to Deep River, then headed west to meet with US 63 in Montezuma. However, on June 7, 1939, the segment between Deep River and What Cheer became renumbered as IA 21
. Finally, in 1994, the segment that ran through Montezuma to US 63 was turned over to that city and was decommissioned, causing the western terminus of IA 85 to be at the eastern city limits of Montezuma.
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
that runs from east to west in eastern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Its western terminus is at the eastern city limits of Montezuma
Montezuma, Iowa
Montezuma is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,440 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Poweshiek County.-Geography:Montezuma's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 41.584737, -92.525258...
. Its eastern terminus is at Iowa Highway 21
Iowa Highway 21
Iowa Highway 21 is a state highway that runs from north to south in central Iowa. It has a length of . Iowa Highway 21 has its southern terminus at Iowa Highway 149 west of Hedrick and its northern terminus at a freeway interchange with U.S...
east of Deep River
Deep River, Iowa
Deep River is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 288 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Deep River is located at ....
.
Route description
Iowa Highway 85 begins just to the east of MontezumaMontezuma, Iowa
Montezuma is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,440 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Poweshiek County.-Geography:Montezuma's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 41.584737, -92.525258...
. It heads in an eastward direction out of Montezuma, passing by County Road V18 along the way. The highway turns to the southeast as it enters Deep River
Deep River, Iowa
Deep River is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 288 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Deep River is located at ....
. After passing through Deep River, IA 85 heads eastward and meets IA 21
Iowa Highway 21
Iowa Highway 21 is a state highway that runs from north to south in central Iowa. It has a length of . Iowa Highway 21 has its southern terminus at Iowa Highway 149 west of Hedrick and its northern terminus at a freeway interchange with U.S...
, where it terminates.
History
When the highway was originally designated in 1920, it was not a paved road. The segment between Montezuma and Deep River was paved by 1955, with the remaining portion from Deep River to IA 21 being completed in 1966. On January 8, 1931, IA 85 was extended from What CheerWhat Cheer, Iowa
What Cheer is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 678 at the 2000 census.- The name What Cheer :When the future What Cheer was founded in 1865, it was named Petersburg for Peter Britton, the settlement's founder. This name was rejected by the Post Office, forcing a...
northward to Deep River, then headed west to meet with US 63 in Montezuma. However, on June 7, 1939, the segment between Deep River and What Cheer became renumbered as IA 21
Iowa Highway 21
Iowa Highway 21 is a state highway that runs from north to south in central Iowa. It has a length of . Iowa Highway 21 has its southern terminus at Iowa Highway 149 west of Hedrick and its northern terminus at a freeway interchange with U.S...
. Finally, in 1994, the segment that ran through Montezuma to US 63 was turned over to that city and was decommissioned, causing the western terminus of IA 85 to be at the eastern city limits of Montezuma.