(July 1, 1920-present)

This map is a guide for changes that happened in Charles City in 2006. Old routes are marked with gray shields. For a view of Charles City highways as a whole, see this image.

NORTH End: Stoplight, US 18 E/Brantingham St. and US 18 W/2nd St., Charles City, Floyd County

Facing east, but heading north, on 14 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

In May 2005, the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways approved a change to US 18's route in Charles City: "Beginning at the intersection of present W. Jct. US Route 218/Ia14/Ia27 and an existing facility west of Charles City then southerly and easterly over the facility for 3.57 miles to the E. Jct. US Route 218/Ia27, then northerly over an existing facility for 17.75 miles to the intersection of present US Route 18 in Charles City." (17.75 must have been a typo for 1.75 miles.) On the 2005 map, the red line for US 18 switched to the south side of Charles City. But the changes weren't realized until spring 2006, when new signs were put up throughout town. Because of this, 14's last northbound section goes southeastward and then curves to face straight east as it ends at 18.

At the very bottom of the picture, spray-painted on the street, is written "Jct 18 End 14 Locate." For pictures of this intersection before the changes, see the IA 162 page.

Facing east, but heading north, on 14 (7/16/20)

Facing east, but heading north, on 14 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Previously, westbound 18 approached this intersection from the opposite direction, but the eastbound turn for 18 remains the same. Freeman Street goes off to the right.

Facing east, but heading north, on 14 (7/16/20)

Facing west, but heading east, on 18, and heading north on Business 218 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Facing south, but heading west, on 18 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Before the change, west 18 went to the right. The reroute made US 18's route longer, but eliminated a hard turn west of downtown and added a few miles of four-lane.

Facing west, but heading south, on 14 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Despite the "South" marking, the road turns northwest.

A logo on a city vehicle shows the suspension bridge over the Cedar River. The 1906 bridge at the end of Clark Street was destroyed in the 2008 flood and replaced in 2010. (7/16/20)

Old NORTH End: Stoplight, US 18/218/Gilbert St. (later Business 218), Charles City, Floyd County

Facing northeast, but heading north, on 14 (7/31/05)

The route of US 18 in Charles City in 1931 was changed to almost the configuration it had right before the bypass (it crossed the river one block farther east), and it's possible that 18 continued straight ahead before then.

Facing northeast, but heading north, on 14 (8/13/06)

Photos by Jason Hancock

Before the reroute, there was no signage for Business 218 from 14. (Try not to confuse "218" with "To 18".)

Facing northeast, but heading north, on 14 (7/16/20)

Wait ... did they do exactly what I worried about? As we can see from the 2006 photos the "Jct Business 18" is a mistake that appeared some time in the 2010s.

Closeup view of sign/intersection (7/16/20)

Facing northeast, but heading north, on 14 (7/23/02)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Until the US 218 bypass of Charles City opened in August 2000, the street that 14 ended at carried the main routes of both US 18 and 218; as of 2006 it's just Business 218. The road ahead is Main Street, which goes past the Floyd County Courthouse into downtown Charles City without a number.

Facing northwest on 18/Business 218 (7/31/05)

US 18 signage is now gone from the area, as seen in the picture below.

Facing northwest on Business 218, but heading south on 14 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Facing west, but heading south, on 14 (with 18) (7/23/02)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Facing southeast on Business 218 (7/23/02)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Facing southeast on Business 218 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Facing southeast, but heading south, on 14 and Business 218 (8/13/06)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Notice the "Locate 14 Bus 218" written on the street.

Surrounding area information: US 18/US 218/IA 27 interchange

Facing south on 218, but heading east on 18 (sign has been replaced) (7/31/05)

When the Charles City bypass opened, 18 was piggybacked on 14 for the two miles into Charles City — and 14 wasn't truncated even though it had become a redundant multiplex. In 2006, this all changed; 18 was removed and 14 was left alone. (Perhaps this was a consideration all along.)

While it may not make sense on a map, it makes some sense on pavement. IA 14 coming into Charles City is two lanes and a nasty turn with a hill near the end. Business 218, on the other hand, is four lanes (undivided). The 18 post-bypass pre-realignment route going east through Charles City required left-left-right-left (offramp 218, turn on 14, end 14, 18 split from Bus 218). The change means traffic will just go left-right (offramp 218, off Business 218 onto old route).

In light of that, I've wondered whether it might make more sense to reroute 18 between 218 and 63 altogether, by using IA 346. But after further consideration, that's highly unlikely because of the situation through Nashua and past the Little Brown Church, not to mention that the New Hampton bypass was/is probably justified in part by the US 18 traffic.

Facing south on 218, but heading east on 18 (sign has been replaced) (7/31/05)

Due to numbering conventions, the southbound exit here uses 18's numbers, which means that 18 was exiting from itself at the time. Although it would violate the general rule of the lower-numbered route taking precedence, I think using 218's exit numbers around Charles City would have been a better idea since the road is still predominantly north-south. Changing the exit number on the south side of town to match US 18 both ways, making it Exit 218 and having 18 exit from itself again, unites the bypass numbers in relation to Mason City, but now is a greater separation from Waterloo.

Along the route

Abandoned IA 14, south side of Greene (6/26/04)

Grundy County Courthouse (1891) (6/3/14)

Taylor's Maid-Rite at the corner of 3rd and Church, a Marshalltown icon since 1918 (10/23/19)

Marshalltown owns her own water works, value half a million. Marshalltown owns her own street lighting plant. ... Has a wide and busy factory district where the famous Marshalltown brick masons and cement workers tools are made; a water governor which goes to the ends of the earth and is in use on German battleships [oops -Ed.]; contains the largest all steel furnace works in existence; where the steam traps installed in some of the most modern hotels of Chicago and of eastern metropoli and the finest homes on the continent are made and assembled. In this district everything from a locomotive or a steel viaduct to the little green pickle in the lunchbox is made or prepared.
Huebinger's Map and Guide for Iowa Official Transcontinental Route (1912)

Abandoned 1956 pavement at Lake Red Rock (10/15/10)

SOUTH End: Stop sign, IA 2/Jefferson St., Corydon, Wayne County

Facing south on 14 (6/16/03)

Facing south on 14 (7/11/07)

This is one of the few ends, believe it or not, that are still in a downtown. Street Atlas shows the last block of 14 half a block east of the straight route it comes into town on, because the Wayne County Courthouse block is right in the middle.

Facing west on 2 (6/16/03)

Facing east on 2, coming into Corydon (7/11/07)

Facing east on 2 (7/11/07)

Just to the right I saw a building frozen in time: It used to be the offices of a car dealership and prominently displays a rack of full-size pamphlets for Chevrolet's entire model line - of 1984. (7/11/07)

The rack was still there in 2007. (7/11/07)

This mid-20th-century courthouse seemed a bit ... different for the downtown and was the only "modern" courthouse I saw on my June 2003 trip though southern Iowa. (6/16/03)

Page created 10/7/02; last updated 10/10/07 5/15/22

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