Jefferson Highway-Iowa

The Music Man Continues to Connect Travelers with Iowa

Businessmen, such as Iowa’s Mr. Edwin Meredith, who published Successful Farming and Fruit, Garden, and Home (later known as Better Homes and Garden), appreciated the success of other named highways and saw the economic development that could occur. The Jefferson Highway was designated in 1915 as a north/south route in the middle of the United States- with the tagline of “Pine to Palm” as it travels from Winnipeg, Ontario, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana. In Iowa, the 220-mile route is now known basically as Highways 65 and 69.

Be sure to stop at the Red Barn and Silo for Iowa info! 

If you are entering Iowa from the north on I-35, stop at the Top of Iowa Welcome Center. You can’t miss the red barn and accompanying silo. Grab info about the state and get some Iowan-ish things from the gift shop. Then head to Highway 65 in Northwood to begin your journey on the Iowa section of the Jefferson Highway. Enjoy an adult beverage late in the evening at Worth Brewing Company or continue to Manly to visit the Caboose Museum, Manly Junction Railroad Museum or Kaleidoscopes to You business. The latter offers handmade kaleidoscopes, a favorite toy for all ages.

Just north of Mason City, stop at Lime Creek Nature Center to stretch your legs on the 9-miles of trails over 440 acres of upland timber, open fields, restored prairies, flood-plain forests, and limestone bluffs. Great views of wildlife. Bring your camera and binoculars!

The Music Man experience, Surf Ballroom, and much more

Stop into Mason City for the “Music Man” experience. Native son, Meredith Willson, wrote the book, music, and lyrics for this 1962 Oscar-Nominated musical based on his hometown.  Stop at Music Man Square and learn more about the man and his music. There are plenty of places to grab lunch or cold brews. If you desire, stay at the Historic Park Inn, the last remaining Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel and have a meal at Markley and Blythe located inside the hotel.

If you feel creative, stop at Pottery in the Plaza and paint your own piece. After it is fired, the item can be shipped to you. For the music lovers, a side trip to Clear Lake is always encouraged to see the Surf Ballroom, the last gig for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and others before the plane crashed causing “the day the music died.’ The nearby crash site is marked and open for visitors as it pays homage to Holly with large-scale black eyeglasses the singer was known for.

Jefferson Highway joins up with Lincoln Highway

Continue on to Hampton for a stop at Beeds Lake State Park. Enjoy fishing, hiking, birdwatching, camping, and picnicking. In Iowa Falls, see the dam that harnessed the falls with a hydroelectric plant. Take a ride on the Scenic City Empress, a 50-passenger double-decker pontoon boat on the Iowa River.  Scheduled and private rides are available seasonally.

In the summertime, travel through the undulating fields of mostly corn and soybeans to the Reed-Niland Corner at the north edge of Colo, Iowa. This is the intersection of the Jefferson Highway with the historic Lincoln Highway. The café, still in operation, was once open 24/7 for travelers on the Jefferson and Greyhound bus lines as well as the auto traveler. The motel has some quaint rooms for rent and the station is now a museum for the Colo Historical Association.

Conjoining with the Lincon Highway, the Jefferson takes a westward  route towards Nevada. Stop into the Lincoln and Jefferson Highways Heritage Park at city hall and see the interpretive panels about both historic roads. The road then diverges onto two different routes with one marked as a “loop”. Either head down County S14 or continue on with the Lincoln Highway to Ames, the home of Iowa State University Cyclones, and enjoy their many “Cy” mascot sculptures placed around town.

Mr. Meredith made sure Des Moines was on the highway

Now take Highway 69 south out of Ames to the state capital of Des Moines. As with other large cities, there are parks, museums, sculptures, art galleries, and many places to eat and drink or stay overnight. Too many to list here. Mr. Meredith, one of the founders of the Jefferson Highway, made sure it went through Des Moines where his headquarters was located.

Here’s more to do along the Jefferson Highway

South of Des Moines, head to Indianola, the home of the National Balloon Classic. This yearly hot-air balloon extravaganza is held in late July- early August.

Stretch those legs again at Lake Ahquabi State Park and enjoy hiking, fishing, swimming, or paddling. Learn more about the area at the Warren County Historical Society’s Museum at the county fairgrounds. Open seasonally.

Or try your luck at the Lakeside Hotel and Casino in Osceola. Grab a drink at Revelton Distilling Company or take in a show at the Historic Lyric Theater. Nearby West Lake offers opportunities to kayak, canoe, fish, or picnic.

Just west of Leon, is the Little River Recreation Area offering fishing, swimming, picnicking, archery, camping and waterfowl hunting (seasonally).  Near Davis City check out the Nine Eagles State Park for hiking, swimming, and fishing.

Ending in Lamoni before heading on into Missouri, visit Liberty Hall, Joseph Smith III’s restored home and Spurrier School, a 1879-1930 one-room schoolhouse. Learn about the Mormon influence as they traveled southern Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah. Stop into the Southern Iowa Welcome Center located in the Amish Country Store in Lamoni. Be sure to pick up handcrafted wares. (Stop here first if entering Iowa from the south and do the above list in reverse!)

The route takes at least 5 ½ hours to drive straight through, so allow yourself a few days to slow down and enjoy all the Jefferson Highway Heritage Byway has to offer.

More information

https://www.traveliowa.com/trails/jefferson-highway-heritage-byway/99/

https://nsbfoundation.com/sb/jefferson-highway-heritage-byway/

 

Events

North Iowa Band Festival, late May, Mason City

Crossroads Festival, July 11-13, 2025 Colo

National Balloon Classic, July 25-Aug 2, 2025 Indianola

Lincoln Highway Days, late August, Nevada

Lamoni’s Annual Fall Festival (LAFF), October, Lamoni