Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway - Prairie Rivers of Iowa

Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway

Lincoln Highway Historic Property Survey

You're invited to participate in a 1st of its kind survey to assess the preservation needs of historic properties along the Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway in Iowa. Click here for details.

A community-driven statewide historical effort to preserve the story of the places and people of the byway.

→ We are committed to the conservation, preservation, and responsible use of all of the byway’s natural, historical, cultural, and community resources while building upon local assets strengthening and sharing its economic vitality.

→ Join us and thousands of other travelers along the Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway – Iowa’s section of America’s original Main Street.

Based on the historical routes, the byway features many loops — paved and unpaved — giving you a feeling for the history of the road and what it was like to travel in the original days of the automobile.

What will you experience?
→ Original Landmarks
→ Rural Landscapes
→ Urban Vitality
→ Iowa’s Unique Topography

The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is Iowa’s longest and most historic byway, traveling through more than 460 miles of history, recreation, and welcoming Iowa communities.

The Lincoln Highway was the first improved highway across the United States. Learn more about the byway and its history, find out about attractions and events along the byway with our Interactive Trip Planner.

Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway Activity Guide

The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway Guide explores the history and attractions, county by county, along the Lincoln Highway in Iowa including easy-to-use maps. It can be downloaded here or picked up at welcome centers, businesses, and attractions throughout Iowa.

Get Yours Here

See two new byway videos featuring breweries, distilleries, and wineries in eastern Iowa!

Lincoln Highway-Related Links
Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway on Facebook: Daily posts including motivational quotes, Lincoln Highway photography, history anecdotes, favorite byway locations, and upcoming events. Share your Lincoln Highway adventure with others on Facebook!

Official Map of the Lincoln Highway: A detailed Google Map of the entire coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway map, including several original routes and thousands of points of interest across the country, including many in Iowa (be sure to click “points of interest” to view attractions).

Iowa Lincoln Highway Association: The Iowa chapter of the national Lincoln Highway Association is a membership group dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and expanding access to the Lincoln Highway and its associated sites.

National Lincoln Highway Association: The website of the national Lincoln Highway Association, which is made up of thousands of members from the 13 Lincoln Highway states and beyond.

Lincoln Highway News: An entertaining blog by Lincoln Highway historian and author Brian Butko, who covers the Lincoln Highway across the country.

Lincoln Highway Digital Image Collection: This University of Michigan Library digital collection contains the records of the original Lincoln Highway Association (1910-1927). It includes dozens of vintage Iowa images.

“Iowa Byways” and the Iowa Byways design mark are registered trademarks. The word mark ‘Lincoln Highway’ is a registered trademark of the National Lincoln Highway Association.

Lincoln Highway Heritage
Byway Coordinator
Jonathan Sherwood