^Looking west beyond the junction with US Route 69 in Osceola, October 2024.
US Route 34, while in Iowa, spans the width of the state from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, forming the second main east-west highway north of Iowa's southern border. It serves the row of Iowa counties that's second from the southern border (the southernmost row of counties is connected by Iowa Route 2). US Route 34 first makes its way into Iowa by crossing the Missouri River near Plattsmouth, Nebraska. It's a four lane highway at first, but quickly shrinks down to a two-lane rural highway. US Route 34 stays a two-lane highway until Ottumwa, where it picks up Iowa Route 163. As Iowa Route 163 is a four-lane rural expressway for all of its length (outside of Des Moines), US Route 34 is a four-lane expressway for all of its time spent tagging along with Iowa Route 163. That time, by the way, lasts all the way until US Route 34 crosses the Mississippi River out of Burlington, Iowa, into Gulfport, Illinois. US Route 34 serves a lot of important locales in Iowa, including Red Oak, Creston, Osceola, Chariton, Ottumwa, Fairfield, Mount Pleasant, and Burlington.
An older photo was once featured for US Route 34 on this Iowa-oriented page, but that photo has been replaced by the next photo you see here. The older photo is still available for viewing, though, at the bottom of this page.
An older photo was once featured for US Route 34 on this Iowa-oriented page, but that photo has been replaced by the next photo you see here. The older photo is still available for viewing, though, at the bottom of this page.
My photo for US Route 34 in Iowa comes from the 4-way intersection with Iowa Highway 5 in Albia. This set of guide marker faces south for northbound travelers on Iowa Highway 5. This photo was taken as I was driving all of US Route 34 across Iowa toward Nebraska and Colorado, in October 2024.
The older photo for US Route 34 in Iowa is shown below.
The older photo for US Route 34 in Iowa is shown below.
My former photo of US Route 34 in Iowa comes from its intersection with Iowa Route 48 in Red Oak, Iowa. In particular, the sign assembly seen here faces north to southbound travelers on Iowa Route 48. This photo was taken in October 2021 as I was driving across southern Iowa.
Here are even more photos taken along US Route 34 in Iowa:
Here are even more photos taken along US Route 34 in Iowa:
US Route 275 splits from US Route 34 at the west end of the concurrency shared between these two routes. This photo looks west near Glenwood.
US Route 34 passes under US Route 59, but an access road in the southeast quadrant of the crossing ties the two routes together.
US Route 34 crosses Iowa Highway 34 at Red Oak.
Drivers can exit from US Route 34 at a diamond interchange if they wish to reach US Route 71.
In Corning, US Route 34 crosses Iowa Highway 148. This photo looks west toward the intersection.
Looking west at the west end of US Route 34's concurrency with Iowa Highway 25. The two routes ride eastward together into Creston.
In Creston, Iowa Route 25 splits away to go northward.
These don't look like the US highway markers you find in Iowa, but these are in Iowa! This photo looks east at the west end of the concurrency shared between US Route 34 and US Route 169. This scene is at the north end of the tiny town of Afton.
The east end of the concurrency shared between US Route 34 and US Route 169, east of Afton.
US Route 34 has an interchange with Interstate 35 on the west side of Osceola.
US Route 34 crosses US Route 69 in Osceola.
US Route 34 splits from US Route 65, but this photo looks west. This is the western extent of the concurrency shared between the two routes through the town of Lucas.
At Lucas, US Route 34 meets the eastern end of its concurrency with US Route 65.
An exit to Iowa Highway 14 is reached by US Route 34 in Chariton.
US Route 34 meets Iowa Highway 5 in Albia.
In Ottumwa, US Route 34 meets the southern end of Iowa 149 and the western extent of US Route 63's concurrency with the route. This photo looks west, and US Route 63 splits to continue north.
US Route 34 and US Route 63 share their concurrency through Ottumwa.
US Route 34 splits from US Route 63 on the east side of Ottumwa. This photo looks west at signage seen by westbound travelers joining the duplex of routes.
East of Ottumwa, US Route 34 meets the northwestern end of Iowa Highway 16, at an interchange marked as "Exit 199".
At Mount Pleasant, US Route 34 joins US Route 218 around the northern and eastern sides of town. This photo looks west at the point where US Route 34 joins US Route 218 toward the north.
In Burlington, US Route 34 meets a diamond interchange connecting to US Route 61 in Burlington.
The west end of the Mississippi River bridge used by US Route 34. This scene is encountered as one disembarks from the bridge, arriving in Burlington.
US Route 34 crosses the Mississippi River out of Illinois, heading west into Burlington, Iowa.