NORTH End: Stop sign, US 20 and N14, Sac County
Facing north on 196
Photo by Neil Bratney
Originally, 196 turned west and then north to end at 20 just east of Sac City.
Facing north on 196
Facing north on 196
Facing east on 20
Facing east on 20
Facing west on 20
The creation of IA 196 was spurred by the realignment of US 71 through Lake View instead of going north on what today is M54 and meeting 20 at Sac City. Given the existence of a major route west from Lake View (IA 35, which later became IA 175) and IA 4 west of Early, I don't know the reasoning behind moving 71 over so it met 20 south of Early, instead of sending it north on today's 196 and making a US-US duplex through the county seat. (On the other hand, the realignment did decommission 4 between 20 and Odebolt.)
About these LGSs on 20, Neil writes, "IA 196's role as a cut-off become clear after looking at this distance sign from westbound US 20. No cities are along IA 196. Take it to get to US 71 south. If you want to go north on US 71, just keep going west on 20."
Facing west on 20
Photo by Neil Bratney
Facing south on N14
SOUTH End: Stop sign, US 71/IA 175, Sac County
Facing south on 196
Photo by Neil Bratney
Facing south on 196
Facing south on 196
Facing south on 196
Series C + smaller wide font + Series D + small narrow font = a very varying sign arrangement.
Facing north on 71, but heading west on 175
There's no signage for 20 here most likely because 71 went four miles westward before it turned north. Here the combined 71/175 route goes west again.
Facing north on 71, but heading west on 175
Facing north on 71, but heading west on 175
Facing east on 175, but heading south on 71
Facing east on 175, but heading south on 71
Although southbound 71 already intersected 20, 175 didn't, and one could still go north on 196 and then east on 20.
Facing east on 175, but heading south on 71
Facing east on 196
The south end of 196 is like the west ends of 363 and 383. The main road curves away from the four-way section line intersection while another road runs into the other route. This road comes from southbound 71/175 (with the "Stop Ahead" in the picture above) and 196 goes to the left. A right turn ends up right back at 71/175.
The next ten years
It seems like a long time, but US 20 MIGHT be four lanes in the area, or have a definite timetable for four lanes, in that time period. (Hey, it's only been 40+ years since the segment between Moville and Sioux City, what's another 10 or 15?) I had thoughts that the current route of 20 between US 71 and Moorland could become an IA 120, but that is not to be the case. According to an article in the March 24, 2006, Fort Dodge Messenger, the DOT told the US 20 Corridor Association it would not proceed with relocation plans until the counties involved agreed to take over old 20. On its face, this action leaves Sac City completely out in the cold. No state-maintained highway would be at or near the city limits. I don't think that leaving a county seat out of the primary system would be acceptable, so there are a couple of possible options: Extend IA 196 westward along old 20 to M54 in Sac City and then north to new 20, or swap the routes of US 71 and IA 196 so that 196 is now a connector running south of Early and 71 runs through Sac City. (IA 175 would remain in place, leaving that road under state control.) Extending 196 straight north along N14 wouldn't solve the isolated Sac City problem. Either way, the north end of 196 will have to change at some point.
Pictures by Neil Bratney: First, seventh, and ninth, 9/20/02
Pictures by me: Second-sixth and eighth, 6/12/05; tenth-nineteenth, 9/17/07
Page created 5/2/04; last updated 1/27/08