The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved a request from a coalition of cities and counties along the former U.S. Highway 20 route to designate it as a historic auto trail. The 333-mile route between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers travels through 35 cities on the original 1926 path that are now bypassed by the new four-lane highway. Five local communities will be featured along the trail, including: Schaller, Early, Sac City, Lytton and Rockwell City. Members of the Iowa’s Historic Route 20 nonprofit are hopeful the designation will bring additional travelers and tourists to their communities and businesses. Efforts are underway to extend the auto trail beyond Iowa to include the entirety of the original highway from Boston, Mass. to Newport, Ore. To date, 11 other states have signed on to the initiative.
