Statewide Iowa — Even in this age of smartphones and Google maps, the Iowa Department of Transportation is printing more than one-million traditional road maps this year.
The full-color map measures 27-by-47 inches and includes 942 incorporated cities and a few hundred more unincorporated towns. Mark Hansen, a DOT transportation planner, says there are several hundred changes with every printing, but only a few most people would spot.
The 2021-2022 map also contains a new four-lane highway heading into Dubuque, and Highway 30 is also now four lanes around Lisbon and Mount Vernon. While many Iowans carry cellular phones capable of using GPS to pinpoint their location, Hansen says there’s really no substitute for the printed-on-paper, fold-out version.
While fewer people are snapping up the maps from year to year, Hansen says there absolutely remains a strong demand for them and he assures, maps will not be going the way of the phone book.
The maps are available at drivers license stations, rest areas, welcome centers, county treasurer’s offices, all six Iowa DOT district offices and online at www.iowadot.gov/maps.
Besides every Iowa city from Abingdon to Zwingle, the map shows all highways, airports, rail lines, lakes, rivers, and major county roads. There are also detail maps for the state’s 16 largest cities.
