Great River Road
Iowa
Map
Byway Details
- Designation
- National Scenic Byway
- Length
- 321 mi in Iowa
About Great River Road
Great River Road is a 320.6-mile National Scenic Byway running through Iowa, tracing a long north-to-south line from New Albin near the state's top edge down to Keokuk at its southern tip. It strings together dozens of river towns along the way, including Lansing, Marquette, McGregor, Guttenberg, Bellevue, Le Claire, Muscatine, Burlington and Fort Madison. Because the byway covers so much ground, it works well broken into stretches, with the towns on the route serving as natural stops. The northern section links small communities like Harpers Ferry, Clayton, Balltown and St. Donatus before reaching Bellevue and Sabula. Farther south, the road passes through Camanche, Princeton, Buffalo, Fairport and Montrose on the way to Keokuk. Late spring through early fall is the most comfortable time to drive it. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show September highs around 74°F with lows near 54°F, while July highs reach about 84°F. Winters are cold, with January highs averaging about 27°F. Outdoor stops sit close to the route. Point Ann, Chinquapin Ridge and Paint Rock Trail offer hiking, and the Mississippi River has fishing access near Bellevue State Park.
Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 61–84°F and lows of 42–64°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Genoa Dam 8, WI weather station, 5.5 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan27° high11° low
- Feb32° high14° low
- Mar45° high26° low
- Apr59° high38° low
- May71° high50° low
- Jun80° high60° low
- Jul84° high64° low
- Aug81° high62° low
- Sep74° high54° low
- Oct61° high42° low
- Nov45° high30° low
- Dec32° high18° low
Where it is
- Towns along the route
- New Albin · Lansing · Harpers Ferry · Marquette · McGregor · Clayton · Guttenberg · North Buena Vista · Balltown · Sherrill · Sageville · St. Donatus · Bellevue · Sabula · Fulton · Camanche · Cordova · Princeton · Port Byron · Rapids City · Le Claire · Hampton · Campbell's Island · Panorama Park · Riverdale · Rock Island Arsenal · Andalusia · Buffalo · Montpelier · Fairport · Muscatine · Fruitland · Oakville · Kingston · Gulfport · Burlington · Oak Hills · Wever · Niota · Fort Madison · Montrose · Nauvoo · Sandusky · Hamilton · Keokuk
Source: USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Point AnnHiking0.1 mi
- Adt - Illinois - I - Seg 3Hiking0.1 mi
- Chinquapin RidgeHiking0.1 mi
- Mississippi RiverRiver fishing0.1 mi
- Crapo ParkRock climbing0.1 mi
- Mississippi TrailHiking0.1 mi
- Paint Rock TrailHiking0.1 mi
- Softball CragsRock climbing0.4 mi
- Cattesse HollowRock climbing0.7 mi
- Paint CreekRiver fishing1.2 mi
- Wyalusing Park Canoe TrailCanoeing1.6 mi
- Dubuque Water TrailCanoeing1.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)
