Driving from Wisconsin Dells to Des Moines (Cedar Rapids, Iowa City: home, live)

[Nameless]

I'm going to be at Wisconsin Dells for Christmas and will be coming back home through Kansas City. I know we'll pass through Des Moines so that's why I titled it that.

What route would you take to get back to Des Moines? Would you take I-90 from Wisconsin over to 35 and back down to Des Moines?

Highway 20 from Dubuque over to 35? Is highway 20 all 4 lanes now? Speed limit?

Or Highway 151 from Dubuque down to Iowa City and then 80 over to Des Moines?

[dmguy30]

I'd take 151 from Dubuque to Iowa City...then west on I-80.

[WoodwardGirl]

My first instinct was the same as DMGuy. But if you plug it into the mapping programs, taking 151, which would seem like a timesaver as it cuts diagonally across rather than going west then south, is supposed to take 40 minutes longer than taking 90 across and 35 down. I *think* 151 is all four-lane now until you get to Marion.

If you do take 151, don't take it to Iowa City <grin>. If your goal is to miss traffic, when you get to Marion, turn south on state highway 13 -- there are a couple of stop lights but it is four-lane. Take it south to highway 30 and then 30 west to I-380, then that south to 80. 151 goes right through Cedar Rapids and the Amanas before getting to I-80, a good drive for hitting all the shopping centers (after Christmas sales!) but bad for trying to make time.

I do think that 20 is all four-lane now, too, at least from Dubuque to I-35. You do have some traffic in Dubuque to get to it.

But weather may get involved, too -- there may be areas you want to miss more than others. It's good to have options

[Nameless]

Thanks for the input. It does help some that my grandmother lives in Oskaloosa. So I'm fairly familiar with most of eastern Iowa.

I think our decision will be in part due to the weather and also how the roads are between Dubuque and the Dells. Mom doesn't like too much winding. We have to go that way on the way up to WI though because we'll be coming from Oskaloosa.

[wingit]

Another option would be to head south on Hwy. 61 out of Dubuque until you hit I-80. Highway 61 is all four lane from Dubuque to I-80.

[metro223]

one advantage is 20 is completely limited access all the way from dubuque to i-35.