Four interstate highways traverse the state of Iowa. Traveling across nearly every region of the state, each highway has a different feel and provides a unique experience. If one has spent any time on either 35, 80, 380, or 29, one may be able to relate.

35 is the best interstate highway. Running north to south across the state, allowing one to view the change in the landscape from Minnesota to Missouri. North past Ames gets more boring as the road becomes flatter and there is less to look at. Fortunately, south of Des Moines is more fun as it is hillier and more wooden areas provide a wonderful contrast to the corn and beans. 35 never feels like a remarkably busy highway unless it is between Des Moines and Ames, especially so on a Cyclone gameday. Outside of this area, it never feels like one must dip, dodge, or duck semi-trucks.

Unlike 35, 80 feels like a racetrack. This busy highway has license plates from as far as the coastal states are traveling on it. With all the semi-trucks and when they pass each other, life can tough speeding up and slowing down on 80. At no point on this highway, traffic lets up. It is a constant barrage of vehicles. If one part of the state has lighter traffic, it is from Des Moines to Omaha. If one is traveling through the Des Moines metro, they are testing their patience. As for the views, this route is similar across the board as it sticks close to the same latitude. It gets hilly from here to there, but nothing like a rollercoaster. The best part is entering or leaving the state on 80 as the magnificent bridges provide beautiful views of the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers.

380 is the shortest of the interstate bunch. Extending from Iowa City to Waterloo, this interstate feels like a racetrack during rush hour between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Having driven this route multiple times from Des Moines, it is better to take 330 to get to Cedar Rapids than coming from Iowa City. This interstate provides quick access between some of the biggest cities in Eastern Iowa. Outside of rush hours, traffic is not as busy as 80. It is smaller in length, so the landscape is similar for most of the route.

The last interstate is 29. Going to Sioux City, traffic has never been busy along it, and it runs along the Missouri River. This provides one of the better views of Iowa’s landscape. One will drive next to the Loess Hills which provides a wonderful contrast to a typically flatter Iowa. Unfortunately, there is not much along this route outside of Sioux City and Council Bluffs.

If one finds themselves traveling these highways, they provide a good opportunity to see different nooks and crannies of the state. Some are better than others, and they give a chance to go across the Hawkeye State in a quick way. Get out on the road and let them take you to your next destination.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.