Iowa Highway 139 is a 11.45 miles (18.4 km) long highway in northeastern Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

. Iowa 139 begins at Iowa Highway 9 east of Cresco

Cresco, Iowa

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,905 people, 1,652 households, and 1,004 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,184.1 people per square mile . There were 1,791 housing units at an average density of 543.1 per square mile...

 and ends at the Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 state line, continuing as Minnesota State Highway 139

Minnesota State Highway 139

Minnesota State Highway 139 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 139 at the Iowa state line and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S...

.

Route description

Iowa Highway 139 begins at Iowa Highway 9 on the Howard

Howard County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,566 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,367 housing units, of which 3,944 were occupied.-2000 census:...

/Winneshiek County

Winneshiek County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 21,056 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,721 housing units, of which 7,997 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 line 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Cresco. From Iowa 9, Iowa 139 curves north and east through the town of Kendallville, where it crosses the Upper Iowa River

Upper Iowa River

The Upper Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States.Its headwaters are in southeastern Minnesota, in Mower County near the border with Iowa. It then flows through the Iowa counties of Howard, Winneshiek, and Allamakee, and finally into the Upper...

, eventually straightening south of Winneshiek County Route A18. Iowa 139 ends at the Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 state line south of Harmony, Minnesota

Harmony, Minnesota

Harmony is a city in Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2010 census. The town bills itself as the "Biggest Little Town in Southern Minnesota" and features the largest Amish community in the state.-Geography:...

, and continues as Minnesota State Highway 139

Minnesota State Highway 139

Minnesota State Highway 139 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 139 at the Iowa state line and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S...

.

History

There have been two versions of Iowa Highway 139. The original was created in 1926 and lasted until 1929, serving a route between Iowa City

Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...

 and Tipton

Tipton, Iowa

Tipton is a city in Cedar County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,155 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cedar County.-Geography:Tipton is located at ....

 as a part of the Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover

Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...

 Highway.

The current version of Iowa Highway 139 came into existence in April 1930. In 1935, the highway was extended south from Cresco to Protivin

Protivin, Iowa

Protivin is a city in Chickasaw and Howard counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 317 at the 2000 census. Early settlers named the city after the Bohemian town of Protivín in what is now the south of the Czech Republic.- History :...

, but in 1980, this extension was turned over to Howard County

Howard County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,566 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,367 housing units, of which 3,944 were occupied.-2000 census:...

and is now Howard County Route V58.

Major intersections