Iowa Highway 86 is a state highway

Highway

A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 that runs from north to south in northwest 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...

. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Highway 71 just north of Milford

Milford, Iowa

Milford is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,474 at the 2000 census. The town includes many businesses related to its location in the Iowa Great Lakes region.-Old Town:...

. Its northern terminus is 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...

 border northwest of Spirit Lake

Spirit Lake, Iowa

Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,261 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County.The town is located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region....

, where it continues onward as Minnesota State Highway 86

Minnesota State Highway 86

Minnesota State Highway 86 is a highway in southwest Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 86 at the Iowa state line, near Spirit Lake, IA, and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 60 near Windom and Wilder....

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Route description

Iowa Highway 86 begins at an intersection with US 71 north of Milford

Milford, Iowa

Milford is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,474 at the 2000 census. The town includes many businesses related to its location in the Iowa Great Lakes region.-Old Town:...

. It heads westward from this point before turning northward, passing through Wahpeton

Wahpeton, Iowa

Wahpeton is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 462 at the 2000 census.Wahpeton is part of the Iowa Great Lakes region of northwestern Iowa, which is a regional vacation and recreation destination...

. It continues northward, passing along West Okoboji Lake along the way. West of Spirit Lake

Spirit Lake, Iowa

Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,261 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County.The town is located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region....

, it intersects with IA 9. Further north, it reaches the Minnesota state border, where the highway terminates. It continues into Minnesota as MN 86

Minnesota State Highway 86

Minnesota State Highway 86 is a highway in southwest Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 86 at the Iowa state line, near Spirit Lake, IA, and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 60 near Windom and Wilder....

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History

Prior to its current alignment, the highway was originally designated as Iowa Highway 32. In February 1981, IA 32 was decommissioned from US 71 north of Milford to IA 9 west of Spirit Lake. The road was also extended from IA 9 northward to the Minnesota border. The old alignment of IA 32 was renumbered as the present day IA 86.

Major intersections