History
Primary Road No. 85 was created in 1920 with the advent of Iowa's primary highway system. At the time, it was a short spur route connecting What Cheer to Primary Road No. 2 in Keokuk County. In 1931, Iowa 85 was significantly lengthened north to Deep River and west to US 63 in Montezuma. In 1939, the route was shortened to its east–west section between Montezuma and Deep River as Iowa 21 was extended and it supplanted Iowa 85 south of Deep River.
Iowa 85 was paved in the mid-1950s; until then, the highway had been a gravel road. In the early 1960s, Iowa 21 was straightened through Keokuk County near Guernsey and Deep River. This caused the eastern end of Iowa 85 to move east back to the point where it had turned into an east–west route in the 1930s. The route would remain this way for nearly thirty years. In 1994, the westernmost one mile (1.6 km) of Iowa 85 was turned over to the City of Montezuma. The route now begins at the eastern city limits. Along US 63, signs at the former intersection of Iowa 85 now say "To Iowa 85".
Read more about this topic: Iowa Highway 85
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