Iowa Highway 3

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Iowa Highway 3 is a state highway that runs from east to west across the state of Iowa. Highway 3 is the longest state highway in Iowa, at 328 miles (528 kilometers) long. The eastern terminus of Iowa 3 is in Dubuque, Iowa at the U.S. Highway 61 / 151 White Street exit. The western terminus of Iowa Highway 3 at the western border of Iowa and South Dakota near Westfield where it meets with South Dakota Highway 50 over the Big Sioux River.

This is the second state highway to be designated Iowa Highway 3. The first Iowa Highway 3 existed from 1920 to 1941, and was an east-west route across the southern part of Iowa, beginning at Fort Madison and ending at the western border of Iowa near Nebraska City, Nebraska. The current Iowa Highway 3 route was designated in 1945.

Prior to the building of a four lane U.S. Highway 61 / 151, the eastern terminus of Iowa Highway 3 was at the intersection of Bluff Street and U.S. Highway 20 (Dodge Street).

From Dubuque, Iowa 3 shares a route with U.S. Highway 52, following a northwest course to Luxemburg. At Luxemburg, Iowa 3 and US 52 meet with Iowa Highway 136. 136 ends in Luxemburg, and US 52 and Iowa 3 split off at that point. US 52 continues north while Iowa 3 continues west, going through communities such as Strawberry Point, Oelwein, Readlyn, Waverly, Shell Rock, Allison, Dumont, Hampton, Clarion, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Le Mars, and Akron. At Akron, Highway 3 turns south towards Westfield.