Keokuk business loop U.S. Route 61 Business (
US 61 Business) begins west of
Keokuk at the eastern intersection of
US 136 and
US 61 just north of their crossing into Iowa from Missouri over the
Des Moines River. As it travels into Keokuk, it follows US 136 and the two routes run parallel to the
Mississippi River just to the south. At the southern end of downtown Keokuk, US 136 turns to the southeast to travel across the
Keokuk–Hamilton Bridge to Illinois. This intersection is also the southern end of
US 218. US 61 Business turns north to follow US 218 out of the city. The two routes meet up with US 61 on the northwestern end of town and the business route ends. ;Major intersections
Fort Madison business loop U.S. Route 61 Business was created through Fort Madison, Iowa, along the former routing of US 61. The main route was rerouted around town along a new four-lane bypass in 2012. It begins at the interchange with
Iowa Highway 2 (Iowa 2) west of Fort Madison. The two routes run east together into town. Iowa 2 splits away to cross the river near downtown and the route turns north and heads out of town. It ends at another interchange with US 61 northeast of town. From 2011 to 2013, the portion of highway north of Iowa 2 was known officially as Iowa 961, but it was not signed as such. ;Major intersections
Muscatine business loop U.S. Route 61 Business was created in 1984 after U.S. Highway 61 (US 61) was rerouted around
Muscatine on a new four-lane bypass. It begins on the southern edge of Muscatine at the intersection of US 61 and
Iowa Highway 92 (Iowa 92). US 61 Business heads north through Muscatine's industrial area and into the downtown riverfront. It is joined by
Iowa 38 and Iowa 92 at an intersection near the foot of the
Norbert F. Beckey Bridge. The intersection marks the southern end of Iowa 38 while Iowa 92 crosses the bridge into
Illinois. A few blocks later, the three routes are joined by
Iowa 22. All four routes continue north for a mile before meeting US 61. ;Major intersections
Davenport business loop U.S. Route 61 Business was created in 2010 when
U.S. Route 61 was rerouted around
Davenport on
I-280 and
I-80. The route begins on the southwestern end of town at the interchange with I-280. From there, it heads towards the
Mississippi River along River Drive. For six blocks, US 61 Bus. is overlapped by
US 67, which joins from the south at the
Centennial Bridge and parts to the north when US 61 Bus. turns off. Most of the remaining route through Davenport runs along two one-way streets: Brady Street (northbound) and Harrison Street (southbound). Near 5th Street in downtown Davenport, the
Iowa Interstate Railroad crosses over Brady and Harrison streets. The vertical clearance of both bridges is only , which causes many trucks that attempt to pass beneath the bridge to hit or become stuck. This bridge was a major factor in US 61's realignment. Just south of Kimberly Road, which carries
US 6, the southbound lanes of US 61 Bus. turn onto Harrison Street from Welcome Way. North of 53rd Street, the two directions rejoin as one road. The route ends at the I-80 interchange on the northern side of town. The entire route is inventoried as Iowa Highway 461, but it not signed as such. ;Major intersections
Maquoketa, Iowa, business route The business route through Maquoketa follows Main Street through the downtown business district, and
Iowa Highway 64 along Platt Street. The route is unsigned, aside from a few circle "City Route 61" signs along Main Street. Although not designated until 1998, Main Street had essentially served as a "Business 61" since at least the mid-1970s, when U.S. 61 was moved to a two-lane bypass around the south and west parts of the city. The bypass was widened to four-lane
freeway in the summer of 1996, as part of a massive four-lane project of U.S. 61 between
Dubuque and
De Witt. ;Major intersections ==See also==