How Much of Iowa is Covered by Gravel Roads? [PHOTO]
I'm convinced a country musician is singing a song about a gravel road 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, somewhere in the world. Whether it's in a massive stadium or an open mic night in Nashville, someone is singing about one every minute of the day.
Love 'em or hate 'em, gravel roads make up a big portion of Iowa roadways. You might be surprised to find out just how much of Iowa is covered by gravel roads. When I first looked into Iowa's gravel roads, I was somewhat shocked by how many miles and what percent of Iowa roads were made from gravel.
Pros and Cons
While you might hate that gravel roads can make your car dirty or they're noisy to drive on, there are some pros to using them, and one of the biggest reasons is they're cheaper than asphalt.
According to Mahindra Construction Equipment, rural areas in Iowa use gravel roads because they're less expensive than concrete, they're easier to maintain, and they're relatively easy to install. They also can help preserve a certain type of "rural ambiance" which is another reason you'll see so many of them in Iowa.
While gravel roads can be less expensive to install and they might make you feel at home, they do come with plenty of cons. They make your car dirty, there is a lot of dust left behind by someone driving on one, severe weather can make them undrivable, they're difficult to clean if there is a spill, they deteriorate much quicker than asphalt, and they do have less traction. It's much easier to skid or slide around on a gravel road than asphalt.
How Much of Iowa is Covered by Gravel Roads?
According to the Gazette, Iowa has more than 115,000 miles of gravel roads, which make up around 58% of the state's total road miles.
Am I crazy? I would've never, in a million years, guessed that nearly 60% of Iowa's roadways were gravel. According to the Gazette, 91% of Linn County uses hard-surfaced roads, which make up around 384 miles. 9% use gravel, which makes up 754 miles. After some quick math, there are 370 more miles of gravel roads in Linn County alone.
According to Bike Iowa, "Iowa comes in at 6th place in terms of the most unpaved mileage per state." What I find incredibly interesting is Bike Iowa also mentions Iowa's gravel roads connect almost every single community across Iowa's 99 counties!
Most Gravel Roads in the US?
If you search in Google, Which state has the most gravel roads? You'll get a few different answers that will show up with Google's AI system. Iowa makes an appearance, and Minnesota will show up, with 50% of Minnesota's public roads being made from gravel.
Colorado also makes an appearance with 70% of Colorado's roads being unpaved, and then Vermont has the "highest ratio of dirt to pavement in the country," with 8,550 miles of dirt roads, compared to 7,213 miles of paved roads.
This is one of the best representations you'll find of just how many gravel roads there are in Iowa. They literally cover the state!
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Gallery Credit: Kerri Mac
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