NORTH End: Stop sign/T intersection, IA 2, near Farmington, Van Buren County
Facing north on 81
Photos by Jason Hancock
Jason Hancock says that unlike South IA 15, the mile markers reset. Unlike IA 38, the 2 shield isn't above the yellow double arrow.
Facing west on 2
Photo by Jason Hancock
The first town on 81 in Missouri is on US 136, just closer than the next town on 2 (west).
SOUTH End: Missouri state line, 2.7 miles south of Farmington, Van Buren County IA/Clark County MO
Facing south on 81
Photo by Ben Prusia
Facing south on 81 (first MO sign)
Photo by Jason Hancock
Facing north on 81
Photo by Jason Hancock
A photo that used to be on Ben Prusia's site shows that sign advertising - what else? - fireworks. That road is for the stand two pictures up.
Had the border between Iowa and Missouri been drawn straight in the early 19th century, the Highway 81 of the 21st century would be two miles longer in Iowa (double its length), south of the intersection with the road that becomes J56 near Mount Sterling.
SOUTH End of MO 81: Stop sign/T intersection, MO 16, near Canton MO, Clark County MO
Facing south on 81
Facing south on 81
Missouri 81 ends at MO 16 within 300 feet of 16's interchange ramps with US 61, and that is reflected in the signs on 16. (81 is not mentioned on 61.)
Facing east on 16
Facing east on 16 / Closeup
The green sign without mileages is MoDOT standard for an interchange. But, for whatever reason, along 61 northeast of Hannibal, the cities on the signs get smaller and smaller, until we have this one pointing to La Grange (pop. 1000) and Alexandria (pop. 166!) instead of Hannibal and Keokuk. Missouri does seem to be reluctant to list out-of-state cities at interchanges with four-lanes (see the use of Bethany over Des Moines on I-35), but this borders on ridiculous. If the requirement is that the city be on the route - which would rule out Mount Pleasant and Iowa City - Keokuk would do just fine since it's on 61.
Pictures by Jason Hancock: First-third, fifth, and sixth, 3/31/02
Pictures by me: Seventh-twelfth, 4/20/08
Page created 9/14/02; last edited 5/11/08
