Iowa 415 crosses Saylorville Lake over the Mile Long Bridge
On the southern edge of Ankeny, Iowa 415 turns west at the intersection of State Street and Oralabor Road, which is also the western end of Iowa Highway 160. The highway goes west for 2 miles (3.2 km) before turning to the north and reaching the access road to the Saylorville Lake causeway. Iowa 415 stays about one mile (1.6 km) east and north of Saylorville Lake coast, following the general northwest angle of the lake. Along the northern coast of the lake, Iowa 415 provides marina and beach access for those seeking recreation.[1]
At Polk City, Iowa 415 turns to the west along West Bridge Road, which becomes NW 112 Avenue as it leaves Polk City and turns to the southwest. NW 112 Avenue crosses Saylorville Lake over the Mile Long Bridge. Northbound Iowa 415, heading southwest, intersects NW Beaver Drive just west of the western coast. It continues south and west for 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) where it ends at a trumpet interchange with Iowa Highway 141 in Jefferson Township, east of Granger.[1]
History
Iowa 415 crosses the Barrier Dam on the northern edge of Saylorville Lake
Iowa Highway 415 was designated in 1959, first appearing on state maps in 1960, as a spur route from Des Moines to Polk City. It was created from an abandoned segment of Iowa Highway 60, which had been relocated to the west.[2] In the early 1980s, it was extended north from Polk City to 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Madrid, on Iowa Highway 17.[5] This route stayed the same until 2003 when it was rerouted from Polk City across Saylorville Lake to a new interchange at Iowa Highway 141.[6]
