Historic Routes
Designated in 1910, the original White Pole Road followed along the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad from Des Moines to Council Bluffs. Poles along the route were painted white, and drivers were encouraged to travel the “Great White Way.” In 1932, sections of the White Pole Road officially became a part of U.S. Highway 6, once the longest continuous east-west route in the United States.
Today’s re-created section of the White Pole Road links the communities of Dexter, Stuart, Menlo, Casey and Adair. As you travel the beautiful Iowa countryside, keep an eye out for official White Pole Road markers. Visit historic depots, family parks, heritage attractions, and a marker where the notorious Jesse James Gang is believed to have committed the world’s first robbery of a moving train in 1873.
The White Pole Road runs parallel to Interstate 80 through Dexter, Stuart, Menlo, Casey and Adair, just north of Interstate 80 from exits 75 through 100.
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