Iowa Highway 165

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Iowa Highway 165

Abbott Drive

Length:

0.5 mi (1 km)

Formed:

1957

West end:

Abbott Drive (Downtown Omaha)

East end:

Abbott Drive (East Omaha)

Counties:

Pottawattamie

Major cities:

Carter Lake

Iowa State Highways
< IA 163		US 169 >

Iowa Highway 165 is an Iowa state highway west of the Missouri River that connects Omaha, Nebraska municipal roads for the main road to Eppley Airfield.

The 0.5 mile (0.8 km) road is the shortest highway in Iowa. It is totally within the town of Carter Lake, Iowa and is the only Iowa highway west of the Missouri River.

Although Carter Lake is west of the Missouri River it is part of Iowa. Prior to 1877 it was connected to Council Bluffs, Iowa by a large oxbow curve in the Missouri River. In 1877 the river straighted its course in a flood. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was still part of Iowa rather than Nebraska even though it is surrounded by Omaha and separated from Iowa by the new Missouri River channel.

After Eppley Airfield was built in the river bottoms to the east of Carter Lake, the shortest route from downtown Omaha to the airport was Abbott Drive which was routed through Carter Lake. Carter Lake initially maintained its section as a municipal road. When plans were made to upgrade to a jet port, the Iowa Department of Transportation took over the road. It has posted highway signs on the road as well as Iowa welcome signs on both ends. Abbott Drive is a municipal road in Omaha and so there are no Nebraska highway signs or Nebraska welcome signs.