page_title: Interstate 280 (Iowa–Illinois)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Interstate 280 (Iowa–Illinois) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: I-74 I-80 I-280 (west of I-74)
context_page_description: Interstate 280 is an auxiliary highway that makes up the western and southern portions of the beltway around the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. The freeway starts at I-80 near Davenport, Iowa and ends at I-80 near Colona, Illinois; its eastern part runs concurrent with I-74 to return to I-80. I-280 forms the southern part of a circle around the Quad Cities as well as forming part of a bypass for U.S. Highway 61 around Davenport. This road is 26.98 miles long.
context_section_description: Interstate 280 has been at the center of a few debates regarding its routing. In the early 1990s, the state of Illinois suggested, via AASHTO and ISTEA hearings, swapping the I-80 and I-280 designations around the Quad Cities. The plan would have also changed I-74 to I-174. This was challenged by the state of Iowa, and the idea was dropped.
  One of the reasons Illinois pursued the matter was due to the configuration of the eastern terminus of I-280; as a simple cloverleaf interchange, through I-80 traffic (along the north and east branches) was required to exit on both directions. Thru I-74 traffic (along the west and south branches) is also required to exit on both directions. I-280 runs due west from the interchange.
caption: The original plan of I-280 matches the western half of the route today.
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