Interstate 235 (Iowa)

Interstate 235
Iowa's Interstate Highways with I-235 highlighted in red.
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-35
Maintained by Iowa DOT
Length:	13.78 mi (22.18 km)
Existed:	December 14, 1961 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-35 / I-80 in West Des Moines
	US 69 in Des Moines US 6 in Des Moines
East end:	I-35 / I-80 in Ankeny
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Iowa Primary Highway System Interstate U.S. State Secondary Scenic ← Iowa 224 US 275 →

Interstate 235 (I-235) in Iowa is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that runs just north of downtown Des Moines through the heart of the Des Moines metropolitan area. I-235 runs from the junction of Interstate 35 and Interstate 80 in West Des Moines to the separation of the same two interstates in Ankeny. The highway is approximately 14 miles (23 km) long.

I-235, which had seen little improvement since its construction in the 1960s, was completely rebuilt and widened in a project that spanned most of the 2000s. Prior to the reconstruction, I-235 had two lanes in each direction with a third lane near downtown; the entire route now has at least three lanes of traffic in each direction, with an additional one or two lanes closer to the heart of the city. The modernized freeway now handles on average between 75,000–125,000 vehicles per day, making it the busiest highway in the state of Iowa.

Interstate 235 begins at the western intersection of Interstate 35 and Interstate 80, known locally as the West Mixmaster. Here, eastbound I-80 exits the highway, which becomes I-235 and joins northbound I-35. From the West Mixmaster, I-235 heads east. Almost immediately is a half-diamond interchange with 50th Street in West Des Moines. One mile (1.6 km) later is a partial-cloverleaf interchange with Valley West Drive, which was renamed from 35th Street in 1988 due to its proximity to Valley West Mall and Valley High School.