 US 30 was created with the U.S. Highway System in 1926 , but the route it takes dates back to 1913 , when the Lincoln Highway Association ( LHA ) designated the route across the country . The brainchild of Carl Fisher , the Lincoln Highway was the first highway to cross the United States , connecting New York City to San Francisco . In Iowa , it was uncertain exactly where the Lincoln Highway would run . As of August 1913 , no definite route had been planned ; the only certainty was the route would pass through Iowa . Iowans raised over $ 5 million ( equivalent to $ 120 million in 2016 dollars ) for the construction of the road . On September 14 , 1913 , the Lincoln Highway Association announced the route . It was 358 miles ( 576 km ) of dirt roads , connecting Clinton , DeWitt , Cedar Rapids , Tama , Marshalltown , Ames , Jefferson , Denison , Logan , and Council Bluffs . The route was marked by a red , white , and blue tricolor emblazoned with an L. The route markers were painted upon telephone poles , bridges , and nearby buildings to show travelers the way . 
