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Great River Road: Lansing to Marquette, Driftless Area, Iowa
Photo: chief_huddleston · CC BY 2.0

Drives Iowa Iowa and Illinois

Great River Road: Lansing to Marquette

IA 26, IA 364, IA 76 · Lansing → Marquette

Leisurely26 mi35 min1,900 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,100 ftOne way
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The drive

This is Iowa's Great River Road in the northeast corner of the state. It leaves Lansing on North Front Street, which becomes County Road X52, and follows the Mississippi south to Harpers Ferry, then on to Iowa 76 and Marquette.

Effigy Mounds National Monument sits on Highway 76 between Harpers Ferry and Marquette, about 3 miles north of Marquette. The region is part of the Driftless Area, which escaped glaciers in the last Ice Age and kept its limestone bluffs.

Along the way

  1. Lansing
  2. Harpers Ferry
  3. Marquette
Elevation
1,900 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,100 ft
LansingMarquette
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
LansingMarquette
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Effigy Mounds National Monument charges fees; the park links its fee page from its website.
  • Check Iowa 511 for closures before you go.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Iowa 511.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Great River Road from Lansing to Marquette take?

Lansing to Marquette on County X52 and Iowa 76 is 26.3 miles and takes about 35 min without stops.

Where is Effigy Mounds National Monument?

It is on Iowa Highway 76, between Harpers Ferry and Marquette, about 3 miles north of Marquette.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Great River Road: Lansing to Marquette, from Lansing to Marquette