The Complete History of Taxis and Transportation in Iowa
From ancient travel routes and stagecoaches to railroads, streetcars, automobiles, traditional taxis and the digital rideshare generation.
Featuring the documented history of A2Z Taxi Service, the Burlington, Iowa, taxi company associated with the original TaxiIowa.com website in 2003.
The Earliest Transportation in Iowa
Thousands of years before Iowa became a state, Indigenous peoples maintained extensive transportation and trade networks throughout the region.
The Ioway, Meskwaki, Sauk, Dakota, Ho-Chunk, Omaha, Otoe-Missouria and other peoples have historical connections to lands now within Iowa.
Travel by foot and water
Early travel routes crossed prairie, woodlands, river valleys and natural crossing locations. Walking and watercraft connected communities and supported trade, agriculture, diplomacy and cultural relationships.
The introduction of horses
The spread of horses expanded mobility for many Indigenous communities. Horses enabled faster travel and increased the amount of supplies people could carry.
Historical perspective: Indigenous transportation systems existed long before commercial taxi companies, and form an important part of Iowa's transportation heritage.
The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers
Iowa's two major border rivers served as transportation corridors long before modern highways.
1819 — Early Missouri River steamboats
Steamboat transportation began developing along Iowa's future western border during the early nineteenth century. River transportation carried passengers, supplies and commercial goods.
1823 — The Virginia steamboat
The steamboat Virginia traveled the upper Mississippi River in 1823, passing the eastern border of present-day Iowa.
The rise of river towns
Burlington, Dubuque, Davenport, Keokuk and other Mississippi River communities grew around trade, passenger movement and commercial transportation.
Riverboats later faced increasing competition from railroads, which could transport passengers and freight through inland communities.
Iowa's Stagecoach Generation
Stagecoaches were among the first organized overland businesses carrying paying passengers in Iowa.
1838 — The first regular stagecoach line
Iowa's first regular stagecoach route began in Burlington in 1838. The route traveled through Fort Madison and Montrose toward St. Francisville, Missouri.
The journey covered approximately 45 miles and could take around 18 hours.
Coaches generally ran twice weekly, with fares of approximately ten cents per mile.
Life as a stagecoach passenger
Travelers endured rough roads, muddy trails, dust, winter weather and long journeys.
Passenger stops helped support hotels, taverns, stables, blacksmiths and other early businesses.
1870 — The stagecoach era changes
The Western Stage Company's final coach departed Des Moines on July 1, 1870.
Railroad expansion was dramatically changing the economics of intercity passenger transportation.
Burlington's connection: Burlington was the starting point of Iowa's first regular stagecoach route and later became the home of A2Z Taxi Service, the business documented using TaxiIowa.com in 2003.
The Railroad Revolution in Iowa
1856 — The Mississippi River bridge
A railroad bridge connecting Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa, opened in 1856.
This connection strengthened rail transportation into Iowa and the developing western United States.
1867 — Railroads cross Iowa
By the late 1860s, railroad connections extended across Iowa toward the Missouri River.
Railroads transformed agriculture, business, tourism and passenger travel.
Railway stations and hired vehicles
Train passengers needed transportation between railroad stations, hotels, private residences and commercial districts.
Horse-drawn carriages and later motor taxis helped provide connections between scheduled railway service and individual destinations.
The height of Iowa's railroad network
Iowa's railroad network grew to more than 10,500 miles at its historical peak during the early twentieth century.
Horse-Drawn Streetcars and Electric Railways
1868 — Dubuque
Dubuque established an early horse-drawn street railway system.
1869 — Des Moines
Horse-drawn streetcar operations began in Des Moines.
1882 — Fenelon Place Elevator
Dubuque's inclined railway became a distinctive example of passenger transportation technology.
1888 — Electric streetcars
Des Moines became one of the earliest American cities to operate an electric street railway.
1892 — Sioux City
Sioux City opened an elevated railway system.
As buses and automobiles became more practical, many street railway systems eventually disappeared.
The Arrival of Motor Vehicles and Early Taxicabs
1899 — Early automobile demonstrations
Automobiles were publicly displayed in Iowa during the late nineteenth century, including at a fair in Linn County in 1899.
1904 — Motor vehicle registration
Iowa began requiring motor vehicle registration in 1904.
Motorcars replace horse-drawn vehicles
The development of gasoline-powered automobiles gradually changed commercial passenger transportation.
Motor taxis could take passengers directly from a pickup location to a requested destination, subject to accessible roads.
Early commercial taxi operations
Across the United States, taxis commonly operated around railroad stations, hotels, shopping areas, and urban commercial districts.
Telephone dispatch, street hailing, mechanical taximeters and later radio dispatch became important features of the industry.
The identity of Iowa's very first licensed motor taxi company has not been established through the sources used for this archive.
Highways, Buses and Interstate Travel
1911 — Passenger bus transportation
Regular passenger motor bus service began between Charles City and Waverly.
1917 — Federal highway assistance
Iowa received federal assistance for highway development.
1919 — Official road maps
Iowa published its first official state road map.
1925 — Motor fuel tax
The state established a motor vehicle fuel tax.
1928 — Asphalt roads
Iowa recorded an important milestone in asphalt highway paving.
1958 — Interstate highways
Iowa's first interstate segment opened near Des Moines.
Interstate 80 and Interstate 35 would become major corridors for long-distance passenger transportation.
The Lincoln Highway
The historic Lincoln Highway helped establish long-distance automobile travel across Iowa.
Roadside hotels, restaurants, service stations and garages developed alongside major routes.
The Telephone Dispatch Taxi Generation
During much of the twentieth century, traditional taxi companies operated through telephone dispatch offices, radio systems and direct customer reservations.
Railroad station pickups
Hired transportation helped passengers travel between railway stations and hotels, businesses or homes.
Airport service
Commercial aviation created demand for transportation between airports and surrounding communities.
Medical transportation
Patients and families sometimes used ordinary passenger vehicles for non-emergency medical appointments.
Specialized medical transportation and accessible vehicle services represent separate operating categories.
Small-town taxi businesses
Smaller Iowa communities often had different passenger transportation needs than larger cities.
Some taxi operators combined local rides with package delivery, errands and other services.
Historic taxi advertising
Old telephone books, newspaper advertisements, business directories and preserved websites provide important evidence of companies that once served local communities.
One documented example is A2Z Taxi Service of Burlington, whose former website appeared at TaxiIowa.com.
A2Z Taxi Service: The Original 2003 TaxiIowa.com Website
TaxiIowa.com has a documented historical connection to A2Z Taxi Service in Burlington, Iowa.
The Internet Archive preserved a version of the former company's website on February 4, 2003.
A2Z Taxi Service
The preserved website described the company as a Burlington taxi and delivery service.
The company advertised newer, clean vehicles, fast and reliable transportation, and the use of PT Cruiser taxis.
Visitors were encouraged to contact the business for transportation and information about Burlington restaurants, hotels and local attractions.
Historical A2Z Taxi Service homepage, preserved by the Wayback Machine.
A reported beginning in August 2001
Historical directory profiles for A2Z Taxi LLC report that the business began serving Burlington and surrounding areas in August 2001.
That date is a company-reported history, not independently verified incorporation information.
The original PT Cruiser taxis
A distinctive feature of the former company was its promotion of Chrysler PT Cruiser taxis.
The company's original website featured a photograph described as one of its taxis.
The archived vehicle photograph is preserved in the next section along with the original website banner.
Other historical listings
The former company also appears in public transportation directories and local resource materials.
The Burlington Public Library's transportation directory contains an A2Z Taxi Service listing.
An updated Des Moines County community resource guide also retained a listing for A2Z Taxi.
These sources document published listings, but they do not establish whether the historical business remained operational at every later publication date.
Historical affiliation clarification: The A2Z Taxi Service material documents an earlier use of TaxiIowa.com. The present historical page does not claim to be the former company, its successor operator, or the owner of its historical telephone number.
TaxiIowa.com Historical Image Archive
The following images are connected with the website formerly used by A2Z Taxi Service in 2003.
They are displayed as historical records rather than modern company advertisements.
Complete historical website captures
Original archived advertising, company information and associated imagery.
Explore available Wayback Machine records for the original domain.
Archive note: Photographs and graphics are loaded from the Internet Archive. If an original file is unavailable, the linked archive record may still provide historical evidence. Independent reproduction may require permission from the original rights holder.
Burlington: From Stagecoaches to A2Z Taxi Service
Burlington holds a distinctive place in Iowa passenger transportation history.
The Mississippi River economy
Burlington developed as an important river community, with commercial transportation connecting passengers and freight to other settlements.
1838 — Iowa's first regular stagecoach route
Burlington became the starting point for a scheduled passenger service toward Missouri.
Railroads and passenger stations
Railway development created additional travel connections and demand for local transportation.
Motor vehicles and taxi companies
During the twentieth century, automobiles became a central part of passenger transportation.
The early internet era
By February 2003, A2Z Taxi Service was advertising its Burlington taxi business through TaxiIowa.com.
Local visitor information
The former A2Z website promoted Burlington attractions and offered visitors information about restaurants, hotels and local destinations.
This illustrates how locally operated taxi businesses sometimes served as information resources for out-of-town visitors.
Burlington's transportation legacy: The city appears in two very different chapters of commercial passenger travel: Iowa's first regular stagecoach line in 1838 and the preserved A2Z Taxi Service website in 2003.
Transportation in the Digital Generation
Modern Iowa transportation includes private vehicles, commercial taxis, app-based rideshare, passenger rail, intercity buses, public transit and specialized transportation.
Rural transportation
Residents of small communities may need to travel substantial distances to hospitals, airports, jobs and regional services.
Winter weather
Snow, freezing rain and road conditions can affect all types of passenger transportation.
Electronic reservations
Online booking, navigation, electronic payment and digital trip information continue to influence passenger expectations.
Preserving transportation history
Old taxi websites, phone books, newspaper advertisements and vehicle photographs can reveal the history of transportation businesses that might otherwise be overlooked.
The 2003 A2Z Taxi Service website is an example of how an internet archive can preserve the identity and advertising of a former local taxi business.
Historical Timeline
Indigenous communities establish transportation and trade networks.
Steamboats begin developing commercial transportation along the Missouri River border region.
The Virginia steamboat travels the upper Mississippi River.
Iowa's first regular stagecoach service begins in Burlington.
Iowa becomes a state on December 28.
The Mississippi River railroad bridge opens at Davenport.
A major railroad line reaches across Iowa.
Dubuque begins horse-drawn street railway service.
Des Moines introduces horse-drawn streetcars.
The Western Stage Company's final coach leaves Des Moines.
Dubuque's Fenelon Place Elevator begins operating.
Electric streetcar service begins in Des Moines.
Sioux City opens an elevated railway.
Automobiles are publicly displayed in Iowa.
Iowa establishes motor vehicle registration requirements.
A regular passenger bus line operates between Charles City and Waverly.
Iowa receives federal highway assistance.
Iowa publishes its first official state road map.
Iowa establishes a motor fuel tax.
Iowa opens its first interstate highway segment.
Historical A2Z Taxi business profiles report this as the beginning of Burlington-area operations.
The Internet Archive preserves A2Z Taxi Service advertising on TaxiIowa.com.
Uber launches in Des Moines.
Lyft launches in multiple Iowa cities.
Uber announces statewide Iowa coverage.
TaxiIowa.com presents an Iowa transportation history resource preserving the documented earlier domain use.
Original Sources and Transportation Archives
Preserved A2Z Taxi Service website.
Burlington transportation resources and historical taxi listings.
Stagecoaches, riverboats and nineteenth-century transportation.
Historical transportation dates and development milestones.
Horse-drawn and electric streetcars, buses and other transit systems.
Railway expansion and transportation infrastructure.
Archival collections and historical research resources.
Additional preserved historical website captures.
Research limitations: The exact corporate ownership history, final operating date of A2Z Taxi Service, and complete domain-registration history require additional primary-source records. Historical information presented here should not be mistaken for current company ownership or service availability.
TaxiIowa.com and Taxi Minnesota
TaxiIowa.com provides this historical information resource about Iowa transportation and the former A2Z Taxi Service website. For Minnesota transportation information, communities, history and travel resources, visit Taxi Minnesota.
Visit TaxiMinnesota.com