From Albia, it travels north for four miles (6.4 km) before turning northeast towards Eddyville.

Just one-half mile (0.80 km) south of Eddyville, the highway crosses the Des Moines River.

Previously, US 63's northern end was in Des Moines, but it was shifted that year to follow Iowa 59 north of Oskaloosa.

For 63 years, the route of Iowa 137 remained largely unchanged; it ran for 25 miles (40 km) between Albia and Oskaloosa.

Iowa 137 was truncated to its current extent when the expressway opened on July 16, 1997.