With the exception of a small portion at the northern end, the entire highway was within the Dubuque city limits.

From US 20, Iowa 32 headed north and immediately dropped 100 feet (30 m) in elevation into the valley of the middle fork of Catfish Creek.

Just to the northeast was an intersection with John F. Kennedy Road (JFK), which for the first six years of Iowa 32's existence, was the northern end of the route.

The road was planned as a four-lane highway bypass and alternate route to U.S. 52, which runs as a city street through Downtown Dubuque.

Construction began in the early 1980s on a two-lane section, which stretched from U.S. 20 (Dodge Street) to John F. Kennedy Road.

The largest developments include Asbury Plaza, Iowa's 8th-largest shopping center, and Medical Associates Clinic's West Campus.