As it exits the small community, it turns to the southeast and then again to the east, forming a long S curve.

Through Tama County, the highway travels over a plain with farmland on either side of the road.

For the next 2.5 miles (4.0 km), the two highways run together until they reach the eastern limits of Dysart, which is also the Tama–Benton county line.

[1] Prior to becoming a primary highway, Iowa 8's route was a part of the Diagonal Trail, which connected Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Danville, Illinois.

[4] The Diagonal Trail was registered with the Iowa State Highway Commission on December 4, 1918.