It heads eastward until Walnut, then briefly turns to the south before continuing east again.

They overlap briefly, then US 6 and US 71 turn north and IA 83 continues east on a previous alignment for US 6.

IA 83 passes through Wiota and ends in Anita at Iowa Highway 148.

On August 12, 1959, it was again expanded to the west from Avoca to near Neola at an intersection with the old IA 191.

Finally, on July 1, 2003, the highway was truncated west of US 59, forming its present-day alignment.