Iowa is a state in the Midwest region of the United States of
America. The state makes international headlines every four
years as the state that hosts the first presidential primaries.
Iowa is bordered by Minnesota to the north,
Wisconsin to the
northeast, Illinois to the east,
Missouri to the south,
Nebraska
to the west, and South Dakota to the northwest.
The area
was purchased by France as part of the Louisiana Purchase and
officially became a state in 1846. Settlers who formed in the
Midwest established their communities along the existing rivers.
Today, many of the state's largest cities, such as Des Moines,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Dubuque, Sioux City and
Council Bluffs, sit on rivers. Agriculture used to be the
state's main livelihood, but the continued urbanization of the
state's population has resulted in a diverse mix of industries.
Although agriculture, as the economic engine of the state, has
declined significantly, it remains an important economic
component.
Though Iowa has long been considered a rural
state, it has a surprisingly rich cultural scene. The University
of Iowa in Iowa City is home to a number of important programs,
including the Iowa Writers Workshop, a program that has trained
a number of America's great modern writers. Iowa State
University in Ames also acts as a major cultural driver in the
central part of the state.
1 Des Moines - Capital and largest city of Iowa
2
Ames
3 Cedar
Falls
4 Cedar Rapids - second largest city
5
Council Bluffs
6
Dubuque - Located on the Mississippi River
7
Iowa City
8 Quad
Cities - consisting of the cities of Bettendorf and Davenport in Iowa,
and East Moline, Moline and Rock Island in Illinois
9
Sioux City
Villisca Axe Murders House in Villisca, Iowa is a famous site of a gruesome murder of the whole family that occurred here on June 10, 1912.
By Airplane.
Iowa's largest airport is centrally located in the state
capital, Des Moines (DSM IATA); the second most popular is Eastern Iowa
Airport (CID IATA) in Cedar Rapids in the eastern part of the state.
Dubuque Airport (DBQ IATA), Sioux City Airport (SUX IATA), Waterloo
Airport (ALO IATA), Burlington Airport (BRL IATA), Fort Dodge Airport
(FOD IATA), and Mason City Airport (MCW IATA) also have very small
scheduled passenger service airports.
For travelers using private
planes, there are dozens of general aviation airports and hundreds of
airfields.
By Car
Most people enter Iowa via I-80 if coming
from the east or west, or via I-35 if coming from the north or south.
Like many Midwestern states, both interstate highways are easy to
travel. There are a few 50-mile straight sections in the former, though
this is not true, to perpetuate the stereotype that Iowa is mostly flat
and uneventful. Illinois is flatter than any state in the U.S. except
Florida and Louisiana.
If you want to see what Illinois is really
like, get off the highway, ignore the fast food signs, and look for the
small towns that are the charm of the Midwest. US Highway 6, which
crosses the state in about 5.5 hours, runs parallel to I-80 for most of
the state, but offers a more diverse landscape. For a north-south trip,
US Highway 69 through Des Moines or US Highway 218 through Cedar Rapids
and Waterloo are recommended. State maps are available free of charge at
state "welcome centers" and rest stops. The state map lists attractions
such as Cedar Rock, a rare example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian style
of architecture, and the Scenic Route, a common county road.
By
Bus
Jefferson Line
Greyhound
Burlington Trailways
By
Train
Amtrak (Amtrak code OSC) (I-35 S to exit US-34 E, turn right at
S Ridge Rd), toll-free: +1 800-usa-rail (872-7245). Amtrak's Osceola
Station (Main and E Clay Sts) is 45 miles (72 km) south of Des Moines
via I-35. Aside from a casino, the town has few services for travelers.
Greyhound runs through Osceola.
Amtrak's Chicago/Denver/San Francisco
route also stops in Omaha (just across the Missouri River from Council
Bluffs), Creston (in south-central Iowa), and southeastern Iowa at
Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant, and Burlington. The Chicago-Los Angeles route
makes a stop in Fort Madison, the southeasternmost point of the state,
on its way to Kansas City.
By foot.
The American Discovery
Trail connects Iowa with Nebraska, Illinois, and both coasts.
By Car
Most people travel within Iowa by car. Like the Midwest,
Iowa's roads are laid out in a grid pattern. If you drive on the
highways outside the state, you will quickly find that there is an
intersection almost every mile. This makes it a relatively easy task to
figure out where you are and get from there to where you need to be.
Also, if you ask for directions, people will give you directions
according to their compass points. If someone says one mile east and
three miles north, and you are about to be turned around, don't be shy
about asking which way to go.
Travelers who are not used to ice
and snow may have a hard time driving in the Iowa winter. If you need to
travel during the colder months, plan ahead. Special snow tires or
chains are not usually necessary, but you will need to know how to drive
in winter conditions. Check the weather forecast and road conditions
well in advance and allow plenty of time. If a snowplow is dispatched,
wait until the roads are cleared of snow. Drive slower than normal and
leave at least three times the distance from the car in front. Be
prepared to deal with unseen blocks of ice, especially on and around
bridges.
The main routes within the state are as follows
Interstate 35: A major north-south interstate that connects Ames and Des
Moines, as well as regional cities such as Mason City and Indianola.
Interstate 80: This is the main east-west interstate through the state,
connecting major cities such as Davenport, Bettendorf, Iowa City, Des
Moines, and Council Bluffs. Most other major cities, such as Cedar
Rapids and Ames, are within a 30-minute drive from I-80.
Interstate
380: A branch of Interstate 80, connecting Iowa City to Waterloo via
Cedar Rapids. It terminates at US 20.
Interstate 29: Connecting
Kansas City to Omaha and Sioux Falls, this route runs mostly along the
Iowa-Nebraska border, connecting Council Bluffs and Sioux City.
US
30: The first transcontinental highway in the United States, US 30 runs
through central Iowa connecting Clinton, Cedar Rapids, Marshalltown,
Ames, Denison, and the Missouri Valley.
US 20: Another major
transcontinental highway, US 20 enters Iowa at Dubuque and connects
Waterloo, Fort Dodge, and Sioux City.
US 151 Starting at the Amana
Colony, this route heads northeast, connecting Cedar Rapids and Dubuque.
RAGBRAI (RAGBRAI: Ride Across Iowa Bike Rally). This road bike event
attracts cycling enthusiasts from all over the United States. Riders
start from a different town each year. They ride across the state for
seven days, with wheels on the Missouri River on one side and the
Mississippi River on the other.
State Fair Des Moines is home to the
nation's largest state fair, famous for its music and food. Many call it
the best opportunity to get all that Iowa has to offer. (Updated
September 2017 | edited)
Living History Farms, Urbandale (Exit 125
off I-80), ☏ +1 515 278-5286. an outdoor, hands-on agricultural museum,
Living History Farms offers a new way to enjoy history for people of all
ages. open to the public from May through October, the museum is open to
the public from May through October, and is a great place to learn about
the history of Iowa, Special events are held throughout the year.
Historical interpreters explain and demonstrate the lifestyles of Ioway
Indians in the 1700s, pioneers in 1850, townspeople in 1875, and farmers
in 1900.
Des Moines Art Festival The Des Moines Art Festival, which
began in 1958, is held in the heart of Des Moines in and around the John
and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Western Gateway Park. The annual
festival features visual arts, live music, performing arts, and
activities, as well as the Interrobang Film Festival.
Licensed
hunters may hunt deer, pheasant, and other legal game during designated
seasons. Adults and teenagers 16 years and older must have a fishing
license. Hunting is permitted primarily in November, December, and
January and requires a furharvester license. Licenses are limited, so it
is best to apply in advance.
Birding includes majestic bald
eagles in some locations and many backyard birds such as cardinals,
black-capped chickadees, American goldfinches, and blue jays.
Iowans call their state the "breadbasket of the world," and this is
reflected in their cuisine. From pork chops and pork barbecue to ham
steaks and baked potatoes to sweet corn and green beans, there are more
Midwestern dishes than you can eat in a lifetime. Most country towns
have a fast-food place or two if you're in a hurry, but the best places
are those that take a little longer and give you a chance to chat with
friendly locals over pie and coffee. You might even find yourself in a
country diner in the early morning with the farmers! Try a few:
The Maid Right Burger, also called the "tavern" or "loose meat" burger,
is similar to a hamburger, but the beef does not form a patty and is
cooked very finely.
Pork tenderloin sandwiches are breaded,
deep-fried, and hearty.
Hot roast beef sandwiches are served in
almost every diner. This homey dish consists of slices of roast beef,
mashed potatoes, and a light brown gravy on a slice of white sandwich
bread.
Taco pizza was invented in Bettendorf, but is now served
throughout the state. One of the pizza's most popular outlets is the
convenience store. Iowans are split between Casey's and Kum 'n Go. In
many small towns, this is the only place you can buy hot pizza. If you
call ahead, they have fresh pizza waiting for you, or you can buy it by
the slice while you refuel.
Pie is Dessert It is not unusual for a
large restaurant to have as many as a dozen different kinds of pie. If
they have rhubarb pie, try it.
In towns with a strong ethnic
flavor, there are sometimes restaurants that specialize in the cuisine
of a particular country. Pella has Dutch food, Amana Colony has German
food, Cedar Rapids has Czech Kolash, Decorah has Norwegian food, and
several small towns have Danish food. Iowa has a large Latino
population, and there are many family-owned Latino restaurants that are
generally very good.
If you are having dinner at someone's house,
you might end up with fried or barbecued chicken, ham balls (similar to
meatballs, but made with ground pork and often with a sweet sauce),
spaghetti in tomato sauce, and various casseroles. At a party, you might
get a salty Chex mix. A potluck at a church or veterans' hall might seem
incomplete without a simmering pot of Binny Weenies (hot dogs and baked
beans) and a dessert made of cake or pie with jelly in between.
Prior to Prohibition, Iowa had a healthy wine industry, which is
growing again. Vineyards dot the state, each producing its own wines.
Des Moines has the largest selection and variety of stores for all
ages in the state, but the bustling college towns of Cedar Falls, Ames,
and Iowa City offer the state's most enthusiastic nightlife for the
(mostly) younger crowd (game days, especially during fall football
season, are popular with the older crowd). From Thursday through
Saturday nights, local bars and clubs are packed with young people.
Alcohol is not available for purchase until 2:00 a.m. in either bars
or stores. There are no separate stores for different types of alcohol,
and the alcohol content of beer is the same no matter where it is
purchased. There are no "dry" counties in Iowa, and alcohol is available
seven days a week.
Iowa has a thriving craft beer scene, with
notable breweries such as Millstream Brewing Company, based in Amana
Colony, and Okoboji Brewing Company in Iowa's Great Lakes region.
Topping Goliath Brewing Company in Decorah is a world-renowned
microbrewery with eight beers on Beer Advocate's Top 250 Beers list.
More than 80 other microbreweries are scattered throughout the state,
including Confluence Brewing Company and Exile Brewing Company in Des
Moines, Back Pocket Brewing in Coralville, and Single Speed Brewing in
Cedar Falls The state has more than 80 microbreweries scattered
throughout the state.
Rural Iowa is very safe and many people do not lock their car doors.
If you are visiting populated areas like Council Bluffs, Davenport, or
Des Moines, you need to use common sense.
For the most part,
Iowans are friendly, warm, and willing to help if you have a problem.
Iowa experiences four seasons in abundance: winter, mud, road
construction, and football. Football season is rarely a travel-related
problem, with only weekly traffic jams near the various football fields.
The first hard frost occurs during football season and early mornings
can be a bit slippery underfoot, but thousands of people are spared from
months of hay fever suffering. The other three seasons, however, can
bring inclement weather and unexpected changes in conditions for
travelers.
Thunderstorms are common. Thunderstorms can occur
anytime temperatures are above freezing.
Flooding can block
roads. This is primarily a springtime problem, when a combination of
melting snow and additional rain saturates the ground and fills rivers.
Tornadoes.Iowa is located in the unofficial "Tornado Alley," where
about 50 tornadoes occur each year. Most tornadoes are weak (but still
very strong by everyday wind standards) and usually damage a few trees,
break a few windows, blow down signs, etc. Tornadoes occur primarily in
the southwestern corner of the state, but tornadoes can also occur
elsewhere in the state, especially in the spring and summer months.
With this in mind, pay close attention to weather conditions when
traveling to or through the state, and frequently obtain information
about potential severe weather threats through television and radio.
Conditions can change rapidly and you do not want to inadvertently enter
the path of a dangerous storm.
For more information on this
issue, read our Tornado Safety page.
While not as cold and windy as the Dakotas, Iowa winters can be
harsh. We frequently experience heavy snowfall during the winter months,
sometimes well into April. Ice storms and ice storms can make roads very
treacherous. Most major highways are well maintained, but driving on
country roads after a winter storm can be nerve-wracking to say the
least. If you are traveling in the winter, keep up to date on local
weather and road conditions through television, radio, or the Iowa
Department of Transportation website.
While Iowa's snow storms
are not strong enough to be called blizzards, the best advice for
traveling during a snow storm is the same: stay on the road. If you are
going out, pack extra clothing, blankets, bottled water, a cell phone,
and a shovel in your car. If you are stranded, stay in your car, brace
yourself, and wait for help to arrive. Because of poor visibility, it is
easy to lose your bearings and get lost if you are out alone.
Historically, Iowa has been known to be politically volatile, with both liberal and conservative politicians. Iowa is also an unusually political state because of its role in the early stages of the presidential nominating process. Iowans tend to welcome political debate, but their usual friendliness can turn into hostile reactions, especially during the Iowa caucuses, which take place in January or early February, about 10 months before the quadrennial presidential election Every four years, Iowans are exposed to the ballot for all U.S. presidential elections The time presidential candidates spend parading around the state, holding town forums and debates, and canvassing for votes is far longer than other states have to endure. Feel free to ask Iowans their views on the presidential debates and hesitate to express your own opinions on political matters, but be respectful and don't take it personally if they are unwilling to engage in political discussion because of "debate fatigue."
Iowa is located in the heart of the Midwest, bordered by six states:
Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Missouri to
the south, and Nebraska and South Dakota to the west. It lies
approximately between 40°23'N and 43°30'N latitude and 90°8'W and
96°38'W longitude. Covering 56,272 square miles, Iowa ranks 26th in size
among U.S. states, with 55,857 square miles of land and 415 square miles
(0.74%) of water, primarily rivers and lakes.
Iowa’s topography
is characterized by gently rolling plains, part of the Central Lowlands
of the United States. The state’s elevation ranges from 480 feet above
sea level at the Mississippi River’s confluence with the Des Moines
River in the southeast to 1,670 feet at Hawkeye Point in Osceola County
in the northwest. The landscape was sculpted by glaciers during the
Pleistocene Epoch, leaving behind fertile loess soils and drift plains.
The Driftless Area, a rugged, unglaciated region in northeast Iowa along
the Mississippi River, features steep bluffs, deep valleys, and karst
topography, contrasting with the state’s otherwise smooth terrain.
Iowa’s geography is defined by its extensive river systems, which
have historically supported agriculture, transportation, and settlement.
The state is bounded by two major rivers:
Mississippi River:
Forms Iowa’s eastern border, a vital artery for trade and commerce,
historically navigable for steamboats and modern barges.
Missouri
River: Defines much of the western border, serving as a corridor for
early explorers and settlers.
Major interior rivers include:
Des Moines River: Iowa’s longest, flowing 525 miles southeast from
Minnesota to the Mississippi, historically powering mills and shaping
cities like Des Moines.
Cedar River: Drains central Iowa, flowing
through Cedar Rapids to join the Iowa River.
Iowa River: Traverses
eastern Iowa, supporting agriculture and small towns.
Sioux, Raccoon,
and Skunk Rivers: Feed into larger systems, creating fertile
floodplains.
Iowa has over 70,000 miles of streams and 1,000
lakes, mostly human-made, such as Lake Red Rock and Rathbun Lake, built
for flood control and recreation. The Loess Hills, a unique geological
formation along the Missouri River in western Iowa, rise 200 feet above
the plains, formed by wind-deposited silt and home to rare prairie
ecosystems.
Iowa has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb/Dfa), with cold
winters, hot summers, and significant seasonal variation. Average
temperatures range from 15°F in January to 77°F in July, with extremes
from -40°F to 110°F. Annual precipitation averages 34 inches, with a wet
spring (April–June) and drier fall. Snowfall averages 30 inches,
heaviest in the north. Iowa lies in Tornado Alley, experiencing 50–60
tornadoes annually, particularly in spring and early summer. Severe
thunderstorms, hail, and derechos (like the devastating 2020 derecho)
are common, impacting agriculture and infrastructure.
The state’s
flat terrain amplifies weather patterns, with minimal natural barriers
to Gulf moisture or Arctic cold fronts. Climate change has increased
precipitation variability, leading to more frequent flooding (e.g., 1993
and 2008 floods) and drought cycles, challenging Iowa’s agricultural
economy.
Iowa’s landscape is predominantly agricultural, with 85% of its land
(27 million acres) used for farming, making it the nation’s leading
producer of corn, soybeans, and hogs. The state’s fertile soils,
primarily loess and glacial till, are among the most productive in the
world, enriched by millennia of prairie grasses. Only 7% of Iowa’s
original tallgrass prairie remains, preserved in areas like the Neal
Smith National Wildlife Refuge (5,600 acres near Prairie City) and the
Loess Hills State Forest.
Forests cover about 8% of the state
(2.8 million acres), concentrated in the Driftless Area and along river
corridors, with species like oak, hickory, and maple. Wetlands, once
extensive, have been reduced by 90% due to drainage for agriculture,
though restoration efforts are underway in places like the Iowa Great
Lakes region.
Key natural areas include:
Effigy Mounds
National Monument: In northeast Iowa, preserving 200+ Native American
mounds, some shaped like animals, along the Mississippi.
Maquoketa
Caves State Park: In the Driftless Area, featuring limestone caves,
cliffs, and trails.
Iowa Great Lakes: A chain of glacial lakes in
northwest Iowa, including West Okoboji and Spirit Lake, popular for
boating and tourism.
Iowa is largely rural, with 64% of its 3.2 million residents (2020
census) living in rural areas or small towns. The state has 947
incorporated communities, most with fewer than 2,000 people. Major urban
centers include:
Des Moines: The capital and largest city (pop.
214,133), located centrally along the Des Moines River, a hub for
finance, insurance, and government.
Cedar Rapids: Second-largest
(pop. 137,710), in eastern Iowa, an industrial and cultural center along
the Cedar River.
Davenport: Part of the Quad Cities (pop. 101,724),
on the Mississippi, known for manufacturing and riverfront attractions.
Sioux City: In northwest Iowa (pop. 85,797), a historic meatpacking and
agribusiness hub on the Missouri River.
Iowa City: Former state
capital (pop. 74,828), home to the University of Iowa and a literary
center.
Iowa’s urban areas are compact, with walkable downtowns and
surrounding suburbs. Rural landscapes feature grid-patterned farmland,
dotted with grain elevators, barns, and small towns. The state’s 99
counties, each with a county seat, reflect a decentralized governance
structure, with courthouses often anchoring town squares.
Iowa’s flat terrain supports an extensive transportation network:
Highways: I-80 (east-west) and I-35 (north-south) are major
corridors, with 114,000 miles of roads, 24% paved. Rural roads serve
agricultural transport.
Railroads: Freight lines, operated by Union
Pacific and BNSF, transport grain and ethanol. Amtrak’s California
Zephyr stops in Burlington and Mount Pleasant.
Rivers: The
Mississippi and Missouri support barge traffic, with ports in Davenport
and Dubuque.
Airports: Des Moines International Airport is the
largest, with regional airports in Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and
Waterloo.
The state has 4,151 bridges, many aging, with 19%
classified as structurally deficient, a challenge for rural
connectivity. Iowa’s 1,300+ miles of trails, like the High Trestle
Trail, promote cycling and recreation.
Iowa faces environmental issues tied to its geography:
Soil
Erosion: Intensive farming erodes 5–7 tons of topsoil per acre annually,
threatening long-term productivity.
Water Quality: Agricultural
runoff, rich in nitrates and pesticides, pollutes rivers and contributes
to the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone.
Flooding: Major floods (1993,
2008, 2019) have caused billions in damage, necessitating levees and
reservoirs.
Loss of Biodiversity: Prairie and wetland loss has
reduced habitat for species like the monarch butterfly and prairie
chicken.
Conservation efforts, including the Iowa Nutrient Reduction
Strategy and prairie restoration, aim to address these challenges,
balancing agriculture with environmental stewardship.
Iowa’s history begins with Indigenous peoples who inhabited the
region for over 13,000 years. Paleo-Indian hunters followed megafauna,
leaving Clovis points dated to 11,000 BCE. By the Woodland period (1000
BCE–1000 CE), tribes like the Hopewell built effigy mounds, preserved at
Effigy Mounds National Monument. The Mississippian culture (800–1600 CE)
established villages along the Mississippi, with trade networks
extending to the Great Lakes and Gulf Coast.
By the 17th century,
tribes including the Ioway (Baxoje), Meskwaki (Fox), Sauk, Sioux
(Dakota), and Omaha lived in Iowa. The Ioway, for whom the state is
named, maintained semi-permanent villages, practicing agriculture and
hunting. European contact, beginning with French explorers Marquette and
Joliet in 1673, introduced trade goods and diseases, destabilizing
Native communities. The Meskwaki and Sauk, pushed west by conflicts in
the Great Lakes, settled along Iowa’s rivers.
French traders, under the Louisiana Territory, established posts
along the Mississippi, with Julien Dubuque mining lead near present-day
Dubuque in the 1780s. After the Louisiana Purchase (1803), Iowa became
U.S. territory, explored by Lewis and Clark (1804–1806), who noted the
region’s fertile prairies. The 1832 Black Hawk War, following Sauk and
Meskwaki resistance to removal, ended with the Treaty of Fort Armstrong,
ceding eastern Iowa to the U.S. Subsequent treaties (1836, 1837) forced
Native tribes to reservations in Kansas and Oklahoma, though the
Meskwaki later purchased land near Tama, establishing a settlement that
persists today.
Anglo-American settlement began in the 1830s,
with Iowa opened to settlers on June 1, 1833, as part of the Black Hawk
Purchase. Early settlers, primarily from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky,
established farms and towns along the Mississippi, including Burlington
(1833) and Davenport (1836). Iowa became a state on December 28, 1846,
the 29th in the Union, with Iowa City as its capital and a population of
102,388.
Iowa’s fertile soils and flat terrain made it an agricultural
powerhouse. By 1860, the population reached 674,913, driven by European
immigrants, including Germans, Irish, Norwegians, and Czechs. The
state’s grid-based land survey, part of the Public Land Survey System,
facilitated farming, with townships laid out in 36-square-mile sections.
Railroads, arriving in the 1850s (e.g., the Chicago and Rock Island
Railroad), connected Iowa to Chicago, boosting grain and livestock
exports. By 1870, Iowa led the nation in corn and hog production.
The Civil War (1861–1865) saw Iowa contribute 76,000 Union soldiers,
with no major battles on its soil. Post-war, the state’s economy grew,
with Des Moines replacing Iowa City as the capital in 1857 due to its
central location. The State Capitol, completed in 1884, became a symbol
of Iowa’s ambitions. The Granger Movement, advocating for farmers’
rights, emerged in Iowa in the 1870s, influencing national agricultural
policy.
Iowa’s economy diversified with meatpacking, machinery, and food
processing. Sioux City and Cedar Rapids became industrial hubs, with
companies like John Morrell and Quaker Oats. The population reached 2.2
million by 1900, with Czech immigrants settling in Cedar Rapids’ Czech
Village and Germans dominating rural counties. Education flourished,
with the University of Iowa (1847), Iowa State University (1858), and
numerous small colleges. Iowa City’s designation as a UNESCO City of
Literature reflects its literary legacy, including the Iowa Writers’
Workshop (founded 1936).
The Progressive Era brought reforms,
including women’s suffrage (Iowa ratified the 19th Amendment in 1919)
and prohibition, enforced early in Iowa (1880s–1933). The state’s rural
character persisted, with 80% of residents in rural areas by 1920. World
War I increased demand for Iowa’s crops, but the postwar agricultural
depression hit farmers hard, foreshadowing the Great Depression.
The Great Depression devastated Iowa’s farm economy, with corn prices
dropping to 10 cents per bushel. New Deal programs, like the
Agricultural Adjustment Act, stabilized prices, while the Civilian
Conservation Corps built parks and bridges. The Farm Crisis of the 1930s
saw foreclosures, but Iowa’s cooperative spirit, exemplified by farmers’
unions, aided recovery.
World War II boosted Iowa’s economy
through war production and agriculture. Factories in Des Moines and
Cedar Rapids produced munitions, and Iowa’s farms fed Allied forces. The
population stabilized at 2.5 million, with urban growth in Des Moines
and Davenport. Postwar prosperity brought mechanized farming, reducing
rural populations as families moved to cities.
Iowa’s population peaked at 2.8 million in 1980, declining slightly
to 3.2 million by 2020 due to rural outmigration. The 1980s Farm Crisis,
triggered by high debt and low commodity prices, led to bankruptcies and
consolidation, with corporate farms replacing family operations. Iowa
diversified into finance (Des Moines hosts Nationwide and Principal
Financial), renewable energy (leading in ethanol and wind power), and
manufacturing (John Deere in Waterloo).
Major floods (1993, 2008,
2019) and the 2020 derecho caused billions in damage, highlighting
Iowa’s vulnerability to climate-driven disasters. Urban revitalization,
particularly in Des Moines’ East Village and Cedar Rapids’ NewBo
District, has spurred tourism and tech growth. Iowa’s political
significance, as the first state in the presidential caucus cycle, draws
global attention every four years.
Demographically, Iowa remains
85% non-Hispanic white (2020), with growing Hispanic (6.8%), Black
(4.1%), and Asian (2.6%) populations, concentrated in cities. The
Meskwaki Settlement near Tama, with 1,400 residents, is a cultural
anchor. Cultural institutions, like the National Czech & Slovak Museum
and Effigy Mounds, preserve Iowa’s heritage, while events like the Iowa
State Fair (attended by 1 million annually) celebrate its agricultural
roots.