Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New France. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt. Iowa is often known as the "Food Capital of the World". However, Iowa's economy, culture, and landscape are diverse. In the latter half of the 20th century, Iowa's...
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quick facts
Founded:December 28, 1846
Capital:Des Moines
Current governorChet Culver
Population:2,224,771
Area:56,271.7 sq. mi.
GDP:$129,026,000,000
Also known as:Hawkeye State, IA, IO
Time zone:Central Time zone, UTC-6

Capital city of Iowa

Des Moines
Des Moines
Population:86,368
County:Polk County

Des Moines /dɨˈmɔɪn/ is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière des Moines, literally meaning "River...
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Famous landmarks of Iowa

Iowa State Capitol
Iowa State Capitol

The Iowa State Capitol is located in Iowa's capital city, Des Moines, and houses the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives, the Office of the...
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Eagle Point Bridge
Eagle Point Bridge

The Eagle Point Bridge was a very narrow two lane automobile bridge that connected urban Dubuque, Iowa and rural Grant County, Wisconsin. It was part...
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Rock Island Centennial Bridge
Rock Island Centennial Bridge

The Centennial Bridge, or Rock Island Centennial Bridge, connects Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. The bridge is 3,850 feet long and...
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Black Hawk Bridge
Black Hawk Bridge

The Black Hawk Bridge spans the Mississippi River, joining the town of Lansing, in Allamakee County, Iowa, to rural Crawford County, Wisconsin. It is...
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Gateway Bridge
Gateway Bridge

The Gateway Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Mississippi River in Clinton, Iowa, USA. It carries U.S. Route 30 from Iowa into Illinois just...
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Major cities in Iowa

CityCountyPopulation
Des Moines Polk County 197,052
Cedar Rapids Linn County 128,056
Davenport Scott County 100,827
Sioux City Woodbury County 82,807
Iowa City Johnson County 67,831
Waterloo Black Hawk County 66,662
Council Bluffs Pottawattamie County 59,536
Dubuque Dubuque County 57,250
Ames Story County 56,510
West Des Moines Polk County 55,426
Ankeny Polk County 42,287
Urbandale Polk County 38,369
Cedar Falls Black Hawk County 38,059
Pleasant Valley Scott County 33,144
Marion Linn County 32,821
Bettendorf Scott County 32,584
Mason City Cerro Gordo County 27,337
Clinton Clinton County 26,407
Marshalltown Marshall County 25,850
Burlington Des Moines County 25,327
Fort Dodge Webster County 25,180
Ottumwa Wapello County 24,342
Muscatine Muscatine County 22,504
Franklin Township Story County 19,061
Coralville Johnson County 18,478
Johnston Polk County 15,691
Clive Polk County 15,234
Newton Jasper County 15,042
Indianola Warren County 14,361
Altoona Polk County 13,854
Des Moines Township Boone County 13,758
Boone Boone County 12,614
Waukee Dallas County 12,367
North Liberty Johnson County 11,561
Oskaloosa Mahaska County 11,069
Spencer Clay County 10,986
Fort Madison Lee County 10,897
Keokuk Lee County 10,387
Pella Marion County 10,208
Carroll Carroll County 9,985
Storm Lake Buena Vista County 9,591
Perry Dallas County 9,569
Waverly Bremer County 9,298
Grinnell Poweshiek County 9,167
Le Mars Plymouth County 9,127
Norwalk Warren County 8,821
Mount Pleasant Henry County 8,775
Grimes Polk County 8,419
Pleasant Hill Polk County 8,414
Spring Valley Township Dallas County 8,204
Clear Lake Township Cerro Gordo County 8,161
Walnut Township Dallas County 8,074
Decorah Winneshiek County 7,906
Clear Lake Cerro Gordo County 7,820
Denison Township Crawford County 7,757
Webster City Hamilton County 7,720
Grove Township Cass County 7,608
Creston Union County 7,594
Charles City Floyd County 7,470
Knoxville Marion County 7,254
Washington Washington County 7,254
Denison Crawford County 7,184
Atlantic Cass County 6,777
Hiawatha Linn County 6,688
Nevada Story County 6,688
Sioux Center Sioux County 6,581
De Witt Township Clinton County 6,346
Delaware Township Delaware County 6,294
Estherville Emmet County 6,291
Independence Buchanan County 6,119
Oelwein Fayette County 6,082
Cherokee Township Cherokee County 6,073
Boone Township Dallas County 6,011
East Waterloo Township Black Hawk County 5,936
Maquoketa Jackson County 5,908
Orange City Sioux County 5,891
Anamosa Jones County 5,736
Red Oak Montgomery County 5,683
Adel Township Dallas County 5,664
Glenwood Mills County 5,646
Clarinda Page County 5,493
Centerville Appanoose County 5,442
Algona Kossuth County 5,328
DeWitt Clinton County 5,260
Vinton Benton County 5,080
Evansdale Black Hawk County 5,056
Harlan Shelby County 4,986
Iowa Falls Hardin County 4,965
Shenandoah Page County 4,944
Eldridge Scott County 4,880
Manchester Delaware County 4,876
Winterset Madison County 4,820
Sheldon O'Brien County 4,757
Osceola Clarke County 4,714
Cherokee Cherokee County 4,697
Spirit Lake Dickinson County 4,692
Buffalo Township Scott County 4,688
Sheridan Township Scott County 4,646
Windsor Heights Polk County 4,643
Washington Township Buchanan County 4,540
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Population history of Iowa

YearEstimated Population
2011 3,062,309
2009 3,007,856
2008 3,002,555
2007 2,983,360
2006 2,967,270
2005 2,951,775
2004 2,942,739
2003 2,933,407
2002 2,929,395
2001 2,929,294
2000 2,928,046
1999 2,917,634
1998 2,902,872
1997 2,891,119
1996 2,880,000
1995 2,867,373
1994 2,850,746
1993 2,836,972
1992 2,818,401
1991 2,797,613
1990 2,781,018
1989 2,770,590
1988 2,768,393
1987 2,767,006
1986 2,791,969
1985 2,829,684
1984 2,858,615
1983 2,870,547
1982 2,888,190
1981 2,907,985
1980 2,913,808
1970 2,824,376
1960 2,757,537
1950 2,621,073
1940 2,538,268
1930 2,470,939
1920 2,404,021
1910 2,224,771
1900 2,231,853
1890 1,912,297
1880 1,624,615
1870 1,194,020
1860 674,913
1850 192,214
1840 43,112
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State symbols for Iowa

Bullfrog
Bullfrog
State Amphibian
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
State bird
Channel catfish
Channel catfish
State Fish
Bur oak
Bur oak
State tree
Wild Prairie Rose
Wild Prairie Rose
State flower
Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.
Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.
Motto

Governor of Iowa

Chet Culver
Chet Culver

Chester John "Chet" Culver was the 41st Governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. He was also elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. He founded the Chet Culver Group, an energy sector consulting firm, in 2011. Culver was born in Washington, D.C. Culver attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland before attending Virginia Tech on a football scholarship. He earned a B.A. degree in...
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Government officials from Iowa

OfficialOfficeStart of Term
Tom Harkin United States Senator 1985
Chuck Grassley United States Senator 1981
Matt Schultz Secretary of State of Iowa 2011
Thomas John Miller Iowa Attorney General 1995
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Religions practiced in Iowa

Pie chart showing the religions of Iowa
ReligionPercentage of Population
Roman Catholicism 23%
Lutheranism 16%
Methodism 13%
Christianity 5%
Baptist 5%
Presbyterianism 3%
Pentecostalism 2%
Protestantism 2%
United Church of Christ 2%
Non-denominational Christianity 1%
Evangelicalism 1%
Church of Christ 1%
Assemblies of God 1%
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Colleges and universities in Iowa

Kaplan University
Kaplan University
Enrollment:77,966 (2010)
Des Moines University
Des Moines University
Founded:1898
Enrollment:1,821 (2010)
Drake University
Drake University
Founded:1881
Buena Vista University
Buena Vista University
Founded:1891
Enrollment:2,706 (2010)

Famous residents of Iowa

Calista Flockhart
Calista Flockhart
Film Actor, TV Actor

Calista Kay Flockhart is an American actress who is primarily recognized for her work in television. She is best known for playing the title character in the Fox comedy-drama series Ally McBeal for which she won a Golden Globe Award. She starred as Kitty Walker McCallister on the ABC drama,...
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Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
US President, Film Actor, Author

Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
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John Wayne
John Wayne
Film Actor, Musical Artist, Football Player, TV Actor

Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. An Academy Award-winner, Wayne is the biggest box office draw of all time. An enduring American icon, he epitomized rugged masculinity and is famous for his demeanor, including...
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Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Musical Artist

Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands". Miller's notable recordings include "In the Mood", "Moonlight Serenade",...
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Neville Brand
Neville Brand
Film Actor, TV Actor

Neville Brand was an American television and movie actor. Neville Brand was born in Illinois. or in Griswold Iowa as shown under his picture herein. He was born to Leo and Helen Brand as one of seven children. Leo, was an electrician and bridge building steel worker in Detroit, where Neville was...
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States adjoining Iowa

South Dakota
South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes....
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Nebraska
Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. Nebraska is the 16th most extensive, the 38th most populous, and the 8th...
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Minnesota
Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and...
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Missouri
Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and...
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Illinois
Illinois

Illinois is the 25th most extensive and the 5th most populous of the 50 United States, and is often noted as a microcosm of the entire country. With...
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q:
    What is the capital city for the state of Iowa?
  • A:
    Des Moines is the state's capital.
  • Q:
    What famous people were born in Iowa?
  • A:
    Famous people born here include:
    - Kiersten Warren
    - Edward J. Ruppelt
    - Mark Ritchie
    - Brad Fitzpatrick
    - Matt Murphy
    - William B. Rosson
    - Tom Dennison
  • Q:
    Iowa is included within which time zone?
  • A:
    Central is the standard time zone for Iowa.

Lists

Map of Iowa

Map of Iowa
Iowa
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