Iowa was admitted to the union on December 28, 1846 as the 29th state. As a Midwestern state, Iowa forms a bridge between the forests of the east and the grasslands of the high prairie plains of the west.
The gently rolling landscape rises slowly as it extends westward from the Mississippi River, which forms the entire eastern border. The Missouri River and tributary, the Big Sioux, form the western border, making Iowa the only U.S. state with two parallel rivers defining its borders.
Iowa is bordered by the states of Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Missouri to the south, and Nebraska and South Dakota to the west. Des Moines, in the south-central part of the state, is the capital.
The state name is derived from the Iowa Native American people who once inhabited the area.
Geography
Iowa is a Midwestern state located in the Great Plains region of the United States. It is bordered by Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Missouri to the south, and South Dakota and Nebraska to the west. The eastern two-thirds of Iowa are generally part of the Central Lowlands physiographic region while the western third is part of the Great Plains.
The majority of Iowa lies within a humid continental climate zone with cold winters, hot summers, and abundant rainfall throughout the year. The average annual temperature for Iowa is 49°F (9°C). The state experiences four distinct seasons with temperatures ranging from -13°F (-25°C) in winter to 93°F (34°C) in summer.
The landscape of Iowa consists primarily of flat plains interspersed with rolling hills and low bluffs along its many rivers. The northern border of Iowa is formed by two major rivers: the Mississippi River on its western side, and the Des Moines River on its eastern side. These rivers provide a rich source for agricultural production as well as recreational activities such as fishing and boating.
The highest point in Iowa is Hawkeye Point at 1,670 feet (509 meters) above sea level located in Osceola County near Sibley. The lowest point in Iowa is at 480 feet (146 meters) above sea level located near Keokuk along the Mississippi River.
Iowa’s topography includes numerous natural features including prairies, wetlands, woodlands, limestone bluffs along its rivers, lakes and reservoirs created by dams on some larger rivers such as Lake Red Rock near Knoxville or Lake Rathbun near Moravia or Lake MacBride near Solon; caves like Maquoketa Caves State Park; scenic waterfalls like Dunnings Spring Falls near Cascade; and rocky outcrops like Pikes Peak State Park near McGregor or Effigy Mounds National Monument near Harpers Ferry.
Overall, Iowa’s geography consists mostly of wide open spaces with rolling hills that make up its agricultural heartland filled with rich soils ideal for farming crops like corn and soybeans that are staples for livestock feed throughout America’s Midwest region.
Cities in Iowa
Below are the top 15 cities by population in Iowa. For all cities and towns in the state, please see Iowa cities list.
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines | 213,545 |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | 136,512 |
| 3 | Davenport | 101,725 |
| 4 | Sioux City | 85,081 |
| 5 | Iowa City | 74,240 |
| 6 | Waterloo | 67,695 |
| 7 | West Des Moines | 67,640 |
| 8 | Ankeny | 66,346 |
| 9 | Ames | 65,522 |
| 10 | Council Bluffs | 62,617 |
| 11 | Dubuque | 59,379 |
| 12 | Urbandale | 45,037 |
| 13 | Marion | 41,023 |
| 14 | Cedar Falls | 40,500 |
| 15 | Bettendorf | 38,631 |
Counties in Iowa
The State of Iowa consists of 99 counties. They are:
- Adair County, Iowa
- Adams County, Iowa
- Allamakee County, Iowa
- Appanoose County, Iowa
- Audubon County, Iowa
- Benton County, Iowa
- Black Hawk County, Iowa
- Boone County, Iowa
- Bremer County, Iowa
- Buchanan County, Iowa
- Buena Vista County, Iowa
- Butler County, Iowa
- Calhoun County, Iowa
- Carroll County, Iowa
- Cass County, Iowa
- Cedar County, Iowa
- Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
- Cherokee County, Iowa
- Chickasaw County, Iowa
- Clarke County, Iowa
- Clay County, Iowa
- Clayton County, Iowa
- Clinton County, Iowa
- Crawford County, Iowa
- Dallas County, Iowa
- Davis County, Iowa
- Decatur County, Iowa
- Delaware County, Iowa
- Des Moines County, Iowa
- Dickinson County, Iowa
- Dubuque County, Iowa
- Emmet County, Iowa
- Fayette County, Iowa
- Floyd County, Iowa
- Franklin County, Iowa
- Fremont County, Iowa
- Greene County, Iowa
- Grundy County, Iowa
- Guthrie County, Iowa
- Hamilton County, Iowa
- Hancock County, Iowa
- Hardin County, Iowa
- Harrison County, Iowa
- Henry County, Iowa
- Howard County, Iowa
- Humboldt County, Iowa
- Ida County, Iowa
- Iowa County, Iowa
- Jackson County, Iowa
- Jasper County, Iowa
- Jefferson County, Iowa
- Johnson County, Iowa
- Jones County, Iowa
- Keokuk County, Iowa
- Kossuth County, Iowa
- Lee County, Iowa
- Linn County, Iowa
- Louisa County, Iowa
- Lucas County, Iowa
- Lyon County, Iowa
- Madison County, Iowa
- Mahaska County, Iowa
- Marion County, Iowa
- Marshall County, Iowa
- Mills County, Iowa
- Mitchell County, Iowa
- Monona County, Iowa
- Monroe County, Iowa
- Montgomery County, Iowa
- Muscatine County, Iowa
- O’Brien County, Iowa
- Osceola County, Iowa
- Page County, Iowa
- Palo Alto County, Iowa
- Plymouth County, Iowa
- Pocahontas County, Iowa
- Polk County, Iowa
- Pottawattamie County, Iowa
- Poweshiek County, Iowa
- Ringgold County, Iowa
- Sac County, Iowa
- Scott County, Iowa
- Shelby County, Iowa
- Sioux County, Iowa
- Story County, Iowa
- Tama County, Iowa
- Taylor County, Iowa
- Union County, Iowa
- Van Buren County, Iowa
- Wapello County, Iowa
- Warren County, Iowa
- Washington County, Iowa
- Wayne County, Iowa
- Webster County, Iowa
- Winnebago County, Iowa
- Winneshiek County, Iowa
- Woodbury County, Iowa
- Worth County, Iowa
- Wright County, Iowa
