Iowa
) is a
Midwest state of the
United States. It is the 29th
state of the
United States, having joined the Union on
December 28,
1846. The official name of the state is the "State of Iowa". The state is named for the
Native American Iowa people.
|
Iowa Population Density Map |
See List of counties in Iowa, List of cities in Iowa, List of townships in Iowa and List of Iowa riversIowa is bordered by
Minnesota on the north;
Nebraska and
South Dakota on the west;
Missouri on the south; and
Wisconsin and
Illinois on the east.
The
Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary of the state. The boundary along the west is formed by the
Missouri River south of
Sioux City and by the
Big Sioux River north of Sioux City. There are several natural
lakes in the state, most notably
Spirit Lake,
West Okoboji Lake, and
East Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa (
see Iowa Great Lakes). Man-made lakes include Lake Odessa[
1], Saylorville Lake, Lake Red Rock, and Rathbun Lake.
The topography of the state is gently rolling
plains.
Loess hills lie along the western border of the state. Some of these are several hundred feet thick. In the northeast along the Mississippi River is a section of the
Driftless Zone, which in Iowa consists of low rugged hills covered with conifers—a landscape not usually associated with this state.
The point of lowest elevation is
Keokuk in southeastern Iowa, at 480 feet (146 m). The point of highest elevation, at 1,670 feet (509 m), is Hawkeye Point, located in a feedlot north of
Sibley in northwest Iowa. The mean elevation of the state is 1,099 feet (335
m). Considering the size of the state at 56,271
square miles (145,743
km²), there is very little elevation difference.
Iowa has 99
counties. The state capital,
Des Moines, is located in
Polk County (
#60).
Areas controlled and protected by the
National Park Service include:
*
Effigy Mounds National Monument near
Harpers Ferry*
Herbert Hoover National Historical Site in
West Branch*
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail*
Mormon Pioneer National Historic TrailClimate
|
Bales of hay on a farm near Ames, Iowa. |
Iowa experiences a
continental climate with extremes of both heat and cold. The average annual temperature at
Des Moines is 50.0°F (10.0°C); for some locations in the north the figure is under 45°F, while Keokuk, on the
Mississippi River, averages 52.1°F. Winters are brisk and snowfall common, the capital receiving an average of 36.3 inches per season.
Spring ushers in the beginning of the
severe weather season, as well as bringing increased precipitation and warming temperatures. The Iowan
summer is known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures sometimes exceeding 100°F (37.8°C).
Main article: History of Iowa.
Highlights:
*French explorers
Louis Joliet and
Jacques Marquette are believed to be the first Europeans to visit Iowa. They described Iowa as lush,
green, and fertile.
*Iowa has been home to approximately 17 different tribes. Today, only the
Meskwaki tribe remains.
*The first American settlers officially moved to Iowa in June
1833. Primarily, they were families from Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri.
*Iowa became the 29
th state in the union on
December 28,
1846.
*The
Chicago and North Western Railway reached
Council Bluffs in
1867. Council Bluffs was designated the eastern terminus for the
Union Pacific Railroad. The completion of five major railroads across Iowa brought major economic changes as well as travel opportunities.
*During the
American Civil War, more than 75,000 Iowans participated in the war, 13,001 of whom died (mostly by disease). Iowa had a higher percentage of soldiers serve in the Civil War, per capita, than any other state in the Union, with nearly 60% of eligible males serving.
*Iowa saw a large increase in farming of beef, corn, and pork during
World War I, but farmers saw economic hardships after the war. These hardships were the result of the removal of war-time farm subsidies. Total recovery did not happen until the
1940s.
*The Farm Crisis of the 1980's saw a major decline of family farms in Iowa and around the Midwest, and it was marked by a sharp drop in the state's rural population.
*Although Iowa's primary industry is agriculture, it also produces
refrigerators,
washing machines,
fountain pens,
farm implements, and food products that are shipped around the world.
*Iowa is also a major producer of
ethanol and
biodiesel.
*As of 2006, Iowa is the only Midwestern state to have a growing/expanding economy.
*Iowa has the 3rd largest wind power economy, after California and Texas.
References
* Bergman, Marvin, ed.
Iowa History Reader (1996) essays by scholars.
* Ross, Earl D.
Iowa Agriculture: An Historical Survey (1951)
* Sage, Leland.
A History of Iowa (1974)
* Schwieder, Dorothy.
Iowa: The Middle Land (1996) excellent scholarly history
*
Wall, Joseph Frazier. Iowa: A Bicentennial History (1978) Iowa has two local option sales taxes that may be imposed by counties after an election at which the majority of voters favors the tax. They are in addition to the 5 percent state sales tax. The
regular local option tax is imposed on the gross receipts from sales of tangible
personal property. It usually remains in effect until it is repealed, but the ordinance may include a
sunset clause. The
school infrastructure local option tax is automatically repealed 10 years after it is imposed, unless the ballot imposes a shorter time frame.
Property tax is levied on the taxable value of real property, that is, mostly land, buildings, structures, and other improvements that are constructed on or in the land, attached to the land or placed upon a foundation. Typical improvements include a building, house or mobile home, fences, and paving. The following five classes of real property are evaluated: residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and utilities/railroad (which is assessed at the state level). Homeowners pay less than half of the property tax collected each year in Iowa. Farmers pay 21 percent, and businesses and industry, a total of 23 percent. Utility companies, including
railroads, pay 10 percent. Iowa has more than 2,000 taxing authorities. Most property is taxed by more than one taxing authority. The tax rate differs in each locality and is a composite of county, city or rural township,
school district and special levies.
Interstate highways
These are the
interstate highways that go through Iowa:
*
29,
35,
74,
80,
129,
235,
280,
380,
480,
680US highways
These are the
United States highways that go through Iowa:
*
6,
18,
20,
30,
34,
52,
59,
61,
63,
65,
67,
69,
71,
75,
77,
136,
151,
169,
218,
275The current Governor is
Tom Vilsack (Democrat) and the two U.S. Senators:
*
Chuck Grassley (R)
*
Tom Harkin (D)The five U.S. Congressmen:
*
Jim Leach (R)
*
Jim Nussle (R)
*
Steve King (R)
*
Tom Latham (R)
*
Leonard Boswell (D)
The
Code of Iowa contains the
statutory laws of the State of Iowa. The
Iowa Legislative Service Bureau is a non-partisan governmental agency that is responsible for organizing, updating and publishing the Iowa Code. The Iowa Code is republished in full in odd years (i.e., 1999, 2001, 2003, etc..) and is supplemented in even years.
Iowa has a liberal populist tradition but now is fairly evenly divided between the two major political parties. The state supported Democrats in the presidential contests from 1988 through 2000. It was one of only two states that supported Democrat Al Gore that switched to supporting George W. Bush in 2004. President Bush narrowly won the state's 7 electoral votes by a margin of 0.7 percentage points with 49.9% of the vote. Democratic strength is concentrated in the eastern region of the state and in Des Moines.
Iowa is an alcohol monopoly or
Alcoholic beverage control state.
See List of Governors of Iowa, Iowa General Assembly, and Iowa State CapitolIowa Presidential caucus
The state gets considerable attention every four years because it holds the first presidential
caucus, a gathering of voters to select delegates to the state convention. Along with the
New Hampshire primary a week later, it has become the starting gun for choosing the two major-party candidates for president. The caucus, held in January of the election year, involves people gathering in homes or public places and choosing their candidate, rather than casting secret ballots, as is done in a
primary election. The national and international media give Iowa (and New Hampshire) about half of all the attention accorded the national candidate selection process, which gives the voters enormous leverage. Some candidates decide to skip the Iowa caucus, especially those who oppose ethanol subsidies, and use their resources in other early states such as New Hampshire and South Carolina. Those who enter the caucus expend enormous effort to reach voters in each of Iowa's 99 counties.
U.S. senators from Iowa
List of United States Senators who have represented Iowa:
 |
Capitol in 2003 after regilding |
Population figures are given in parentheses and are based on 2005 estimates [
2], except for those marked with *, which are special census figures from 2005.
Metropolitan Statistical Area figures are 2005 estimates [
3].
Population > 100,000 (metropolitan area)
*
Des Moines (194,163/MSA 522,454), state capital, and home to
Drake University.
*
Cedar Rapids (123,119/MSA 246,412)
*
Davenport (98,845/MSA 376,309), home of
Saint Ambrose University, largest of the
Quad Cities*
Sioux City (83,148/MSA 142,571)
*
Waterloo (66,483/MSA 161,897)
*
Iowa City (62,887/MSA 138,524), home of the
University of Iowa*
Council Bluffs (59,568/MSA 813,170), part of
Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area
Population > 10,000
*
Dubuque (57,798/MSA 91,631), college town, manufacturing center, river port
*
West Des Moines (52,768), suburb of Des Moines and insurance center
*
Ames (52,263/MSA 79,952), home of
Iowa State University*
Cedar Falls (36,471), home of the
University of Northern Iowa and part of the Waterloo metropolitan area
*
Ankeny (*36,161), suburb of Des Moines
*
Urbandale (*35,904), suburb of Des Moines
*
Bettendorf (31,890), part of the Quad Cities
*
Marion (30,233), suburb of Cedar Rapids
*
Mason City (27,909), city known for cement manufacturing
*
Clinton (27,086), industrial river town
*
Marshalltown (25,977), home of Iowa Veterans Home, known for furnace and valve manufacturing
*
Fort Dodge (25,493), known for mining and veterinary pharmaceuticals
*
Burlington (25,436), industrial river town
*
Ottumwa (24,798), industrial river town
*
Muscatine (22,757), location of many chemical plants
*
Coralville (17,811), suburb of Iowa City
*
Newton (15,696), former home of the
Maytag Corporation's headquarters prior to the
Whirlpool Corporation buyout
*
Indianola (*14,156), home of
National Balloon Museum and
Simpson College*
Clive (13,851), suburb of Des Moines
*
Johnston (*13,596), suburb of Des Moines
*
Altoona (*13,301), suburb of Des Moines
*
Boone (12,831), an important hub for the
Union Pacific Railroad*
Spencer (11,117)
*
Fort Madison (11,048) home of the
Iowa State Penitentiary*
Oskaloosa (11,026), home of
William Penn University*
Keokuk (10,762), river port in extreme southeast
*
Pella (10,291),
Pella Windows headquarters,
Central College,
Wyatt Earp's childhood home, Tulip Fest
*
Carroll (10,047)
Iowa has historically placed a strong emphasis on education, which is shown in standardized testing scores. In 2003, Iowa had the second highest average
SAT scores by state, and tied for second highest average
ACT scores in states where more than 20% of graduates were tested. The national office of ACT is in
Iowa City, and the
ITBS and
ITED testing programs used in many states are provided by the
University of Iowa.
An overhaul of the current education system is being discussed. One of the suggested ideas is switching from 180 days to a year-round school system. [
4]
State universities
*
Iowa State University*
University of Iowa*
University of Northern IowaIndependent colleges and universities
Community colleges
Professional business and technical colleges and universities
The
Minor League baseball teams are:
The
Minor League hockey teams are:
Real Pro Wrestling*
Iowa StalkersThe
Minor League soccer teams are:
Famous Iowans
The following is an alphabetical list of famous people born in Iowa (who don't necessarily live in Iowa) as well as famous Iowans in general.
| Name | Occupation | Description |
|---|
| James Van Allen | Scientist | Born in Mount Pleasant in 1914. |
| Tom Arnold | Film actor | Born in Ottumwa on 6 March 1959. |
| Buffalo Bill | | Born William Frederick Cody near Le Claire on February 26 1846. |
| Bill Bryson | Popular writer of travel books | Born in Des Moines in 1951. |
| Norman Ernest Borlaug | Nobel Peace Prize laureate | Born near Cresco on March 25, 1914. |
| Johnny Carson | Comedian | Born in Corning on 23 October 1925. |
| Mamie Eisenhower | Wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower | Born in Boone in 1896. |
| Hayden Fry | College football coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes | Coached into national prominence with several Rose Bowl Game appearances and high national rankings throughout his tenure. |
| George Gallup | American statistician; inventor of the Gallup poll | Born in Jefferson in 1901. |
| Frank Gotch | Professional wrestler; world heavyweight champion | Born south of Humboldt in 1878. |
| Chad Hennings | player and US Air Force officer | Born in Elberon on October 20, 1965. |
| Herbert Hoover | 31st President of the United States | Born in West Branch in 1874. He is also buried there. |
| Lou Henry Hoover | Wife of President Herbert Hoover | Born in Waterloo, Iowa. |
| Ashton Kutcher | Film and television actor | Born in Cedar Rapids on February 7, 1978. |
| William D. Leahy | Five star admiral | Born in Hampton on May 6, 1875. |
| Frederick L. Maytag | Maytag founder | Lived his childhood years near Laurel. |
| Robert Millikan | Physicist | Measured the charge of the electron, spent part of his childhood in Maquoketa. |
| Kate Mulgrew | Actress | A film and television actress born in Dubuque, Iowa on April 29, 1955. |
| Charles Murray | American policy writer | Best known for being the co-author of the controversial best seller, The Bell Curve. Born in Newton, Iowa on January 8, 1943. |
| Nancy Price | Author of Sleeping with the Enemy | Former Professor at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. |
| Harry Reasoner | Journalist | Born 17 Apr 1923 at Dakota City, Iowa |
| Ronald Reagan | 40th President of the United States | Worked as a Disc Jockey in Des Moines |
| Donna Reed | Actress | Born as Donna Belle Mullenger January 27, 1921 on a farm near Denison, Iowa |
| George Reeves | Actor | Born January 5, 1914, best known for playing the role of Superman on the television series in the 1950s. |
| Reggie Roby | NFL Punter | Born in Waterloo played college football at University of Iowa. |
| Sage Rosenfels | NFL quarterback | Born in Maquoketa in 1978 and played college football at Iowa State University. |
| Slipknot | Alternative metal/nu metal band | Formed in Des Moines. |
| Mark Steines | Co-host of Entertainment Tonight | Alumnus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. |
| Sullivan brothers | | Died together on the USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal, were born in Waterloo. |
| Billy Sunday | a professional baseball player; evangelist | Born in Bina in 1862 and lived in Glenwood, Nevada, and Ames. |
| Ellis "Al" Swearingen | proprietor of the Gem Saloon, Deadwood, SD 1876-1899 (featured in HBO Series "Deadwood") | Born in Oskaloosa in 1845; died in Denver in 1904. |
| Henry A. Wallace | 33rd Vice President of the United States | Born in Orient, Iowa in 1888; died in Danbury, Connecticut in 1965 |
| Robert James Waller | Author of The Bridges of Madison County | Former Professor of Business at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. |
| Grant Wood | Artist | Known mostly for his painting American Gothic, was born in Anamosa on 13 February, 1891. |
| Wright Brothers | | Lived for a short time in Cedar Rapids while their father was posted there as a bishop with the Church of the Brethren. |
| Kurt Warner | player | Born in 1971 in Burlington. Alumnus of the University of Northern Iowa. |
| John Wayne | Film actor | Born as Marion Morrison in Winterset in 1907. |
| Elijah Wood | Film actor | Born in Cedar Rapids on January 28, 1981. |
| Brandon Routh | Film and television actor | Born in Des Moines on October 09, 1979 |
Animals
Some of the wild animals that can be found in Iowa:
State symbols
*Nickname: The Hawkeye State
*Bird:
Eastern Goldfinch*Fish: Channel
catfish (unofficial)
*Flower: Wild
Rose*Grass:
Bluebunch wheatgrass*Insect:
Honey Bee*Tree:
Oak*Colors:Red, white, and blue (in state flag)
*Fossil:
Crinoid (proposed)
*Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain
*Rock:
Geode*Ships:
Iowa class battleship,
USS Iowa (BB-4),
USS Iowa (BB-53),
USS Iowa (BB-61)*Song:
The Song of Iowa*Soil:
Tama (unofficial)
*
Iowa: Facts, Map and State Symbols - EnchantedLearning.com*
State Symbols*The Graduate Center,
CUNY: Research Studies:
American Religious Identification Survey*
Scouting in Iowa*
Official State of Iowa Website*
Iowa News.*
U.S. Census Bureau*
Iowa Code online at Iowa General Assembly*
Iowa Newspapers*
Iowa Employment - State and County Data
*
Iowa News. (civil liberties)
*
Midwest Regional Climate Center (climate statistics)
*
Karl King, Iowa's March King *
Iowa State Facts
