The Iowa Portal
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Iowa (/ˈaɪ.əwə/ ⓘ EYE-ə-wə) is a state in the upper Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the east and southeast, Missouri to the south, Nebraska to the west, South Dakota to the northwest, and Minnesota to the north.
Iowa is the 26th largest in total area and the 31st most populous of the 50 U.S. states, with a population of 3.19 million. The state's capital, most populous city, and largest metropolitan area fully located within the state is Des Moines. A portion of the larger Omaha, Nebraska, metropolitan area extends into three counties of southwest Iowa. Other metropolitan statistical areas in Iowa include Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Ames, Dubuque, Sioux City, and the Iowa portion of the Quad Cities. Iowa is home to 940 small towns, though its population is increasingly urbanized as small communities and rural areas decline in population.
During the 18th and early 19th centuries, Iowa was a part of French Louisiana and Spanish Louisiana; its state flag is patterned after the flag of France. After the Louisiana Purchase, pioneers laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt. In the latter half of the 20th century, Iowa's agricultural economy began to transition to a diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing, financial services, information technology, biotechnology, and green energy production.
Politically, Iowa is notable for the Iowa Caucuses, an influential event in national politics, as well as its high levels of voter turnout and foundational leadership in civil rights including early adoption or support of black suffrage, women's rights, and same-sex marriage. Iowa's standard of living is ranked among the best states and it performs highly on metrics such as governance, education, infrastructure, and safety. (Full article...)
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Native Americans in the United States have resided in what is now Iowa for thousands of years. The written history of Iowa begins with the proto-historic accounts of Native Americans by explorers such as Marquette and Joliet in the 1680s. Until the early 19th century Iowa was occupied exclusively by Native Americans and a few European traders, with loose political control by France and Spain.
Iowa became part of the United States of America after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, but uncontested U.S. control over what is now Iowa occurred only after the War of 1812 and after a series of treaties eliminated Indian claims on the state. Beginning in the 1830s Euro-American settlements appeared in the Iowa Territory, U.S. statehood was acquired in 1846, and by 1860 almost the entire state was settled and farmed by Euro-Americans. Subsistence frontier farming was replaced by commodity farming after the construction of railroad networks in the 1850s and 1860s. Iowa contributed many soldiers who fought in the American Civil War. Afterwards they returned to help transform Iowa into an agricultural powerhouse, supplying food to the rest of the nation. (Full article...)
Did you know? -
- ... that the 801 Grand is the tallest building in the state of Iowa?
- ... that the Iowa state auditor Rob Sand modeled in Milan and Paris while he was in college?
- ... that the Iowa Cow War started due to bovine tuberculosis testing?
- ... that an Iowa TV station's prior decision to disaffiliate from the Fox network meant that The Simpsons were originally unseen in the Quad Cities?
- ... that Benjamin F. Gue, who co-founded Iowa State University, allowed women to become students there despite much opposition?
- ... that S. H. M. Byers not only coined the phrase "Sherman's March to the Sea", but also wrote Iowa's state song?
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State Facts
- Date admitted to Union: December 28, 1846 (29th State)
- Demonym: Iowan
- Capital: Des Moines
- Elected state officers:
- U.S. Senators:
- Chuck Grassley (R)
- Joni Ernst (R)
- U.S. Representatives:
- Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)
- Ashley Hinson (R)
- Zach Nunn (R)
- Randy Feenstra (R)
- Total area: 56,272 square miles (145,744 km2) (23rd most extensive state)
- Highest elevation: Hawkeye Point 1,670 feet (509 m) (42nd highest state)
- Mean elevation: 1,100 feet (335 m) (22nd highest state)
- Lowest elevation: Mississippi River 480 feet (146 m) (37th lowest state)
- Population (2022 estimate): 3,200,517 (32nd most populous state)
- Number of counties: 99 counties
- Number of municipalities: 947 municipalities
- Time zone: CST=UTC-06, CDT=UTC-05
- USPS code: IA
- ISO 3166 code: US-IA
- Adjacent states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota
- State government website: Iowa.gov
State Symbols
State flag: | ![]() |
State seal: | ![]() |
State motto: | Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain |
State nickname: | The Hawkeye State |
State bird: | Eastern Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) |
State flower: | Wild Prairie Rose (Rosa pratincola) |
State grass: | Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) |
State tree: | Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) |
State rock: | Geode |
State soil: | Tama |
State song: | The Song of Iowa |
State tartan: | Iowa State Tartan |
Commemorative U.S. coin: |
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- 1994 Drake Bulldogs football team ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Patriarca12 (talk · contribs · new pages (103)) started on 2025-02-07, score: 26
- Oetit Koswara ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Jeromi Mikhael (talk · contribs · new pages (10)) started on 2025-02-07, score: 40
- Danny Acosta (baseball) ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Dog Bungler (talk · contribs · new pages (2)) started on 2025-02-06, score: 38
- Lou Ayeni ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Butters.From.SouthPark (talk · contribs · new pages (47)) started on 2025-02-03, score: 36
- Richard Pierard ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Ungathering (talk · contribs · new pages (4)) started on 2025-02-04, score: 28
- UFC Fight Night 258 ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Marty2Hotty (talk · contribs · new pages (3)) started on 2025-02-03, score: 34
- Speak (2025 film) ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Phibeatrice (talk · contribs · new pages (21)) started on 2025-01-23, score: 34
- Benjamin Schreiber (criminal) ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Queen of Hearts (talk · contribs · new pages (13)) started on 2025-02-02, score: 27
- Washington Township, Greene County, Iowa ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by NicePrettyFlower (talk · contribs · new pages (2)) started on 2025-02-01, score: 40
- 1994 Northern Iowa Panthers football team ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Patriarca12 (talk · contribs · new pages (103)) started on 2025-02-01, score: 36
- Jalen Travis ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Butters.From.SouthPark (talk · contribs · new pages (47)) started on 2025-02-01, score: 36
- Kathryn Scanlan ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by FictionWitch (talk · contribs · new pages (2)) started on 2025-02-01, score: 20
- Hoffman Building ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Gb321 (talk · contribs · new pages (7)) started on 2025-01-30, score: 20
- NASCAR K&N Pro Series at Iowa Speedway ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by MagicalBear0 (talk · contribs · new pages (1)) started on 2025-01-31, score: 40
- 1993 Drake Bulldogs football team ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Patriarca12 (talk · contribs · new pages (103)) started on 2025-01-30, score: 32
- Tanner Allen (racing driver) ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Finn Shipley (talk · contribs · new pages (67)) started on 2025-01-30, score: 38
- Susan M. Crawford ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Asdasdasdff (talk · contribs · new pages (3)) started on 2025-01-29, score: 32
- Reed/Niland Corner ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Chipchicken (talk · contribs · new pages (1)) started on 2025-01-29, score: 20
- Mike Zimmer (politician) ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Elli (talk · contribs · new pages (8)) started on 2025-01-29, score: 40
- Cloyd Robinson ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Star Garnet (talk · contribs · new pages (15)) started on 2025-01-28, score: 60
- Sara Brenner ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Coqui002 (talk · contribs · new pages (18)) started on 2025-01-27, score: 40
- Declan Doyle ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Yankees10 (talk · contribs · new pages (26)) started on 2025-01-27, score: 40
- Clark–Reese rivalry ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Sportzeditz (talk · contribs · new pages (3)) started on 2025-01-25, score: 20
- 1982 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Habst (talk · contribs · new pages (104)) started on 2025-01-23, score: 28
- Donald L. Kimball ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by Vycl1994 (talk · contribs · new pages (9)) started on 2025-01-24, score: 30
- Asgar Zaheer ( | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by HRShami (talk · contribs · new pages (8)) started on 2025-01-24, score: 40
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