Iowa Facts

70 Iowa Facts

1. Iowa is one of the 50 states of the United States of America.
2. Iowa was the 29th state to join the United States on December 28, 1846.
3. Iowa is in the midwestern region of the United States.
4. Iowa is the 26th largest U.S. state, covering a total of 56,272.81 square miles or 1.48% of the total area of the United States.
5. Iowa's 56,272.81 square miles is 99.26% land and 0.74% surface water.
6. Iowa is ranked 26th with the most land area in the United States, with 55,857.13 square miles of land area.
7. Iowa is ranked 45th with the most water area in the United States, with 415.68 square miles of water area.
8. Iowa is the 31st most populated U.S. state with a population of 3,190,369 or 0.96% of the total population of the United States.
9. The state capital of Iowa is the city of Des Moines.
10. Iowa is divided into 99 counties statewide.
11. Polk County is the most populated county in Iowa
12. The most populated city in Iowa is Des Moines with an estimated 216,853 residents.
13. The five most populated city in Iowa are Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City and Iowa City.
14. A native or resident Iowa is called a Iowan.
15. Iowa's average elevation statewide is 1,100 feet.
16. Iowa's highest elevation point is Hawkeye Point at 1,671 feet.
17. Iowa's lowest elevation point is the Mississippi River at 480 feet.
18. Iowa is all in the Central Time Zone (CT).
19. The two letter abbreviation for Iowa is IA.
20. The ISO 3166 code for Iowa is US-IA.
21. Iowa is called the Hawkeye State and the Corn State.
22. The estimated median household income in Iowa is $61,691.
23. Iowa is the 42nd most expensive U.S. state to buy a home with an estimated median home price of $152,885.
24. Iowa is ranked 43rd on the cost of living index out of all 50 U.S. states.
25. Iowa has the 30th oldest population in the United States with a median age of 38.6.
26. Iowa's average temperature is 48.14°F making it the 37th warmest state in the United States.
27. Iowa on average has 34.50 inches of precipitation per year, making it the 33rd wettest U.S. state.
28. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Iowa was 118 °F on Friday, July 20, 1934, in Keokuk, IA.
29. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Iowa was -47 °F on Saturday, February 3, 1996, in Elkader, IA.
30. Iowa is the only state bordered by two navigable rivers, the Mississippi River on the western state border and the Missouri River on the eastern state border.
31. There are three state universities in Iowa: University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.
32. Iowa ranks at the top of domestic production for beef, corn, eggs, pork, and soybean.
33. It’s estimated that there are four hogs for every one resident of Iowa.
34. A single family farm in Iowa can provide food to feed more than 250 people.
35. Iowa may be a landlocked state, but it does have one island city called Sabula with a population of around 500 Iowans.
36. Iowan native Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first bread-slicing machine.
37. The Atanasoff–Berry computer (ABC) was the world’s first automatic digital computer and was created by Professor John Vincent Atanasoff at Iowa State College.
38. Extinct Ice Age sloths, reaching 17 feet in height, use to roam modern-day Iowa around 10,000 years.
39. In 1673, French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette become the first Europeans to explore modern-day Iowa.
40. In 1788, the first European settlement in what is modern-day Iowa is established by Julien Dubuque.
41. In 1803, the United States acquires Iowa and several other future states with the Louisiana Purchase.
42. In 1846, U.S. President James Polk signs a law admitting Iowa as the 29th state of the United States.
43. In 1860, a tornado known as the Camanche Tornado strikes Iowa, killing 92 people.
44. In 1870, the population of Iowa exceeds one million for the first time in U.S. history.
45. In 1892, inventor John Froelich invents the first gas powered tractor in Froelich, Iowa.
46. In 1900, the population of Iowa exceeds two million for the first time in U.S. history.
47. In 1917, the first death of an American in World War 1 is an Iowa native named Merle Hay.
48. In 1932, Ola Babcock Miller is elected as the first female Secretary of State of Iowa.
49. In 1942, five brothers from Iowa, known as the Sullivan Brothers, were all killed in action together when the light cruiser USS Juneau was sunk during World War 2. This event would inspire the blockbuster movie Saving Private Ryan.
50. In 1958, Iowan native James Van Allen discovers the Van Allen radiation belts.
51. In 1970, Iowan native Norman Borlaug wins the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to the world food supply.
52. In 1986, Jo Ann Zimmerman is elected as the first female Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.
53. In 1993, the Great Flood of 1993 causes massive damage in Iowa.
54. In 2001, the Iowa State Supreme Court strikes down a law guaranteeing grandparents rights to see their grandkids.
55. In 2005, then Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack grants the right to vote to ex-prisoners.
56. In 2009, Iowa becomes the third states in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage.
57. In 2015, an avian flu (H5N2) outbreak in Iowa results in an estimated $1.2 billion in economic losses.
58. In 2018, Iowa passes a law banning abortions after six-weeks, which at the time was the striction abortion law in the US.
59. Showman Buffalo Bill was born in Le Claire, Iowa on February 26th, 1846. He is famous for being one of the most well-known figures of the American Old West.
60. Professional baseball player Cap Anson was born in Marshalltown, Iowa on April 17th, 1852. He is known for being one of the first superstars of Major League Baseball (MLB).
61. Engineer and politician Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa on August 10th, 1872. He is known for serving as the 31st president of the United States.
62. Naval officer William D. Leahy was born in Hampton, Iowa on May 6th, 1875. He is known for being the first United States naval officer to obtain a five-star rank and was the most senior active military officer during WW2.
63. Television host and comedian Johnny Carson was born in Corning, Iowa on October 23rd, 1925. He is famous for being the host on The Tonight Show for 30 years.
64. Actor and comedian Tom Arnold was born in Ottumwa, Iowa on March 6th, 1959. He is known for portraying a wide variety of characters on television shows and in movies.
65. Doctor and NASA Astronaut Laurel Clark was born in Ames, Iowa on March 10th, 1961. She is known for being one of the six crew members lost on the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
66. Businessman and investor Marc Andreessen was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa on July 9th, 1971. He is known for helping to create the first widely accepted web browser and co-founded Netscape Communications Corporation.
67. Iowa's official state motto is "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain" .
68. Iowa's official state bird is the Eastern goldfinch  (Spinus tristis).
69. Iowa's official state tree is the Oak (Quercus spp.).
70. Iowa's official state flower is the Wild Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana).

Pictures of Iowa, USA

The state of Iowa and its regional area on a Map of the United States of America.

The official state flag of Iowa waving in the wind on a flag pole.

The official state seal of Iowa that is used by the state's government.

Des Moines the capital city of Iowa.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America.

Cave Entrance At Maquoketa Caves State Park