Geography and Climate of Iowa
Iowa, named after a Sioux tribe, the Ioway, borders Missouri to the south and Minnesota to the north. The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary and separates Iowa from Wisconsin and Illinois. The Missouri River on the western edge of the state forms the Nebraskan boundary and the Big Sioux River in the northwest forms a boundary with South Dakota.
The landscape of Iowa is consistent and for the most part unchanging, characterized by Tallgrass prairie and Savanna with gentle, undulating plains. Loess hills in the west and south give Iowa its typical look of golden hills and farmland. There is little difference in elevation across the state, with Hawkeye Point being the highest elevation at 1,670 feet.
Closer to the Mississippi River and in the eastern part of the state is the location of the Driftless Zone, named due to a lack of glacial drift. It has low, rugged hills and bluffs covered with conifer trees. Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake and East Okoboji Lake are a few notable natural lakes in Iowa. Iowa has the highest radon concentration in the country, due to glaciations deposited in Iowan farmland from granite rocks and the Canadian Shield.
Iowa has a humid continental climate, with hot and humid summers followed by cold, sometimes harsh winters. The state has extreme temperatures in heat and cold. Winters have lots of snowfall.
During the spring, Iowa has severe thunderstorms, an average of 50 days per year, along with high precipitation. Tornadoes are also common throughout the spring and summer, with the state average at 37 tornadoes annually.
History of Iowa
The Sac, Sioux, Sauk and Fox Native American tribes inhabited the area before French explorers settled in the area. After the land was bought through the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, Iowan tribes such as the Potawatomi and Missouri sold land to the U.S. government. The Sauk and Mesquaki tribes stayed in the Iowa area until 1845. After several negotiations and the Black Hawk War, which forced tribes to surrender more of their land in the east, American settlers started moving to Iowa in 1833 during the Black Hawk Purchase.
Iowan settlers consisted mostly of families from other Midwest states like Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Indiana. While some continued to migrate to the Great Plains or Dakota Territories, those who stayed realized that timber was limited to the eastern and southern areas of the state. The rest was a vast field of tall grass and prairie, leaving little material to build homes.
Though they were able to find enough wood for log cabins, settlers turned to dried prairie, corncobs and hay for fuel. Fencing materials remained a problem until the invention of barbed wire in the 1870s.
In 1846, Iowa gained admittance to the Union. In support of the Union, the state sent large supplies of food to the army and eastern cities during the war, as well as a substantial number of Iowan men. Population increased significantly after the war, from less than 700,000 people in 1860 to well over a million just ten years later. Large numbers of German, Dutch, Norwegians, Danish and Swedish immigrants moved to Iowa for its rich farmlands.
Railroad construction across Iowa resulted in major economic changes. While waterways once shipped goods, railroads could now carry corn, wheat, pork and beef from Iowa to Chicago and onward to eastern seaports. During the 1870s, the need for food processing plants and manufacturing was apparent.
World War I marked economic growth in farming. However, by the 1920s and into the Great Depression, the elimination of farm subsidies made it hard for farmers to pay off accrued wartime debts. New Deal programs created federal farm aid. Since World War II, Iowa has seen large increases in manufacturing. However, agriculture is still the dominant industry of the state.
Demographics of Iowa
As of 2007, Iowa is home to 2,988,046 people. Despite a slight gain in population since 1990, rural flight has affected Iowa. Most Iowans are of Western European ancestry, with over a third of those claiming to be of German descent. Other ancestry groups include Irish, English and Norwegian.
Iowa is one of the most homogeneous states, with non-Hispanic Caucasians making up 91 percent of the population. Hispanics, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Native Americans all make up less than four percent each of the population.
Around a quarter of the population of Iowa belong to some sort of Evangelical Protestant church, while 30 percent attend a mainline Protestant church. Catholics make up another fourth of the population, whereas 15 percent do not identify themselves with any religious organization.
Economy of Iowa
In 2005, Iowa’s gross state product was $113.5 billion and its per capita income in 2006 was $23,340. Agriculture is king in Iowa, as one of the biggest producers of hogs, cattle, dairy products, eggs, soybeans, oats and corn. Due to its vast fields of corn, Iowa is the number one producer of ethanol in the nation.
Manufacturing accounts for much of the remaining economy in Iowa, including food processing, machinery, chemical products, electric equipment, metals and publishing. The state is also home to several major insurance companies and serves as headquarters for Rockwell Collins, HNI, Principal Financial, the Pella Corporation, the Vermeer Company and several other grocery store chains.
Iowa Law and Government
Democrat Chet Culver is the current Governor for Iowa. Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Tom Harkin serve in the U.S. Senate. Three Democrats and two Republicans act as congressional representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives. The state capital is Des Moines.
Iowa is a swing state, switching votes between Republican and Democrat in presidential elections over the past four decades. The state is best known in the national political arena as the first to hold presidential caucuses. Held in January of the election year, Iowans gather in homes and public places to choose candidates, as opposed to secret ballots in the primary election.
The media attention Iowa receives during election time has made an impression on politicians. Many consider Iowa the state that determines the kickoff or demise of a presidential campaign, such as when it propelled Barack Obama’s candidacy.
Iowa Transportation
I-29 runs along the western border, while I-35 goes from north to south through the state and Des Moines. I-80 transverses east to west, going through Des Moines and Iowa City. I-380 runs through Cedar Rapids.
A number of other U.S. highways run through Iowa, connecting to neighboring Midwest states and Iowa towns such as Waterloo, Burlington, Dubuque, Davenport and Council Bluffs.
The Des Moines International Airport serves as a hub for airlines and residents, along with several other regional airports.
Major Cities and Towns of Iowa
Des Moines is both the state capital and Iowa’s most populated city. Named after the Des Moines River, or “river of the monks,” the city has become a center for the insurance industry, as well as finance and publishing.
Home of the Iowa Caucus, Des Moines is also the base camp for many presidential candidates. Renowned architect I.M. Pei designed the Des Moines Art Center. The East Village district offers shops between the capitol and the Des Moines River.
Iowa Educational System
Despite a lower population, resulting in less money for education, Iowa’s public school system has a high graduation rate. The state consistently ranks in the top three for SAT and ACT scores.
The University of Iowa is the state’s flagship university, along with Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa. There are several other private colleges in Iowa, as well as many community colleges.
Learn more at the Iowa Department of Education.
Iowa Sports Teams and Recreational Activities
Iowa has no major sports franchises, but there are minor leagues sports teams in baseball, football, hockey and basketball, as well as Division I college teams.
The Burlington Bees, the Quad City River Bandits, the Clinton LumberKings and the Cedar Rapids Kernals all play minor league baseball. The Sioux City Bandits and Quad City Steamwheelers play indoor football. The Quad City Flames, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Sioux City Musketeers and Waterloo Black Hawks play for various minor league hockey groups. The Iowa Energy is affiliated with the Chicago Bulls.
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