map of Iowa

Iowa (/ˈaɪoʊwə/ (audio speaker iconlisten)) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: 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.

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, people 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 transitioned to a diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing, financial services, information technology, biotechnology, and green energy production.

Iowa is the 26th most extensive in total area and the 31st most populous of the 50 U.S. states, with a population of 3,190,369, according to the 2020 census. 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.[ Iowa has been listed as one of the safest U.S. states in which to live.[ Country United States
Before statehood American Indians of Iowa
Iowa Territory
Admitted to the Union December 28, 1846 (29th)
Capital
(and largest city) Des Moines
Largest metro and urban areas Des Moines[a]
Government
• Governor Kim Reynolds (R)
• Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg (R)
Legislature Iowa General Assembly
• Upper house Senate
• Lower house House of Representatives
Judiciary Iowa Supreme Court
U.S. senators Chuck Grassley (R)
Joni Ernst (R)
U.S. House delegation 1: Ashley Hinson (R)
2: Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)
3: Cindy Axne (D)
4: Randy Feenstra (R) (list)
Area[2]
• Total 55,857.1 sq mi (144,669.2 km2)
Area rank 26th
Dimensions
• Length 310 mi (499 km)
• Width 240 mi (322 km)
Elevation 1,100 ft (340 m)
Highest elevation (Hawkeye Point) 1,671 ft (509 m)
Lowest elevation (Confluence of Mississippi River and Des Moines River]) 480 ft (146 m)
Population (2020)
• Total 3,190,369
• Rank 31st
• Density 57.1/sq mi (22.0/km2)
• Density rank 36th
• Median household income $61,691[6]
• Income rank 26th
Demonym(s) Iowan
Language
• Official language English
Time zone UTC−06:00 (Central)
• Summer (DST) UTC−05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation
IA
ISO 3166 code US-IA
Latitude 40° 23′ N to 43° 30′ N
Longitude 90° 8′ W to 96° 38′ W Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east and the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River on the west. The northern boundary is a line along 43 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude. The southern border is the Des Moines River and a not-quite-straight line along approximately 40 degrees 35 minutes north, as decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in Missouri v. Iowa (1849) after a standoff between Missouri and Iowa known as the Honey War.

Iowa is the only state whose east and west borders are formed almost entirely by rivers Carter Lake, Iowa, is the only city in the state located west of the Missouri River.

Iowa has 99 counties, but 100 county seats because Lee County has two. The state capital, Des Moines, is in Polk County Iowa's bedrock geology generally decreases in age from east to west. In northwest Iowa, Cretaceous bedrock can be 74 million years old; in eastern Iowa Cambrian bedrock dates to c. 500 million years ago.

Iowa can be divided into eight landforms based on glaciation, soils, topography, and river drainage.[ Loess hills lie along the western border of the state, some of which are several hundred feet thick.[ Northeast Iowa along the Upper Mississippi River is part of the Driftless Area, consisting of steep hills and valleys which appear as mountainous.

Several natural lakes exist, most notably Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, and East Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa (see Iowa Great Lakes). To the east lies Clear Lake. Man-made lakes include Lake Odessa,Saylorville Lake, Lake Red Rock, Coralville Lake, Lake MacBride, and Rathbun Lake. Before European settlement, 4 to 6 million acres of the state was covered with wetlands, about 95% of these wetlands have been drained. Ames is the home of Iowa State University, the Iowa State Center, and Reiman Gardens.

Des Moines is the largest city and metropolitan area[a] in Iowa and the state's political and economic center. It is home to the Iowa State Capitol, the State Historical Society of Iowa Museum, Drake University, Des Moines Art Center, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Principal Riverwalk, the Iowa State Fair, Terrace Hill, and the World Food Prize. Nearby attractions include Adventureland and Prairie Meadows Racetrack Casino in Altoona, Living History Farms in Urbandale, Trainland USA in Colfax, and the Iowa Speedway mapa de Iowa