Iowa

Iowa
Ayúȟwa (Lakota)
State of Iowa
Nickname
Motto(s)
Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain[1]
Anthem: "The Song of Iowa"
Map of the United States with Iowa highlighted
Map of the United States with Iowa highlighted
CountryUnited States
Admitted to the UnionDecember 28, 1846 (29th)
Capital
(and largest city)
Des Moines
Largest county or equivalentPolk
Largest metro and urban areas
  • Des Moines: 846,068 (CSA)
  • Davenport (Quad Cities): 474,019 (CSA)
  • Cedar Rapids: 276,520 (MSA)
  • Waterloo-Cedar Falls: 163,706 (MSA)
  • Iowa City: 152,854 (MSA)
  • Sioux City: 149,940 (MSA)
  • Dubuque: 99,266 (MSA)
  • Omaha (Nebraska)/Council Bluffs: 967,604
Government
 • GovernorKim Reynolds (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorAdam Gregg (R)
LegislatureIowa General Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciaryIowa Supreme Court
U.S. senatorsChuck Grassley (R)
Joni Ernst (R)
U.S. House delegation1: Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)
2: Ashley Hinson (R)
3: Zach Nunn (R)
4: Randy Feenstra (R) (list)
Area
 • Total56,273 sq mi (145,746 km2)
 • Land55,857 sq mi (144,669 km2)
 • Water416 sq mi (1,077 km2)  0.70%
 • Rank26th
Elevation
1,120 ft (340 m)
Highest elevation1,670 ft (509 m)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total3,190,369[4]
 • Rank30th
 • Density57.1/sq mi (22.1/km2)
  • Rank36th
 • Median household income
$61,691[5]
 • Income rank
30th
DemonymIowan
Language
 • Official languageEnglish
Time zoneUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation
IA
ISO 3166 codeUS-IA
Websitewww.iowa.gov
State symbols of Iowa
List of state symbols
BirdEastern goldfinch
FlowerPrairie rose
TreeBur Oak
RockGeode
State route marker
Route marker
State quarter
Iowa quarter dollar coin
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state symbols

Iowa (/ˈ.əwə/ EYE-ə-wə, Lakota: Ayúȟwa)[6][7][8][9] is a landlocked 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 3,190,369,[10] 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.[11] Iowa has been listed as one of the safest U.S. states to live in.[12]

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.[13]

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.[14][15] As of 2018, 22.6 million hogs outnumbered Iowans by more than 7 to 1 in 8,000 facilities large enough to require manure management plans.[16]

  1. ^ Secretary of State, Iowa (2000). "Iowa Official Register". Iowa Publications Online. State Library of Iowa.
  2. ^ Bureau, US Census. "State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates". Census.gov.
  3. ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  4. ^ "2020 Census Apportionment Results". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. ^ "Iowa Profile". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  6. ^ "Iowa". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  7. ^ "Iowa". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  8. ^ "Iowa". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020.
  9. ^ Goodson, Christina (2019). Iro Tųwahi Wisahma Nąha: the Seventh Generation, Understanding Jiwere Language Status and Reclamation Through Community Input. The University of Oklahoma. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Resident Population for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census" (PDF). Census.gov. April 27, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  11. ^ United States Census Bureau. "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2010–2018". Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  12. ^ "N.H. Receives Lowest Crime Ranking; Nevada Ranks as Worst State". Insurance Journal. Wells Publishing. March 25, 2009. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  13. ^ Merry, Carl A. (1996). "The Historic Period". Office of the State Archeologist at the University of Iowa. Archived from the original on June 4, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  14. ^ "Major Industries in Iowa" (PDF). Iowa Department of Economic Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 20, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  15. ^ "Wind Energy in Iowa". Iowa Energy Center. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jordan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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