Visit Iowa: Free Travel Guide to the Hawkeye State Discover Corn Fields, Rolling Hills and Great River Road

Iowa is famous for cornfields, hogs and rolling hills. Home to the most fertile land on earth, the state produces more corn than any other state. It is also largest pork producing state, with a hog population of over 20 million.

The All-American baseball movie Field of Dreams and the best selling love story The Bridges of Madison County introduced many Americans to a more scenic and romantic side of Iowa, ready for exploring via backroads and small towns around the state. Curious visitors should try the Field of Dreams Movie Site and the Madison County Covered Bridges Tour.

Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, was born in West Branch, Iowa, where visitors will find the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

Effigy Mounds National Monument can be found in the northeast corner of the state. It preserves unusual Native American built mounds shaped like animals and birds.

Two National Historic Trails pass through Iowa. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail roughly follows the western border of the state from its southwest corner to Sioux City, where it continues west into Nebraska. The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail starts at Nauvoo, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from Montrose, Iowa. The first Mormon pioneers crossed into Iowa to escape religious persecution, then organized at nearby Sugar Creek Camp for their trek west. They wintered at Council Bluffs.

Popular annual events include the Iowa Writers Workshop, RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Biicycle Ride Across Iowa), the National Farm Toy Show, the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival and Iowa State Fair.

The earliest inhabitants of the land we now call Iowa were Native Americans who moved to the area about 13,000 years ago. They were hunter gatherers who gradually settled and transformed into agriculture based societies. Before 1000 BCE, local tribes had already developed the beginnings of the agricultural industry that still dominates Iowa today.

The first European visitors were explorers, followed by trappers and miners hoping to exploit abundant local natural resources. The United States acquired Iowa as part of the Louisiana purchase in 1803.

Settlement by white europeans started in earnest in the 1832. From few than 100 white residents at that time, the population grew to 43,000 by 1840. Iowa entered the Union as the 29th state on 28 December 1846. Drawn by the promise of rich farmland and economic development, immigrants poured into the state. By 1860 the population hit 670,000 and by 1900 over 2.2 million people called Iowa home.

The introduction of railroads and the commoditization of crops turned Iowa into an agricultural powerhouse, and the industry still dominates the state. Iowa leads the United States in production of corn and pork, two of the largest agricultural markets in the world today.

Iowa is located in the midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by Minnesota and South Dakota to the north and northwest, Wisconsin and Illinois to the northeast and east, Missouri to the south and Nebraska to the west. It is the only state bordered entirely by rivers on  east (Mississippi) and west (Missouri and Big Sioux). It is the 26th largest state ranked by size, with an area of 56,273 square miles (145,746 square kilometers), and ranks 30th in population with 3,134,693 residents (2016 est.).

Most of the state is covered by rolling hills with rich soil good for farming and transportation. The the highest point is 1,670 foot (509 meters) Hawkeye Point in the northwest. The lowest elevation is 480 feet (146 meters) at the mouth of the Des Moines River. The mean elevation is 1,100 ft (336 m).

Iowa has a four season humid continental climate, with cold winters and hot, humid summers. Most of its annual rainfall occurs in the summer months.

Iowa State Fair (Des Moines) The biggest event in the state, and the most famous state fair in the country. One of the oldest and largest agricultural shows. This is an event that everyone should experience at least once.

Herbert Hoover National Historical Site (West Branch) Discover the life and accomplishments of Herbert Hoover, the poor boy who made good and grew up to become the 31st President of the United States. Presidential Library and Museum.

Effigy Mounds National Monument (Harpers Ferry) One of a kind site protecting over 200 first millenium Native American built mounds shaped like animals and birds. Often called “the American Nazca” after the famous Peruvian geoglyphs because of their similar thematic content and skyward orientation.

Madison County Bridges Tour Explore the covered bridges of novel, film and broadway fame. A real piece of Americana.

Field of Dreams Film Site (Dyersville) Visit the baseball diamond carved out of a corn field for the production of 1989 baseball fantasy film Field of Dreams. Bring your gear and play on the actual field appearing in the film.

Reiman Gardens (Ames) Year round garden attraction at the Iowa State University.  Enjoy indoor and outdoor gardens on this 17 acre site. Tours and events.

Iowa Writers Workshop Sit in on a reading at the celebrated creative writing program. led to Iowa City being named a UNESCO World City of Literature.

Amana Colonies A group of settlements started by 18th century German pietists. Visit the seven villages listed as National Historical Landmarks.

Fort Madison Visit the first American military installation on the northern Mississippi river.

RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) (Statewide) Join the De Moines Register annual bicycle ride across the state, passing through all 99 counties. A new route every year.

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area Discover the story of American agriculture. Visit any of the heritage locations, stretched across 37 Iowa counties.

Loess Hills National Scenic Byway (Council Bluffs) Enjoy a drive along some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery in the state.

Grotto of the Redemption (Sioux City) Visit this Roman Catholic shrine. Actually a conglomeration of nine grottoes depicting scenes from the life of Christ. It is thought to be the largest grotto in the world. Beautiful and unique.

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (Dubuque) Explore museum exhibits on the culture and history of America’s rivers at this Smithsonian Institution affiliate.

Cedar Rapids Art Museum (Cedar Rapids) If you have time to visit just one art museum in Iowa, this is it. It has the largest collection of works by favorite son Grant Wood (of American Gothic fame), and also operates his nearby home and studio as part of the exhibition.

Iowa Themed Art and Souvenirs

Bozz Prints Iowa themed prints, posters, t-shirts, stickers, pins, mug, postcards and more! Order online.

Put the taste of Iowa into your dinner tonight!

Big Daddy’s BBQ Sauce Enjoy the special recipe of Des Moines BBQ icon Ike Seymour, available at the Des Moines Farmers Market or online.

Rube’s Skillet Potato Seasoning Get the spice mix that made the Rube’s Steakhouse side dish famous. Now you can make it at home.

Iconic Iowa Foods

Pork Tenderloin Sandwich The Iowa state dish. Breaded and fried, served on a bun. Every town in the state has a place that claims to have the best, most tasty, award winning tenderloin sandwich — no need to mention the pork, that part is understood. What else would you expect from the largest pork producing state in the nation?

Iowa Sweet Corn on the Cob Iowans know their sweet corn, which is what all the rest of us just call corn. Enjoy it hot and fresh, smothered with butter, standing outside in the sunshine at the Iowa State Fair.

Scotcharoos An all-American favorite. Rice crispis, chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch combined to make delicious dessert bars. Ubiquitous at home and school events, bake sales and pot lucks.

Iowa is easy to reach any time of year. Most tourists drive from Omaha, Chicago, Kansas City or Minneapolis, or fly into either Des Moines or Cedar Rapids. There is also train and bus service to all major points in the state.

Arriving by Car

Driving to Iowa is easy on the interstate highway network, with interstate highways I-35 and I-80 intersecting at Des Moines. I-80 cuts through the state from east to west, passing directly through Des Moines and Iowa City, and close by Cedar Rapids and Davenport. The drive from Omaha, Nebraska to Des Moines takes about 2 hours, and from Chicago about 5.

I-35 traverses the state north to south. The drive from Minneapolis to Des Moines takes a little less than 4 hours, and from Kansas City just 3.

Arriving by Plane

Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Iowa’s largest. In fact, it is bigger than all of the other commercial airports combined, handling over 60% of air traffic to and from the state. Passenger service is offered by Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United Airlines to over 20 destinations nationwide, including most major airline hubs.

The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) in Cedar Rapids offers passenger service from Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier and United Airlines to 14 non-stop destinations including Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Orlando.

Arriving by Bus

Greyhound Bus Lines has service in Iowa connecting to over 3800 destinations throughout the country. Greyhound stations are located in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, and Sioux City, with stops in over 30 destinations around the state.

Greyhound offers express bus service from its Chicago hub to Davenport, Iowa City and Des Moines.

Megabus has bus connections to Des Moines and Iowa City (Coralville).

The Megabus stop in Des Moines is located on the eastbound side of Cherry Street, between 7th and 8th Streets. The stop in Iowa City is outside the Coralville Transit Facility at 906 Quarry Road, on the Ring Road north of the intersection of East 9th St and Quarry Road.

Arriving by Train

Amtrak has train stations in Burlington (BRL), Creston (CRN), Davenport (DVP), Fort Madison (FMD), Mt. Pleasant (MTP), Osceola (OSC) and Ottumwa, (OTM). Osceola (OSC) is the station closest to Des Moines.

The California Zephyr offers daily service from Chicago to most stations in Iowa.

The best way to get around Iowa is by car. The roads are good, with pleasant scenery and almost no traffic to speak of outside the urban areas.

Cars are available from all major car rental agencies, as well as local agencies in the bigger cities.

Car rental reservation links: Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Thrifty

Iowa Department of Transportation

The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) provides the Iowa 511 online travel information website, a mobile website and a downloadable app. These include the latest updates for driving and road conditions, incidents, construction, and more.

Iowa Public Transportation Services

The Iowa Department of Transportation offers public transit information online. There are 35 public transit systems serving communities around the state.

Iowa Slang

Cornhole A backyard bean bag game.

Knee High by the Fourth of July Corn plants knee high by the fourth of July are a sign of favorable early season growing conditions, suggesting a good crop to come.

Padiddle A car with one headlight.

Prairie Lights Fireflies (or lightning bugs, if you’re from the east).

Puppy Chow A homemade snack made from Chex cereal. Recipe

RAGBRAI An annual bicycle event. Stands for Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

Iowa is safer than most states, with both violent crime and property crime rates well below national averages.

The best time to visit Iowa is in the autumn, from September to early November, when temperatures have cooled off from the heat of summer but before the winter chill.

Spring can also be pleasant, although early storms can cause flooding in some areas.

Iowa’s location in the interior of the country results in weather tending towards the extremes of seasonal ranges. Summers are rainy and humid. Winters are cold and snowy.

Iowa Travel Websites:

Travel Iowa The official state tourism portal. Lots of slick image building material showing off the best that Florida has to offer. Great trip planning tools.

Western Iowa Tourism Region

Central Iowa Tourism Region

Eastern Iowa Tourism Association

Iowa Group Travel Association

Iowa Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers Association

Iowa Bed & Breakfast Guild

Iowa Lodging Association

Iowa Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds

Iowa Bicycle Coalition

Iowa’s County Park System

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

Historical Society of Iowa

Iowa Travel Guidebooks

Iowa Off the Beaten Path: Discover Your Fun (Erickson) Easy to use guide to attractions all over the state. Lots of good advice for families.

Backroads & Byways of Iowa: Drives, Day Trips and Weekend Excursions (Ream) Itineraries for exploring Iowa by car.

Hiking Iowa: A Guide To Iowa’s Greatest Hiking Adventures (State Hiking Guides Series) (Hill and Corcoran) Useful guide to nearly 50 Iowa hikes. Maps and trail descriptions.

Iowa Maps

Iowa Regions and Counties map. [download]

The National Map Get the most up-to-date maps available from the USGS.

Interstate Iowa Welcome Centers

Welcome Center
North of Davis City
I-35 Northbound, North of Exit 4
(Rest Area – east side)
Davis City, IA 50065
Phone: +1 (641) 442-2555

Welcome Center
South of Sioux City
I-29 Southbound, South of Exit 141
(Rest Area – west side)
Sergeant Bluff, IA 51054
Phone: +1 (712) 943-486

Welcome Center
Northeast of Underwood
I-80 Eastbound, East of Exit 17
(Rest Area – south side)
Underwood, IA 51576
Phone: +1 (712) 566-3421

Welcome Center
West of Wilton
I-80 Westbound, West of Exit 271
(Rest Area – north side)
Wilton, IA 52778
Phone: +1 (563) 732-2329

Partnership Iowa Welcome Centers

Burlington Welcome Center
400 Front St.
Burlington, Iowa 52601
Phone 1: 319.208.0052
Phone 2: 319.752.8731
[email protected]

Clayton County Welcome Center
29862 Osborne Road
Elkader, Iowa 52043
Phone: 563.245.1516
FAX: 563.245.2222
[email protected]

Danish Windmill Welcome Center
Lisa Riggs
4038 Main St.
Elk Horn, Iowa 51531
Phone: 712.764.7472
FAX: 712.764.7475
[email protected]

Davis County Welcome Center
Carol Birchmier
Diane Bales
301 N. Washington
Bloomfield, Iowa 52537
Phone: 641.664.1104
[email protected]

Dubuque Welcome Center
Becky Carkeet
380 Main St. Suite 100
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Phone: 563.556.4372
FAX: 563.556.0357
[email protected]

Emmetsburg Welcome Center
Deb Hite
1121 Broadway
Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536
Phone: 712.852.2283
FAX: 712.852.2156
[email protected]

Gateway to Northeast Iowa Welcome Center
Jenifer Hauser
10 Amherst Blvd.
Nashua, IA 50658
Phone: 641.435.4187
[email protected]

Harrison County Welcome Center
Kathy Dirks
2931 Monroe Avenue
Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555
Phone: 712.642.2114
[email protected]

Okoboji Spirit Center
Beryl Marra
243 W. Broadway, Box 609
Arnolds Park, Iowa 51331
Phone: 712.332.6550
[email protected]

Sgt. Floyd Welcome Center
Chris Dekker
1000 Larsen Park Road
Sioux City, Iowa 51103
Phone: 712.279.0198
FAX: 712.279.6934
[email protected]

Southern Iowa Welcome Center
Jeremy Sellars
109 Spruce Drive
Lamoni, Iowa 50140
Phone: 641.784.4800
[email protected]

Southern Loess Hills
Interpretive Welcome Center
Pat Hume
2083 Crossroads Drive
Percival, IA 51648
Phone: 712.350.1059
[email protected]
[email protected]

Top of Iowa Welcome Center
Jean Stowell
4705 Wheelerwood Rd, Box 75
Northwood, Iowa 50459
Phone: 641.324.3184
FAX: 641.324.3333
[email protected]

Western Historic Trails Center
Teressa Sward
3434 Richard Downing Avenue
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
Phone: 712.366.4900
FAX: 712.366.5080
[email protected]

Tourist Information Offices

Iowa Tourism Office
200 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309

Telephone +1 (515) 725-3083

Eastern Iowa Tourism Association
PO Box 189
Dyersville, IA 52040
+1 (563) 875-7269

Central Iowa Tourism Region
PO Box 454
Webster City, IA 50595

Telephone +1 (515) 832-4808

Western Iowa Tourism Region
103 North Third Street
Red Oak, IA 51566
Telephone +1 (712) 623-4232

Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Wallace State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50319-0034

Iowa Department of Transportation
800 Lincoln Way
Ames, IA 50010

Telephone +1 (515) 239-1324

Historical Society of Iowa
State Historical Building
600 East Locust Street
Des Moines, IA 50319

Telephone +1 (515) 281-5111

Iowa Lodging Association/ Iowa Bed & Breakfast Guild
9001 Hickman Road, Suite 220
Des Moines, IA 50322
Telephone +1 (515) 278-8700
Toll Free +1 (800) 743-4692

Iowa Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers Association
PO Box 171
Spencer, IA 51301

Telephone +1 (712) 580-4242

Road Condition Hotline
Dial 511 Toll Free