Iowa |
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| Entered the Union: December 28, 1846 (29) |
State Tree
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| Capital: Des Moines | ||
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Origin of Name: from an Indian word meaning
“This is the Place” or “the Beautiful Land” |
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| State Nickname: Hawkeye State | ||
| State Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain | ||
| State Song: “Song of Iowa" | ||
| State Forests: 10 • State Parks: 83 | ||
| Famous for: Corn and Agricultural Products | ||
| Famous Iowans: John Wayne • Cloris Leachman • Kate Mulgrew (actors), Johnny Carson (TV entertainer), William "Buffalo Bill" Cody (scout), George H. Gallup (poll taker), Herbert Hoover (President), Ann Landers (columnist), Glenn Martin (aviator, manufacturer), Frederick Maytag (inventor, manufacturer), Glenn Miller (Big Band), Robert Schuller • Billy Sunday (evangelists), Abigail Van Buren (columnist), Henry Wallace (Vice President), Andy Williams (singer), Bix Beiderbecke (jazz) | ||
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Animals and Birds: Click on photos of the animals and birdson this
page to find out more about them and to hear the sounds they make. |
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| French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans to visit Iowa in 1673. Iowa was included in the Louisiana purchase and came under U.S. control in 1803. | |||||||
| Effigy Mounds National Monument in northeastern Iowa preserves prehistoric mounds constructed in the outline of mammals, birds, and reptiles. | |||||||
| Campers and motor homes are manufactured in Winnebago County. They're called Winnebago's. | |||||||
| Quaker Oats, in Cedar Rapids, is the largest cereal company in the world. | |||||||
| Wright County has the highest percentage of grade-A topsoil in the nation. | |||||||
| Iowa is the only state name that starts with two vowels. | |||||||
| Iowa's Ethnic Roots: German 35.7%, Irish 13.5%, English 9.5%, American 6.6%, Norwegian 5.7%, Dutch 4.6%, Swedish 3.3%, Danish 3.2% | |||||||
| Religion in Iowa: 75% Christian (50% Protestant, 23% Catholic), 1% Other), 13% No Religion, 6% Other Religions | |||||||
| Decorah hosts "Nordic Fest" to celebrate its Scandinavian heritage. | |||||||
| Iowa has historically placed a strong emphasis on education. In 2003, Iowa had the second highest average SAT scores by state, and tied for second highest average ACT scores. | |||||||
| Iowa is the nation's second most productive agricultural state, following only California in the value of its yearly farm output. Iowa produces 1/10 of our nation's food supply! It is the number one producer of corn and soybeans. |
At a Glance
Iowa Quick Facts
| Entered the Union | December 28, 1846 (29) |
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| Capital | Des Moines |
| Nickname | Hawkeye State |
| State Bird | Eastern Goldfinch |
| State Flower | Wild Prairie Rose |
| State Tree | Oak |
New for 2026
More Iowa Facts & Photos
The Loess Hills along Iowa's western border rise from windblown Ice Age silt piled up to 200 feet deep. Similar deposits exist in only one other place, China's Yellow River valley.
Madison County keeps six 19th-century covered bridges. The Roseman Bridge of 1883 starred in the 1992 novel and 1995 film The Bridges of Madison County.
RAGBRAI, started by two Des Moines Register writers in 1973, is the world's oldest and largest recreational bicycle touring event.
The Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, begun in 1912, took 42 years to build and is considered the largest man-made grotto in the world.
Voices of America
In Their Own Words
"Children are our most valuable natural resource."
"When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned."
"My country owes me nothing. It gave me, as it gives every boy and girl, a chance. It gave me schooling, independence of action, opportunity for service and honor. In no other land could a boy from a country village, without inheritance or influential friends, look forward with unbounded hope."
Last updated: July 2026