Iowa
State of Iowa
Flag of Iowa
Seal
Nickname(s): The Hawkeye State (official), The
Tall Corn State[1][2]
Motto(s): Our liberties we prize and our rights
we will maintain.
Official
language(s)
English
Demonym
Iowan, Iowegian
(colloquial)
Capital
Des Moines
Largest city
Des Moines
Largest metro
area
Des Moines metropolitan
area
Area
Ranked 26th in the US
- Total
56,272 sq mi
(145,743 km²)
- Width
310 miles (500 km)
- Length
199 miles (320 km)
- % water
0.71
- Latitude
40°23′ N to 43°30′ N
- Longitude
90°8′ W to 96°38′ W
Population
Ranked 30th in the US
- Total
3,002,555 (2008 est.)[3]
- Density
53.5/sq mi/sq mi (53.5/sq
mi/km²)
Ranked 35th in the US
- Median income
$48,075 (24th)
Elevation
- Highest point
Hawkeye Point[4]
1,670 ft (509 m)
- Mean
1,099 ft (335 m)
- Lowest point
Mississippi River[4] at
Keokuk
480 ft (146 m)
Admission to
Union
December 28, 1846 (29th)
Governor
Chet Culver (D)
Lieutenant
Governor
Patty Judge (D)
U.S. Senators
Chuck Grassley (R)
Tom Harkin (D)
U.S. House
delegation
3 Democrats, 2
Republicans (list)
Time zone
Central: UTC-6/DST-5
Abbreviations
IA US-IA
Website
www.iowa.gov
Iowa (
/ˈaɪəwə/ ) is a state located in the
Midwestern region of the United States of
America, an area often referred to as the
"American Heartland." It derives its name
from the Ioway people, one of the many
American Indian tribes that occupied the
state at the time of European exploration.[5]
Iowa was a part of the French colony of New
France. After the Louisiana Purchase, set-
tlers laid the foundation for an agriculture-
based economy in the heart of the Corn
Belt.[6] Iowa is often known as the "Food
Capital of the World,”[7] but Iowa’s economy,
culture, and landscape are diverse. In the
mid and late 20th century, Iowa’s agricultur-
al economy transitioned to a diversified eco-
nomy of advanced manufacturing, pro-
cessing,
financial services, biotechnology,
and green energy production.[8][9] Iowa is
one of the safest states in which to live[10]
and its population is among the most literate
and best-educated.[11] R