General Facts

Population
The 1994 estimated population of Iowa is 2,830,000. Iowa ranks 30th in population and 23rd in land area.

Largest cities:
Des Moines: 193,422
Cedar Rapids: 113,482
Davenport: 97,010
Sioux City; 83,791
Waterloo: 65,022
Iowa City: 60,923
Dubuque; 57,312
Council Bluffs: 55,569
Ames: 47,698
Cedar Falls: 34,884

In the United States, Iowa ranks:
First in beef and pork production
First in corn production
First in soybean production
First in grain production

Education
Iowa-educated youth have led the nation in SAT and ACT scores for the past two decades. Iowa has three state universities, 62 public and private colleges and 15 community colleges on 28 campuses.

Geography and Climate
Iowa is centrally located in the heart of North America, a welcoming place to stop and visit. With the Missouri River to the west and the Mississippi to the east, Iowa is the only state bordered by two navigable rivers.

A farm north of Sibley in Osceola County marks Iowa's highest point, 1,670 feet above sea level. Conversely, Iowa's lowest point is at the confluence to the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers in Lee County, 470 feet above sea level.

Iowa's four distinct seasons provide a wide range of temperature variation through the year - a perfect place to celebrate summertime sunshine and winter wonders!

Industry
The largest source of personal income for Iowans is manufacturing, followed by services, retail/wholesale trade and government. Twenty-four percent of America's pork and four percent of the nation's grain-fed beef are raised in Iowa. Iowa ranks first in the nation in grain harvested

Agriculture
Producing food, fuel, clothing and medicine for the world, agriculture is a leading industry in Iowa, a state with more than 100,000 farms. One Iowa farm family grows enough food and fiber to feed 279 people, one-fourth of whom live overseas.

Info from Iowa Home Page