Bass, trout, pike, and carp are found in Iowa’s rivers and streams. This poorly situated stockade was similarly attacked by hundreds of Indigenous people in 1813, but was successfully defended and later abandoned until settlers returned to the area in the mid-1830s. There is little proof to suggest that the explosion in the number of high-density livestock facilities in Iowa has led to increased rural water contamination and a decline in air quality. Other notable scientists who worked or were born in Iowa include astronomer and space pioneer James A. [83] The American Civil War briefly brought higher profits.[84]. 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Iowa lies in the humid continental zone and generally has hot summers, cold winters, and wet springs. The Great Depression and World War II accelerated the shift away from smallholder farming to larger farms, and began a trend of urbanization. Monthly averages Ames Longitude: -93.6218, Latitude: 41.9921 Average weather Ames, IA - 50010. [225] It was struck down in January 2019, when an Iowa state judge ruled that the "fetal heartbeat" law was unconstitutional. Climate is the average of weather over time. [66], The Sauk and Meskwaki sold their land in the Mississippi Valley during 1832 in the Black Hawk Purchase[67] and sold their remaining land in Iowa in 1842, most of them moving to a reservation in Kansas. Maquoketa Caves State Park, near Maquoketa, contains more caves than any other state park. The Missouri and Mississippi river boundaries are as they were mapped in the 19th century, which can vary from their modern courses. [26], The southern part of Iowa is categorized as the Central forest-grasslands transition ecoregion. [citation needed] William Labov and colleagues, in the monumental Atlas of North American English[128] found the English spoken in Iowa divides into multiple linguistic regions. According to the AMA annual report from 2007 Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield had provided 71% of the state's health insurance. High °C. [18], Iowa has 99 counties, but 100 county seats because Lee County has two. The Meskwaki Settlement west of Tama is the only American Indian settlement in Iowa and is host to a large annual Pow-wow. Population Trends: The Changing Face of Iowa. Woodlands (ash, hickory, and elm trees) thrive along the rivers and in the hillier parts of the state. [227], On April 3, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court decided Varnum v. Brien,[228] holding in a unanimous decision,[229] the state's law forbidding same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. [17] Carter Lake, Iowa, is the only city in the state located west of the Missouri River. The only indigenous language used regularly in Iowa is Meskwaki, used around the Meskwaki Settlement.[132]. And what can it possibly mean? [166], As of 2007, the direct production and sale of conventional agricultural commodities contributed only about 3.5% of Iowa's gross state product. As of 2018[update], the 43rd and current Governor of Iowa is Kim Reynolds (R). [235] Iowa has 333 school districts,[234] 1,329 school buildings and has the 14th lowest student-to-teacher ratio of 14.2. The transition from an agricultural economy to a mixed economy happened slowly. [242] What's Eating Gilbert Grape, based on the Peter Hedges novel of the same name, is set in the fictional Iowa town of Endora. [108] The shift from rural to urban has caused population increases in more urbanized counties such as Dallas, Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Scott, at the expense of more rural counties. Attractions in Le Mars include the Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor, Archie's Waeside (steak house), Bob's Drive Inn, Tonsfeldt Round Barn, Plymouth County Fairgrounds, Plymouth County Museum, and Plymouth County Courthouse. Slipknot, a heavy metal band, was formed in Des Moines in 1995. They served with the Army of the Potomac in Virginia and fought under Union General Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. Climate in Iowa. [79], Most fought in the great campaigns in the Mississippi Valley and in the South. About Climate Data. How Did Iowa Coalitions Campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1980 and 1992?, WL 874044 Competition in Health Insurance: 2007 update. [90] The population of Iowa has increased at a faster rate than the U.S. as a whole,[89] and Iowa now has a predominantly urban population. The Cedar Rapids Titans play in the Indoor Football League at the U.S. Cellular Center. [268], Coordinates: 42°04′30″N 93°29′46″W / 42.0751°N 93.4960°W / 42.0751; -93.4960 (State of Iowa), This article is about the State of Iowa. [75], Iowa has a long tradition of state and county fairs. The atlas of North American English: Phonetics, phonology, and sound change : a multimedia reference tool. On average, there are 200 sunny days per year in Iowa, Iowa. ISU Extension Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, as presented in the 2007. Dubuque is a regional tourist destination with attractions such as the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium and the Port of Dubuque. [219], As with racial equality, Iowa was a vanguard in women's rights in the mid-19th century, but did not allow women the right to vote until the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1920, Iowa legislature being one of the ratifying votes. Natives of northern Iowa—including Sioux City, Fort Dodge, and the Waterloo region—tend to speak the dialect linguists call North Central American English, which is also found in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. [76][77], Iowa supported the Union during the Civil War, voting heavily for Abraham Lincoln, though there was an antiwar "Copperhead" movement in the state, caused partially by a drop in crop prices caused by the war. July is the hottest month for Urbandale with an average high temperature of 85.7°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in Iowa. After the Louisiana Purchase, people laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt. [97] The population density of the state is 52.7 people per square mile. Place. Des Moines's coldest month is January when the average temperature overnight is 11.7°F. [180] They include Principal Financial, Rockwell Collins, and American Equity Investment. [192] The state sales tax rate is 6%, with non-prepared food having no tax. Many died and were buried at Andersonville. [146], Manufacturing is the largest sector of Iowa's economy, with $20.8 billion (21%) of Iowa's 2003 gross state product. Some of the most severe flooding in Iowa occurred in 1993 when the state received twice its average annual rainfall; much of the state remained flooded for four months, with roads inaccessible, water systems inoperable, housing uninhabitable, and farmland unusable. Ambassador to China. Together with Cedar Falls Waterloo forms the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area. [239] Both Iowa State University and The University of Iowa are research universities[240] and members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It is home to the Iowa State Capitol, the State Historical Society of Iowa Museum, Drake University, Des Moines Art Center, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Principal Riverwalk, the Iowa State Fair, Terrace Hill, and the World Food Prize. The most noted avian resurgence in Iowa, however, is that of the bald eagle, seen widely throughout the state in winter, especially near open water. After the 2010 United States Census and the resulting redistricting, Iowa lost one seat in Congress, falling to four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. [162][163], Iowa's Driftless Region is also home to the nationally recognized Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit seed bank housed at an 890-acre heritage farm near Decorah, in the northeast corner of the state. The Annals of Iowa 40 (1970), 412-427. The state's capital, most populous city, and largest metropolitan area fully located within the state is Des Moines. A 2014 survey by Pew Research Center found 60% of Iowans are Protestant, while 18% are Catholic, and 1% are of non-Christian religions. Scored in 10 individual categories, Iowa was ranked 1st when it came to the "Cost of Doing Business"; this includes all taxes, utility costs, and other costs associated with doing business. Iowa was also ranked 10th in "Economy", 12th in "Business Friendliness", 16th in "Education", 17th in both "Cost of Living" and "Quality of Life", 20th in "Workforce", 29th in "Technology and Innovation", 32nd in "Transportation" and the lowest ranking was 36th in "Access to Capital". Gay marriage and Iowa: Why's everyone so surprised? The most pleasant months of the year for Iowa are June, September and August. "[224], In May 2018 Iowa signed into law one of the country's most restrictive abortion bans: the requirement that a doctor cannot perform an abortion if they can detect a fetal heartbeat, which in many cases would restrict abortions pregnancies less than six weeks old. [20], Iowa is generally not flat; most of the state consists of rolling hills. Sioux City is the largest city in western Iowa and is found on the convergence of the Missouri, Floyd, and Big Sioux Rivers. Climate is the average of weather over time. According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 5.6% of Iowa's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (4.3%), Puerto Rican (0.2%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (1.0%). Incumbent Democratic governor Chet Culver was defeated in 2010 by Republican Terry Branstad, who had served as governor from 1983 to 1999. [19], Iowa's bedrock geology generally increases in age from west to east. Thereafter, the fair moved to locations closer to the center of the state and in 1886 found a permanent home in Des Moines. [13], Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east and the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River on the west. I-80 travels from the Nebraska state line to the Illinois state line through the center of the state, including Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Iowa City, and the Quad Cities. Most property is taxed by more than one taxing authority. In 1917, the United States entered World War I and farmers as well as all Iowans experienced a wartime economy. Although Iowa has no professional major league sports teams, Iowa has minor league sports teams in baseball, basketball, hockey, and other sports. [78] There were no battles in the state, although the Battle of Athens, Missouri, 1861, was fought just across the Des Moines River from Croton, Iowa, and shots from the battle landed in Iowa. [221] In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law, with the Court ruling women may not be denied the right to practice law in Iowa and admitting Arabella A. Mansfield to the practice of law. [181][182][183] Iowa is also headquarters to other companies including Hy-Vee, Pella Corporation, Vermeer Company, Kum & Go gas stations, Von Maur, Pioneer Hi-Bred, and Fareway. In 1894 women were given "partial suffrage", which allowed them to vote on issues, but not for candidates. The climate of Iowa (United States of America) The state of Iowa is centrally located in the United States of America. Iowa contributed proportionately more men to Civil War military service than did any other state, north or south, sending more than 75,000 volunteers to the armed forces, over one-sixth of whom were killed before the Confederates surrendered at Appomattox. [90] This economic diversity has helped Iowa weather the late 2000s recession better than most states, with unemployment substantially lower than the rest of the nation. Iowa has more than 2,000 taxing authorities. [84] In the economic sector, Iowa also has undergone considerable change. No other language is spoken by more than 0.5 percent of the Iowa population. Multiple resorts and other tourist attractions are found in and around these towns surrounding the popular lakes. Boone hosts the biennial Farm Progress Show and is home to the Mamie Doud Eisenhower museum, the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, and Ledges State Park. The state averages 166 days of full sunshine and 199 cloudy or partly cloudy days. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Over the last half century, average annual precipitation in most of the Midwest has increased by 5 to 10 percent. Monthly: 1981-2010 normals History: 2015-2019 [139], While Iowa is often viewed as a farming state, agriculture is a relatively small portion of the state's diversified economy, with manufacturing, biotechnology, finance and insurance services, and government services contributing substantially to Iowa's economy. The table below shows the racial composition of Iowa's population as of 2018. Other national leaders who lived in Iowa include John L. Lewis, Harry Hopkins, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Chief Black Hawk. Guest Essay by Kip Hansen – 25 October 2020 What is pictured in this little image? Of a total population of 675,000, about 116,000 men were subjected to military duty. [87], The farm crisis of the 1980s caused a major recession in Iowa, causing poverty not seen since the Depression. [184][185][186][187][188][189][190], Tax is collected by the Iowa Department of Revenue. Along with the New Hampshire primary the following week, Iowa's caucuses have become the starting points for choosing the two major-party candidates for president. The state was again hit with disastrous floods in 2008, and thousands of people had to be evacuated from rising waters. Iowa has a strong financial and insurance sector, with approximately 6,100 firms,[90] including AEGON, Nationwide Group, Aviva USA, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Voya Financial, Marsh Affinity Group, MetLife, Principal Financial Group, Principal Capital Management, Wells Fargo, and University of Iowa Community Credit Union. Waterloo is home of the Grout Museum and is headquarters of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area. The average annual temperature in Iowa is 19.7 °C | 67.4 °F. Temperatures vary widely during the year, with an annual average of 49°F (9°C). [234] Iowa's schools are credited with the highest graduation rate in the nation as of 2019. Iowa recognizes three political parties—the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and the Libertarian Party. After English, Spanish is the second-most-common language spoken in Iowa, with 120,000 people in Iowa of Hispanic or Latino origin and 47,000 people born in Latin America. [51], When American Indians first arrived in what is now Iowa more than 13,000 years ago, they were hunters and gatherers living in a Pleistocene glacial landscape. [261], Des Moines is home to the Iowa Wild, who are affiliated with the Minnesota Wild and are members of the American Hockey League. Deer, raccoons, opossum, squirrels, and chipmunks are prevalent. [64], The U.S. encouraged settlement of the east side of the Mississippi and removal of Indians to the west. Males made up approximately 49.6% of the population. Iowa averages about 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year. [143] If measured by gross state product, for 2005 it was $113.5 billion. In July, the warmest month, the average day time temperature rises to 86.0°F. Although some states have a variety of climate zones, the entire state of Iowa is classified as a cold climate zone. 635,687 or 30.3% were Democrats, 800,629 or 38.2% of voters were not registered in a party, 651,039 or 31.1% were Republicans, and 8,284 or 0.004% were registered with another party. [245] Jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer Bix Beiderbecke was born in Davenport. Nearby attractions include Adventureland and Prairie Meadows Racetrack Casino in Altoona, Living History Farms in Urbandale, Trainland USA in Colfax, and the Iowa Speedway and Valle Drive-In in Newton. Station Data. In college football, Jay Berwanger was the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy in 1935, later renamed the Heisman Trophy and won by Nile Kinnick in 1939. [41], Iowa summers are known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures sometimes near 90 °F (32 °C) and occasionally exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). Snowfall is light compared with the amount received in other states to the north and east. The Driftless Area of northeast Iowa has many steep hills and deep valleys, checkered with forest and terraced fields. Former WWE Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins is from Davenport. [167] In 2002 the impact of the indirect role of agriculture in Iowa's economy, including agriculture-affiliated business, was calculated at 16.4% in terms of value added and 24.3% in terms of total output. [43], Iowa has a relatively smooth gradient of varying precipitation across the state, with areas in the southeast of the state receiving an average of over 38 inches (97 cm) of rain annually, and the northwest of the state receiving less than 28 inches (71 cm). More careful agricultural practices and animal husbandry, along with outright bans on DDT, a synthetic insecticide, has helped to rejuvenate Iowa’s wildlife. High °F. Cedar Falls is home of the University of Northern Iowa. [8], In the latter half of the 20th century, Iowa's agricultural economy made the transition to a diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing, financial services, information technology, biotechnology, and green energy production. Lendt, David L. "Iowa and the Copperhead Movement."