51 Fun Facts about Iowa (that most people don't know!)

Whether you want some Iowa fun facts to use for a project or you want to impress people with your knowledge of the Corn State, we’ve put together some facts about Iowa that cover everything from weird laws to natural wonder to strange history.

Iowa has plenty of history, natural views, and beautiful small towns, and these interesting facts about Iowa are a real tribute to all of the fun Iowa facts to be found (we could have kept going, but kept it to the 51 best ones!).

Keep reading for weird facts about Iowa, amazing facts about Iowa, cool facts about Iowa, and plenty of fun Iowa facts to keep you guessing (or help you put together an awesome Iowa trivia quiz!).

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Iowa Fun Facts

1. Iowa is also known as the Hawkeye State.

2. The capital of Iowa is Des Moines, and is the largest city in the state.

3. Iowa is best known for its rich soil that farmers use to grow corn and soybeans.

4. There are more than 3 million people living in the state of Iowa!

5. Iowa is bordered by six states: South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska.

6. The name Iowa came from the name “Ioway”, which is the name of one of the original Native American tribes.

7. Iowa has been inhabited for at least 13,000 years.

8. The first Europeans on the scene were the French.

9. Iowa’s population skyrocketed after the end of the Civil War.

10. The burr oak is the official state tree.

Interesting Facts about Iowa

11. Iowa is the only state in the United States that has two rivers for borders

12. The town of Sabula is located on a sandbar in the waters of the Mississippi River.

13. Iowa was founded 200 years after the Europeans explored the region.

14. Even though Iowa is a landlocked state, there is a town situated on an island.

15. Iowa is the largest producer of corn in the United States.

16. The US high school system was founded in Iowa.

17. The Iowa Supreme Court is Iowa’s highest court, located in Des Moines.

18. The wild prairie rose is the official state flower.

19. In downtown Davenport, Iowa you will see the a pedestrian bridge called the Davenport Skybridge.

20. The eastern goldfinch is the official state bird.

Weird Facts about Iowa

21. One of the world’s most crooked streets can be found in Iowa, Snake Alley.

22. Woolly mammoth bones have been found in many parts of Iowa.

23. Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the machine that cut a loaf of bread into even slices.

24. In 1982, Ozzy Ozbourne once bit into a live bat on stage in Des Moines.

25. Iowa had around 21 million pigs and only about 3 million people in 2013.

26. Around 10,000 years ago, Iowa used to have giant sloths that were allegedly 17 feet tall.

27. Constructed in 1897, Scranton water tower is the oldest operating water tower in Iowa.

28. Iowa has more golf courses than any other state in the US!

29. Iowa has world’s largest wooden nickel that is around 12 feet tall.

30. Le Mars is considered the Ice Cream Capital of the World.

Random Facts about Iowa

31. Wind power supplies over 40% of Iowa’s electricity.

32. The world’s largest strawberry is located in Strawberry Point.

33. Iowa was a significant contributor to the US Civil War effort.

34. Iowa is home to the largest bike-touring event in the world.

35. Iowa has a past as part of the French Louisiana Territory.

36. The Fort Atkinson State Preserve is located in the county of Winneshiek, Iowa.

37. Iowa’s nickname is The Hawkeye State, which is was given to honor the Native American chief Black Hawk.

38. Red delicious apples are from Iowa

39. Iowa comes in third in the US for highest motorcycle ownership.

40. The house in the Grant Wood’s 1930 painting, American Gothic is located in Iowa.

Amazing Facts about Iowa

41. In 2017 Iowan high schools had a graduation rate of 91.3%.

42. The Grotto of the Redemption is located in the city of West Bend, in Kossuth and Palo Alto counties, Iowa.

43. 20 Olympic athletes are from Iowa.

44. In 1869, Arabella Mansfield became the very first female lawyer in the US.

45. The Atanasoff-Berry computer is the first official computer created at Iowa State University in 1937.

46. Spirit Lake in Dickinson County is considered the largest glacier-made lake in the Iowa.

47. The world’s renowned Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute is located in Iowa.

48. Iowa is also a home for many famous people such as, Mamie Doud Eisenhower, Bob Feller, Donna Reed, and John Wayne.

49. Iowa State University is the oldest land grant college in the USA.

50. The National Balloon Museum was founded in 1975, and is located in Indianola, Iowa.

51. Iowa is only state in the USA which name starts with two vowels.

Hey! Want more fun facts about the states? Check these out!

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51 Fun Facts about Iowa (that most people don’t know!)