Iowa [1], a state in the midwest of the United States of America, was admitted to the Union back in 1846 as the 29th state. People are are very friendly, enjoy good food, and being the political hotbed every four years when the Caucuses roll through the state. The state is quite rural, with plenty of fields of corn and soybeans and hog farms, although some cities, such as Des Moines, have a strong metropolitan feel.

Regions

• Northwest -- Siouxland
• North Central
• Northeast
• Central -- Greater Des Moines area
• Southwest
• South Central
• Southeast

Cities/Towns

• Ames -- home of Iowa State University
• Burlington
• Carlisle
• Cedar Rapids
• Council Bluffs -- "Iowa's Leading Edge"
• Des Moines -- state capital and considered to be the "insurance capital of the US" and third in the world
• Dubuque
• Fayette -- home of Upper Iowa University
• Forest City -- home of Waldorf College and Winnebago Industries
• Grinnell -- home of Grinnell College
• Iowa City -- home of University of Iowa
• Quad Cities
• Sioux City
• Waterloo
• Cedar Falls -- home of University of Northern Iowa
• Britt
• Fairfield -- home of Maharishi University of Management

Other destinations

• Amana Colonies
• Effigy Mounds National Monument

Understand

Talk

You'll find Midwestern English to be quite easy to understand. Native Iowans will not usually speak with an accent. If someone does, they are most likely not from the area.

Get in

Most people enter (and leave) Iowa via Interstate 80 on their way towards points east or west of the state. I-80 will get you where you're going, but you won't see much. In fact, that highway has done more to perpetuate the myth that Iowa is "flat" than just about anything else. If you want to see the true face of the state, get off the interstate, ignore the fast-food signs, and find one of the small towns that make the Midwest so charming.

Get around

Most people get around Iowa by car. Certain, more rural parts of Iowa -- like much of the Midwest -- is laid out on a grid pattern. Drive on any of the state's outer highways, and you will quickly come to realize that there is an intersection at every mile. This makes figuring out where you are and getting from there to where you need to be a relatively simple undertaking.

Travellers unaccustomed to ice and snow may have trouble driving in Iowa winters -- plan ahead if you need to travel during the colder parts of the year.

See

Do

• RAGBRAI (the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). Cycling enthusiasts from across the nation descend on the state for this road bike event. Riders start in a different town each year. They take seven days to cross the state, dipping their wheels in the Missouri River on one side and the Mississippi River on the other.

Eat

Iowans still consider themselves the "breadbasket of the world," and their cuisine reflects this. Get ready for pork chops, corn-on-the-cob, hot dishes, and more just-plain-good Midwestern cooking than you can possibly eat in a lifetime. Most rural towns have a fast-food restaurant or two if you absolutely have to have McDonald's, but the best places to eat are often found by chatting with the locals. Note that there are many fast food places in more urban parts of the state.

Towns with strong ethnic identities sometimes have restaurants devoted to a particular country's cuisine. Iowa has a substantial Latino population, and there are many family-run Mexican restaurants which generally have quite good food.

Iowa City is known for its wide variety of ethnic cuisine and finer dining. The Motley Cow restaurant is highly recommended.

Drink

Before Prohibition, Iowa had a healthy wine industry, which is growing once again. There are vineyards scattered throughout the state, each producing their own wines.

Bustling college towns of Ames and Iowa City provide the most avid nightlife in the state. Scores of young adults pack local bars and clubs Thursday through Saturday nights.

Stay safe

The rural parts of Iowa are quite safe, to such an extent that many people don't bother to lock their car doors. This is not a good plan in more metropolitan areas, however. You will find that most Iowans are friendly, warm, and happy to help you if you have trouble.

Iowa does have many tornadoes, though rarely severe. Check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Iowa.