According to babyinger, Iowa is located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east, Minnesota to the north, South Dakota and Nebraska to the west and Missouri to the south. Iowa is divided into 99 counties, with its largest city being Des Moines. The state has a total area of 56,272 square miles, making it the 26th largest state in terms of total area. The terrain of Iowa is mostly rolling hills and plains with some rugged bluffs along rivers and streams. The highest point in Iowa is Hawkeye Point at 1,670 feet above sea level. The majority of Iowa’s land is used for agriculture with nearly 90% of its land covered by crops or pastureland for livestock grazing. With over 1000 miles of rivers and streams, Iowa has abundant water resources which are used for fishing and recreation as well as providing drinking water for many communities throughout the state. In addition to agricultural land, there are also several state parks and forests that provide outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
Administrative Regions in Iowa
According to COUNTRYAAH.COM, Iowa is divided into four major administrative regions: the Northwest, North Central, East Central and Southwest. The Northwest region encompasses all of northwest Iowa and includes the counties of Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola and Sioux. The North Central region covers most of the northern part of the state and includes Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Howard and Winnebago counties. The East Central region covers all of east central Iowa and includes Benton, Cedar Creek Township in Linn County (the remainder is part of the North Central Region), Clinton County (partly in the Northeast Region), Iowa City in Johnson County (the remainder is part of the Southeast Region), Jones County (partly in the Northeast Region), Linn County (partly in the North Central Region), Marshall County (partly in the Northeast Region) and Muscatine County. Lastly, is Southwest Iowa which encompasses all of southwest Iowa and includes Adair, Adams, Audubon, Cass, Dallas, Fremont, Guthrie, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Taylor and Union counties. Each region has its own distinct characteristics from geography to climate to culture that make them unique from one another.
The state government is responsible for managing each administrative region with representatives from each area meeting regularly to discuss issues that affect their respective regions such as infrastructure development or budgeting decisions. Each region also has a Regional Planning Commission which works with local governments on zoning issues as well as economic development initiatives. Additionally, there are several other agencies at both state and local level that provide various services to residents within each administrative region such as healthcare or public safety services.
Demographics of Iowa
Iowa has a population of 3,155,070 as of 2019, making it the 30th most populous state in the United States. The racial makeup of Iowa is 90.7% White, 3.5% Black or African American, 1.6% Asian, 0.4% Native American and Alaskan Native, and 2.8% from two or more races. Approximately 5.9% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest ancestry groups in Iowa are German (32%), Irish (11%), English (10%), and American (9%).
The median age in Iowa is 38 years old as of 2019 with a gender ratio of 50.1 males to 49.9 females for every 100 people living in the state at that time. The median household income in Iowa was $55,847 as of 2018 with 13 percent living below the poverty line that same year; this figure was lower than the national average poverty rate which was 14 percent at that time.
The largest cities in Iowa are Des Moines (population 211,590), Cedar Rapids (population 128,595), Davenport (population 101,800), Sioux City (population 83,888), and Waterloo (population 68,406). These five cities make up over 35 percent of the total population of Iowa and have some unique demographics compared to other parts of the state; for example, Des Moines has a higher percentage of Black residents than other parts of Iowa while Cedar Rapids has a higher percentage of Asian residents than other parts of the state overall.
Transportation in Iowa
Iowa has an extensive transportation network that includes a number of highways, railways, and airports. The state is served by two major interstate highways: Interstate 80 and Interstate 35. These two highways intersect near Des Moines, the state capital. Other major expressways in the state include US Highway 20, US Highway 30, US Highway 65, and US Highway 34. In addition to these expressways, Iowa also has numerous non-interstate roads and highways that link communities throughout the state.
Rail travel is also widely available in Iowa with more than 3,000 miles of track running through the state. Amtrak serves several cities in Iowa on its long-distance routes including Omaha, Chicago, St Louis and Minneapolis/St Paul. Additionally, there are several short-line freight railroads operating in the state as well as some tourist railways such as Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad and Midland Railway Historical Association.
The largest airport in Iowa is Des Moines International Airport which serves both domestic and international flights to various destinations across the United States and Canada. Other airports in the state include Cedar Rapids Airport, Quad Cities International Airport, Sioux City Airport and Waterloo Regional Airport among others; these airports offer both commercial flights as well as private charter services for travelers looking for more convenient travel options within Iowa or to other states or countries nearby.