Politically, Iowa is notable for theIowa Caucuses, an influential event in national politics, as well as its high levels ofvoter turnout and foundational leadership in civil rights including early adoption or support ofblack suffrage,women's rights, andsame-sex marriage.[18][19][20][21] Iowa's standard of living is ranked among the best states and it performs highly on metrics such as governance, education, infrastructure, and safety.[22][23]
Likemany other states, Iowa takes its name from its predecessor,Iowa Territory, whose name in turn is derived from theIowa River, and ultimately from theethnonym of the indigenousIoway people.The Ioway are aChiwere-speakingSiouan Nation, who were once part of theHo-Chunk Confederation that inhabited the area now corresponding to severalMidwest states. The Ioway were one of the manyNative American nations whose territory comprised the future state of Iowa before the time of European colonization.[24]
WhenIndigenous peoples of the Americas first arrived in what is now Iowa more than 13,000 years ago, they were hunters and gatherers living in aPleistocene glacial landscape. By the time European explorers and traders visited Iowa, Native Americans were largely settled farmers with complex economic, social, and political systems. This transformation happened gradually. During theArchaic period (10,500 to 2,800 years ago), Native Americans adapted to local environments and ecosystems, slowly becoming more sedentary as populations increased.[25]
More than 3,000 years ago, during theLate Archaic period, Native Americans in Iowa began utilizing domesticated plants. The subsequentWoodland period saw an increased reliance on agriculture and social complexity, with increased use of mounds, ceramics, and specialized subsistence. During the Late Prehistoric period (beginning about AD 900) increased use of maize and social changes led to social flourishing and nucleated settlements.[25]
The arrival of European trade goods and diseases in the Protohistoric period led to dramatic population shifts and economic and social upheaval, with the arrival of new tribes and early European explorers and traders. There were numerous native American tribes living in Iowa at the time of early European exploration. Tribes which were probably descendants of the prehistoricOneota include theDakota,Ho-Chunk,Ioway, andOtoe. Tribes which arrived in Iowa in the late prehistoric or protohistoric periods include theIlliniwek,Meskwaki,Omaha, andSauk.[25]
Iowa in 1718 with the modern state area highlighted
The first known European explorers to document Iowa wereJacques Marquette andLouis Jolliet who traveled theMississippi River in 1673 documenting several Indigenous villages on the Iowa side.[26][27] The area of Iowa was claimed for France and remained a French territory until 1763. The French, before their impending defeat in theFrench and Indian War, transferred ownership to their ally, Spain.[28] Spain practiced very loose control over the Iowa region, granting trading licenses to French and British traders, who established trading posts along theMississippi andDes Moines Rivers.[26]
Iowa was part of a territory known asLa Louisiane orLouisiana, and European traders were interested in lead and furs obtained by Indigenous people. TheSauk andMeskwaki effectively controlled trade on the Mississippi in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Among the early traders on the Mississippi wereJulien Dubuque,Robert de la Salle, andPaul Marin.[26] Along theMissouri River at least five French and English trading houses were built before 1808.[29] In 1800,Napoleon Bonaparte took control of Louisiana from Spain in atreaty.[30]
After the 1803Louisiana Purchase, Congress divided the Louisiana Purchase into two parts—the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana, with present-day Iowa falling in the latter. TheIndiana Territory, created in 1800, exercised jurisdiction over this portion of the District;William Henry Harrison was its first governor. Much of Iowa was mapped byZebulon Pike in 1805,[31] but it was not until the construction ofFort Madison in 1808 that the U.S. established tenuous military control over the region.[32]
Fort Madison was built to control trade and establish U.S. dominance over the Upper Mississippi, but it was poorly designed and disliked by the Sauk and Meskwaki, many of whom allied with the British, who had not abandoned claims to the territory.[32][33]Fort Madison was defeated by British-supported Indigenous people in 1813 during theWar of 1812, andFort Shelby inPrairie du Chien, Wisconsin, also fell to the British.Black Hawk took part in the siege of Fort Madison.[34][35] Another small military outpost was established along the Mississippi River in present-dayBellevue. 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.[36]
TheSauk andMeskwaki were forced to sell some of their land in theMississippi Valley to the U.S. in 1832 in theBlack Hawk Purchase Treaty[40] and sold their remaining land in Iowa in 1842, most of them moving to a reservation in Kansas.[39] In 1837, some thePotawatomi from Illinois were resettled in Iowa, while many Meskwaki later returned to Iowa and settled nearTama, Iowa; theMeskwaki Settlement remains to this day.[41] In 1856 the Iowa Legislature passed an unprecedented act allowing the Meskwaki to purchase the land.[42] However, in contrast to the unprecedented act of the Iowa Legislature, the United States Federal Government, through the use of Treaties, forced theHo-Chunk from Iowa in 1848,[43] and forced theDakota from Iowa by 1858.[44] Western Iowa around modernCouncil Bluffs was used as an Indian Reservation for members of theCouncil of Three Fires.[45]
Almost immediately after achieving territorial status, a clamor arose for statehood. On December 28, 1846, Iowa became the 29th state in the Union when PresidentJames K. Polk signed Iowa's admission bill into law. Once admitted to the Union, the state's boundary issues resolved, and most of its land purchased from Natives, Iowa set its direction to development and organized campaigns for settlers and investors, boasting the young frontier state's rich farmlands, fine citizens, free and open society, and good government.[50]
Iowa has a long tradition of state and county fairs. The first and secondIowa State Fairs were held in the more developed eastern part of the state atFairfield. The first fair was held October 25–27, 1854, at a cost of around $323. Thereafter, the fair moved to locations closer to the center of the state and in 1886 found a permanent home in Des Moines. The State Fair has been held annually since then, except for a few exceptions: 1898 due to theSpanish–American War and theWorld's Fair being held in nearbyOmaha, Nebraska; from 1942 to 1945, due toWorld War II, as the fairgrounds were being used as an army supply depot; and in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[51][52]
Iowa supported the Union during theCivil War, voting heavily forAbraham Lincoln, though there was an antiwar "Copperhead" movement in the state, caused partially by a drop in crop prices caused by the war.[53] There were no battles in the state, although theBattle of Athens, Missouri, 1861, was fought just across the Des Moines River fromCroton, Iowa, and shots from the battle landed in Iowa. Iowa sent large supplies of food to the armies and the eastern cities.[54]
Much of Iowa's support for the Union can be attributed toSamuel J. Kirkwood, its first wartime governor. Of a total population of 675,000, about 116,000 men were subjected to military duty. Iowa contributed proportionately more soldiers 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 theConfederates surrendered atAppomattox.[54]
Most fought in the great campaigns in theMississippi Valley and in theSouth.[55] Iowa troops fought at Wilson's Creek inMissouri,Pea Ridge inArkansas, Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Rossville Gap as well as Vicksburg, Iuka, and Corinth. They served with the Army of the Potomac inVirginia and fought under Union GeneralPhilip Sheridan in theShenandoah Valley. Many died and were buried at Andersonville. They marched on GeneralNathaniel Banks' ill-starred expedition to the Red River. Twenty-sevenIowans have been awarded theMedal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government, which was first awarded in the Civil War.[56]
Following the Civil War, Iowa's population continued to grow dramatically, from 674,913 people in 1860[57] to 1,624,615 in 1880.[58] The American Civil War briefly brought higher profits.[59]
In 1917, the United States entered World War I and farmers as well as all Iowans experienced a wartime economy. For farmers, the change was significant. Since the beginning of the war in 1914, Iowa farmers had experienced economic prosperity, which lasted until the end of the war.[59] In the economic sector, Iowa also has undergone considerable change. Beginning with the first industries developed in the 1830s,[60] which were mainly for processing materials grown in the area,[61] Iowa has experienced a gradual increase in the number of business and manufacturing operations.
Depression, World War II and manufacturing, 1930–1985
The transition from an agricultural economy to a mixed economy happened slowly. TheGreat Depression and World War II accelerated the shift away fromsmallholder farming to larger farms, and began a trend of urbanization. The period after World War II witnessed a particular increase in manufacturing operations.[62]
In 1975, Governor Robert D. Ray petitioned President Ford to allow Iowa to accept and resettleTai Dam refugees fleeing the Indochina War.[63] An exception was required for this resettlement as State Dept policy at the time forbid resettlement of large groups of refugees in concentrated communities; an exception was ultimately granted and 1200 Tai Dam were resettled in Iowa. Since then Iowa has accepted thousands of refugees from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Bhutan, and Burma.[64]
Thefarm crisis of the 1980s caused a major recession in Iowa, causing poverty not seen since the Depression.[65] The crisis spurred a major, decade-long population decline.[66]
After bottoming out in the 1980s, Iowa's economy began to reduce its dependence on agriculture. By the early 21st century, it was characterized by a mix of manufacturing, biotechnology, finance and insurance services, and government services.[67] The population of Iowa has increased at a slower rate than the U.S. as a whole since at least the1900 census,[68] though Iowa now has a predominantly urban population.[69] The Iowa Economic Development Authority, created in 2011 has replaced the Iowa Department of Economic Development and its annual reports are a source of economic information.[70]
Iowa is the only state whose east and west borders are formed almost entirely by rivers.[74]Carter Lake, Iowa, is the only city in the state located west of the Missouri River.[75]
Iowa's bedrock geology generally decreases in age from east to west. In northwest Iowa,Cretaceous bedrock can be 74 million years old; in eastern IowaCambrian bedrock dates to c. 500 million years ago.[77] The oldest radiometrically dated bedrock in the state is the 2.9 billion year old Otter Creek Layered Mafic Complex.Precambrian rock is exposed only in the northwest of the state.[78]
Iowa can be divided into eightlandforms based onglaciation,soils,topography, and river drainage.[79]Loess hills lie along the western border of the state, some of which are several hundred feet thick.[80] Northeast Iowa along theUpper Mississippi River is part of theDriftless Area, consisting of steep hills and valleys which appear as mountainous.[81]
Iowa's natural vegetation istallgrass prairie andsavanna in upland areas, with dense forest and wetlands in flood plains and protected river valleys, and pothole wetlands in northern prairie areas.[79] Most of Iowa is used for agriculture; crops cover 60% of the state, grasslands (mostly pasture and hay with some prairie and wetland) cover 30%, and forests cover 7%; urban areas and water cover another 1% each.[84]
The explosion in the number ofhigh-density livestock facilities in Iowa has led to increased rural water contamination and a decline in air quality.[91]
Other factors negatively affecting Iowa's environment include the extensive use of oldercoal-fired power plants,[92] fertilizer and pesticide runoff from crop production,[93] and diminishment of theJordan Aquifer.[94]
The2020–2023 North American drought has affected Iowa particularly: As of January 2024, Iowa was in its 187th consecutive week of at least moderatedrought, the longest stretch since the 1950s. 96% of areas are affected by drought.[95]
Iowa has ahumid continental climate throughout the state (Köppen climate classificationDfa) with extremes of both heat and cold. The average annual temperature at Des Moines is 50 °F (10 °C); for some locations in the north, such as Mason City, the figure is about 45 °F (7 °C), whileKeokuk, on theMississippi River, averages 52 °F (11 °C).[96] Snowfall is common, withDes Moines getting about 26 days of snowfall a year, and other places, such asShenandoah getting about 11 days of snowfall in a year.[97]
Spring ushers in the beginning of thesevere weather season. As of 2008, Iowa averaged about 50 days ofthunderstorm activity per year.[98] As of 2015, the 30-year annual average of tornadoes in Iowa was 47.[99] In2008, twelve people were killed by tornadoes in Iowa, making it the deadliest year since1968 and also the second most tornadoes in a year with 105, matching the total from 2001.[100]
Iowa summers are known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures sometimes near 90 °F (32 °C) and occasionally exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). Average winters in the state have been known to drop well below freezing, even dropping below −18 °F (−28 °C). As of 2018, Iowa's all-time hottest temperature of 118 °F (48 °C) was recorded at Keokuk on July 20, 1934, during a nationwide heat wave;[101] as of 2014, the all-time lowest temperature of −47 °F (−44 °C) was recorded inWashta on January 12, 1912.[102]
Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Iowa cities (°F)[103]
Iowa has had a relatively smooth gradient of varyingprecipitation across the state; from 1961 to 1990, areas in the southeast of the state received an average of over 38 inches (97 cm) of rain annually, and the northwest of the state receiving less than 28 inches (71 cm).[109] The pattern of precipitation across Iowa is seasonal with more rain falling in the summer months. Virtually statewide, the driest month is January or February, and the wettest month is June owing to frequent showers and thunderstorms some of which produce hail, damaging winds or tornadoes. In Des Moines, roughly in the center of the state, over two-thirds of the 34.72 inches (88.2 cm) of rain falls from April through September, and about half the average annual precipitation falls from May through August peaking in June.[110]
Iowa's population is more urban than rural, with 61 percent living in urban areas in 2000, a trend that began in the early 20th century.[69] Urban counties in Iowa grew 8.5% from 2000 to 2008, while rural counties declined by 4.2%.[112] The shift from rural to urban has caused population increases in more urbanized counties such asDallas,Johnson,Linn,Polk, andScott, at the expense of more rural counties.[14]
Iowa, in common with other Midwestern states (especiallyKansas,Nebraska,North Dakota, andSouth Dakota), is feeling the brunt ofrural flight, although Iowa has been gaining population since approximately 1990. Some smaller communities, such asDenison andStorm Lake, have mitigated this population loss through gains in immigrant laborers.[113]
Another demographic problem for Iowa is thebrain drain, in which educated young adults leave the state in search of better prospects in higher education or employment. During the 1990s, Iowa had the second highest exodus rate for single, educated young adults, second only to North Dakota.[114]
Of the residents of Iowa, 70.8% were born in Iowa, 23.6% were born in a different U.S. state, 0.6% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s), and 5% were foreign born.[120]
Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 29,386 people, while migration within the country produced a net loss of 41,140 people. 6.5% of Iowa's population were reported as under the age of five, 22.6% under 18, and 14.7% were 65 or older. Males made up approximately 49.6% of the population.[121] The population density of the state is 52.7 people per square mile.[122] As of the2010 census, thecenter of population of Iowa is inMarshall County, nearMelbourne.[123] The top countries of origin for Iowa's immigrants in 2018 wereMexico,India,Vietnam,China andThailand.[124]
Germans are the largest ethnic group in Iowa. Other major ethnic groups in Iowa include Irish and English. There are also Dutch communities in state. The Dutch can be found in Pella, in the centre of the state, and in Orange City, in the northwest. There is a Norwegian community in Decorah in northeast Iowa; and there is Czech and Slovak communities in both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Smaller numbers of Greeks and Italians are scattered in Iowa's metropolitan areas. The majority of Hispanics in Iowa areMexican.African Americans, who constitute around 2% of Iowa's population, didn't live in the state in any appreciable numbers until the early 20th century. Many blacks worked in the coal-mining industry of southern Iowa. Others blacks migrated to Waterloo, Davenport, and Des Moines, where the black population remained substantial in the early 21st century.[125] The African-American population in Des Moines experienced a significant increase with the establishment of the Colored Officers Training Camp at Fort Des Moines in 1917. Following the conclusion of World War I in 1918, numerous African-American families made the decision to remain in Des Moines. This marked the inception of a thriving community that eventually became a residence for numerous African-American leaders.[126] There is onefederally recognized tribe in Iowa, theSac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, and in 2020, 14,486 identified as being Native American alone, and 41,472 did in combination with one or more other races.[127]
As of the 2010 census, the population of Iowa was 3,046,355. The gender makeup of the state was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. 23.9% of the population were under the age of 18; 61.2% were between the ages of 18 and 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older.[128]
Population age comparison between ruralPocahontas County and urbanPolk County, illustrating the flight of young adults (red) to urban centers in Iowa[d]
Note: Births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in oneHispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
The studyReligious Congregations & Membership: 2000[153] found in the southernmost two tiers of Iowa counties and in other counties in the center of the state, the largest religious group was theUnited Methodist Church; in the northeast part of the state, includingDubuque andLinn counties (whereCedar Rapids is located), theCatholic Church was the largest; and in ten counties, including three in the northern tier, theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America was the largest. The study also found rapid growth in Evangelical Christian denominations. Dubuque is home to theArchdiocese of Dubuque, which serves as theecclesiastical province for all three other dioceses in the state and for all the Catholics in the entire state of Iowa.
By 1878, approximately 1000 Jewish people lived in Iowa, many of whom were immigrants from Poland and Germany.[155][156] As of 2016[update] about 6,000 Jews live in Iowa, with about 3,000 of them in Des Moines.[157]
English is the most common language in Iowa, being the sole language spoken by 91.1% of the population. Less common languages include sign language and indigenous languages. About 2.5% of the general population use sign language as of 2017, while indigenous languages are spoken by about 0.5% of the population.[158]William Labov and colleagues, in the monumentalAtlas of North American English[159] found the English spoken in Iowa divides into multiple linguistic regions. Natives of northern Iowa—includingSioux City,Fort Dodge, and theWaterloo region—tend to speak the dialect linguists callNorth Central American English, which is also found inNorth andSouth Dakota,Minnesota,Wisconsin, andMichigan. Natives of central and southern Iowa—including such cities asCouncil Bluffs,Davenport, Des Moines, andIowa City—tend to speak theNorth Midland dialect also found in eastern Nebraska, central Illinois, and central Indiana.[160] Natives of East-Central Iowa—including cities such asCedar Rapids,Dubuque, andClinton tend to speak with theNorthern Cities Vowel Shift, a dialect that extends from this area and east across theGreat Lakes Region.[161]
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.[162] The third-most-common language is German, spoken by 17,000 people in Iowa; two notable German dialects used in Iowa includeAmana German spoken around theAmana Colonies, andPennsylvania German, spoken among theAmish in Iowa. TheBabel Proclamation of 1918 banned the speaking of German in public. AroundPella, residents of Dutch descent once spoke thePella Dutch dialect.
Iowa hostsRAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, which is a bike across the state river-to-river that attracts thousands of bicyclists and support personnel. It has crossed the state on various routes each year since 1973. Iowa is home to more than 70 wineries,[163] and hosts five regional wine tasting trails.[164] Many Iowa communities hold farmers' markets during warmer months; these are typically weekly events, but larger cities can host multiple markets.[165]
TheIowa Great Lakes is made up of multiple small towns, such asSpirit Lake,Arnolds Park,Milford, andOkoboji. Multiple resorts and other tourist attractions are found in and around these towns surrounding the popular lakes. Arnolds Park, one of the oldest amusement parks in the country, is located on Lake Okoboji inArnolds Park.
Every year in early May, the city ofOrange City holds the annual Tulip Festival, a celebration of the strong Dutch heritage in the region.[167]
Des Moines is home to members of theheavy metal bandSlipknot. The state is mentioned in the band's songs, and the albumIowa is named after the state.[170]
The following table shows the Iowa sports teams with average attendance over 8,000. All the following teams are NCAA Division I football, basketball, or wrestling teams:[172][173][174][175]
In 2016,[199] the total employment of the state's population was 1,354,487, and the total number of employer establishments was 81,563.
CNBC's list of "Top States for Business in 2010" has recognized Iowa as the sixth best state in the nation. Scored in 10 individual categories, Iowa was ranked first 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".[200]
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.[67] This economic diversity has helped Iowa weather thelate 2000s recession better than most states, with unemployment substantially lower than the rest of the nation.[201][202]
If the economy is measured by gross domestic product, in 2005 Iowa's GDP was about $124 billion.[203] If measured by gross state product, for 2005 it was $113.5 billion.[204] Its per capita income for 2006 was $23,340.[204] On July 2, 2009,Standard & Poor's rated Iowa's credit as AAA (the highest of its credit ratings, held by only 11 U.S. state governments).[205]
As of September 2021, the state's unemployment rate is 4.0%.[206]
Manufacturing is the largest sector of Iowa's economy, with $20.8 billion (21%) of Iowa's 2003 gross state product. Major manufacturing sectors includefood processing, heavy machinery, andagricultural chemicals. Sixteen percent of Iowa's workforce is dedicated to manufacturing.[67] Food processing is the largest component of manufacturing. Besides processed food, industrial outputs include machinery, electric equipment, chemical products, publishing, and primary metals. Companies with direct or indirect processing facilities in Iowa includeConAgra Foods,Wells Blue Bunny,Barilla,Heinz, Tone's Spices,General Mills, andQuaker Oats. MeatpackerTyson Foods has 11 locations, second only to its headquarter state Arkansas.[207]
Harvestingcorn inJones CountyFarm in rural Northwest IowaCentral Iowa cornfield and dairy in June
Industrial-scale, commodity agriculture predominates in much of the state. Iowa's main conventional agricultural commodities arehogs, with about 22.6 million hogs in 8,000 facilities large enough to require manure management plans in March 2018, outnumbering Iowans by more than 7 to 1,[220]corn,soybeans,oats, cattle, eggs, and dairy products. Iowa is the nation's largest producer ofethanol andcorn and some years is the largest grower of soybeans. In 2008, the 92,600 farms in Iowa produced 19% of the nation's corn, 17% of the soybeans, 30% of the hogs, and 14% of the eggs.[221]As of 2009[update] major Iowa agricultural product processors includedArcher Daniels Midland,Cargill, Inc., Diamond V Mills, andQuaker Oats.[222]
During the 21st century Iowa has seen growth in theorganic farming sector. Iowa ranks fifth in the nation in total number of organic farms. In 2016, there were about 732 organic farms in the state, an increase of about 5% from the previous year, and 103,136 organic acres, an increase of 9,429 from the previous year.[223][224] Iowa has also seen an increase in demand for local, sustainably-grown food. Northeast Iowa, part of theDriftless Area, has led the state in development of its regionalfood system and grows and consumes more local food than any other region in Iowa.[225][226]
Iowa's Driftless Region is also home to the nationally recognizedSeed Savers Exchange, a non-profitseed bank housed at an 890-acre heritage farm nearDecorah, in the northeast corner of the state.[227][228] The largest nongovernmental seed bank of its kind in the United States, Seed Savers Exchange safeguards more than 20,000 varieties of rare, heirloom seeds.[229]
Mural inMt. Ayr Post Office, "The Corn Parade" by Orr C. Fischer, which was commissioned as part of theNew Deal[230]
As of 2007, the direct production and sale of conventional agricultural commodities contributed only about 3.5% of Iowa's gross state product.[231] 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. This was lower than the economic impact of non-farm manufacturing, which accounted for 22.4% of total value added and 26.5% of total output.[232]
The Iowa Insurance Division "Annual report to the Iowa Governor and the Iowa Legislature" from November 2014 looked at the 95% of health insurers by premium, which are 10 companies. It found Wellmark Inc. to dominate the three health insurance markets it examined (individual, small group and large group) at 52–67%.[237]: 2 Wellmark HealthPlan of Iowa and Wellmark Inc had the highest risk-based capital percentages of all 10 providers at 1158% and 1132%, respectively.[237]: 31 Rising RBC is an indication of profits.[237]: 31
Ethanol production consumes about a third of Iowa's corn production, and renewable fuels account for eight percent of the state's gross domestic product. A total of 39 ethanol plants produced 3.1 billion US gallons (12,000,000 m3) of fuel in 2009.[239]
Renewable energy has become a major economic force in northern and western Iowa, withwind turbine electrical generation increasing exponentially since 1990.[17] In 2019,wind power in Iowa accounted for 42% of electrical energy produced, and 10,201 megawatts of generating capacity had been installed at the end of the year.[240] Iowa ranked first of U.S. states in percentage of total power generated by wind and second in wind generating capacity behind Texas.[240] Major producers of turbines and components in Iowa includeAcciona Energy ofWest Branch, TPI Composites ofNewton, andSiemens Energy ofFort Madison.
Iowa imposes taxes on net state income of individuals, estates, and trusts. There are nineincome tax brackets, ranging from 0.36% to 8.98%, as well as four corporate income tax brackets ranging from 6%to 12%, giving Iowa the country's highest marginal corporate tax rate.[254] The statesales tax rate is 6%, with non-prepared food having no tax.[255] Iowa has one local option sales tax that may be imposed by counties after an election.[256] Property tax is levied on the taxable value of real property. Iowa has more than 2,000 taxing authorities. Most property is taxed by more than one taxing authority. The tax rate differs in each locality and is a composite of county, city or rural township,school district and special levies. Iowa allows its residents to deduct theirfederal income taxes from their state income taxes.[257]
Iowa was one of the leading states in thehigh school movement, and continues to be among the top educational performers today.[258]
The four-year graduation rate for high schoolers was 91.3% in 2017.[259] Iowa's schools are credited with the highest graduation rate in the nation as of 2019.[260] Iowa has 333 school districts,[259] 1,329 school buildings and has the 14th lowest student-to-teacher ratio of 14.2.[261] Teacher pay is ranked 22nd, with the average salary being $55,647.[261]
As of 2015[update] transportation spending is a significant part of the budgets of rural school districts as many are geographically large and must transport students across vast distances. This reduces the amount of money spent on other aspects of the districts.[262]
The state's oldest functioning school building is located inBellevue in the historicJackson County Courthouse which has been in continuous use as a school since 1848.[263]
TheIowa Board of Regents is composed of nine citizen volunteers appointed by the governor to provide policymaking, coordination, and oversight of the state's three public universities, two special K–12 schools, and affiliated centers.[264]
Iowa has four primaryinterstate highways.Interstate 29 (I-29) travels along the state's western edge throughCouncil Bluffs andSioux City.I-35 travels from the Missouri state line to the Minnesota state line through the state's center, including Des Moines.I-74 begins atI-80 just northeast ofDavenport. 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 theQuad Cities.I-380 is anauxiliary Interstate Highway, which travels from I-80 near Iowa City throughCedar Rapids ending inWaterloo and is part of theAvenue of the Saints highway. Iowa is among the few jurisdictions where municipalities install speed cameras on interstate highways providing a substantial revenue source from out of state drivers.[267]
TheCode of Iowa contains Iowa'sstatutory laws. It is periodically updated by the Iowa Legislative Service Bureau, with a new edition published in odd-numbered years and a supplement published in even-numbered years.
After the2010 United States census and the resulting redistricting, Iowa lost one seat in Congress, falling to four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent U.S. representativesLeonard Boswell (D) andTom Latham (R) ran against each other in2012 in the third congressional district which had new boundaries; Latham won and retired after the2014 elections. King represented the oldfifth congressional district.
Samuel J. Kirkwood, founder of the Iowa Republican Party, abolitionist, and Iowa's Civil War Governor
In Iowa, the term "political party" refers to political organizations which have received two percent or more of the votes cast for president or governor in the "last preceding general election". Iowa recognizes three political parties—theRepublican Party, theDemocratic Party, and theLibertarian Party.[272] The Libertarian Party obtained official political party status in 2017 as a result of presidential candidateGary Johnson receiving 3.8% of the Iowa vote in the2016 general election.[273]Third parties, officially termed "nonparty political organizations", can appear on the ballot as well. Four of these have had candidates on the ballot in Iowa since 2004 for various positions: theConstitution Party, theGreen Party, thePirate Party, and theSocialist Workers Party.[274][275]
As a result of the 2010 elections, each party controlled one house of theIowa General Assembly: the House had a Republican majority, while the Senate had a Democratic majority. As a result of the 2016 elections, Republicans gained control of the Senate. Incumbent Democratic governorChet Culver was defeated in 2010 by RepublicanTerry Branstad, who had served as governor from 1983 to 1999. On December 14, 2015, Branstad became the longest serving governor in U.S. history, serving (at that time) 20 years, 11 months, and 3days; eclipsingGeorge Clinton, who served 21 years until 1804.[276] Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds succeeded him on May 24, 2017, following Branstad's appointment as U.S. Ambassador to China.
In previous eras, Democratic and Republican parties had a balance in state politics and federal representation. By 2024, the two became dominated by the Republican Party. Factors include younger people leaving for more urbanized, more Democratic-leaning states, as well as homogenization of rural voters in the Midwest and in other regions.[277]
The state gets considerable attention every four years because theIowa caucus, gatherings of voters to select delegates to the state conventions, is the first presidential caucus in the country. The caucuses, held in January or February of the election year, involve people gathering in homes or public places and choosing their candidates, rather than casting secret ballots as is done in apresidential primary election.[279]Along with theNew Hampshire primary the following week, Iowa's caucuses have become the starting points for choosing the two major-party candidates for president.[280] The national and international media give Iowa and New Hampshire extensive attention, which gives Iowa voters leverage.[281] In 2007 presidential campaign spending was the seventh highest in the country.[282]
In the 19th century Iowa was among the earliest states to enact prohibitions against race discrimination, especially in education, but was slow to achieve full integration in the 20th century. In the first decision of theIowa Supreme Court—In Re the Matter of Ralph,[284] decided July 1839—the Court rejected slavery in a decision that found a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War.[285] The state did away with racial barriers to marriage in 1851, more than 100 years before the U.S. Supreme Court would banmiscegenation statutes nationwide.[286]
The Iowa Supreme Court decidedClark v. The board of directors[287] in 1868, ruling that racially segregated "separate but equal" schools had no place in Iowa, 85 years beforeBrown v. Board of Education.[285] By 1875, a number of additional court rulings effectively ended segregation in Iowa schools.[288] Social and housing discrimination continued against Blacks at state universities until the 1950s.[289] The Court heardCoger v. The North Western Union Packet Co.[290] in 1873, ruling against racial discrimination in public accommodations 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.[285]
In 1884, the Iowa Civil Rights Act apparently outlawed discrimination by businesses, reading: "All persons within this state shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, restaurants, chophouses, eating houses, lunch counters, and all other places where refreshments are served, public conveyances, barber shops, bathhouses, theaters, and all other places of amusement." However, the courts chose to narrowly apply this act, allowing de facto discrimination to continue.[291] Racial discrimination at public businesses was not deemed illegal until 1949, when the court ruled inState of Iowa v. Katz that businesses had to serve customers regardless of race; the case began whenEdna Griffin was denied service at a Des Moines drugstore.[292] Full racial civil rights were codified under the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965.[293]
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 theNineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1920, Iowa legislature being one of the ratifying votes.[19] In 1847, theUniversity of Iowa became the first public university in the U.S. to admit men and women on an equal basis.[294] 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 admittingArabella A. Mansfield to the practice of law.[285] Several attempts to grant full voting rights to Iowa women were defeated between 1870 and 1919. In 1894 women were given "partial suffrage", which allowed them to vote on issues, but not for candidates. It was not until the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment that women had full suffrage in Iowa.[295] Although Iowa supported the FederalEqual Rights Amendment, in 1980 and 1992 Iowa voters rejected an Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution.[296] Iowa added the word "women" to the Iowa Constitution in 1998. After the amendment, it reads: "All men and women are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights—among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness."[297]
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.[298] It was struck down in January 2019, when an Iowa state judge ruled that the "fetal heartbeat" law was unconstitutional.[299]
The state's law criminalizing same-sex sexual activity was repealed in June 1976, 27 years beforeLawrence v. Texas. In 2007, the Iowa Legislature added "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the protected classes listed in the Iowa Civil Rights Act.[300]
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Iowa State Databases—Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Iowa state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
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