Entered Union December 26, 1846 (29th state)
Iowa (3,190,427), Des Moines (214,125)
The stone capitol was originally completed in 1886 using the designs of John C. Cochrane and Alfred H. Piquenard. It is located on Grand Avenue at 9th Street. Interstate Highway 235 is two blocks north of the capitol. The Capitol is designed in Renaissance style. There only major supporting structures is the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals building. The state was officially created as the 29th state on December 26, 1846 from Native American lands, Indiana Territory and the Iowa Territory. Iowa City had been the capital until 1857 when Des Moines assumed the role. The state’s name comes the Native American tribe. Des Moines is named for the river which is French for “from the monks.” Hawkeye Point in Osceola County is the highest point and the lowest point is in Lee County where the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers combine.
Iowa government, in the Executive, consists of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Secretary of Agriculture. There are 50 Senators and 100 Representatives in the Legislative. Seven Supreme Court Justices and Nine Court of Appeals Justices serve Iowa in the Judicial. Iowa is located in the north central part of the United States. The geographic center is in Story County 5 miles northeast of Ames. The state is surrounded clockwise by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
The area is 56273 square miles. It is 26th largest state in the country. It is the 31st most populated state in the country. It has a density of 56.7 persons per square mile making it 34th in the country. Its major rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Des Moines, the Iowa, the Cedar, and the Sioux. Des Moines is located in the center of the state.
Click here to link to the Iowa county courthouse slide show
Click below to link to an Iowa county page