Iowa has a great deal more to see and do than one might expect, and
every season has certain charms. One of the wonderful things about Iowa’s
low-key attractions is that even tourist season, lasting from May to
September, isn’t all that crowded or expensive.
The off-season in Iowa sees some, but far from all, of the bigger attractions
close up shop, especially for the winter, but cross-country skiing is
one of the state’s great pleasures during these snowy months.
One favorite post tourist season attraction, October’s Winterset
Bridge Festival, celebrates the famed Bridges of Madison County.
State Abbreviation: IA
State Capital: Des Moines
Largest City: Des Moines
Area: 56,276 square miles (26th biggest state in the
USA)
Population: 2,954,451 (as of 2004)
Major Industries: agriculture, food manufacturing,
insurance
Iowa Rivers: Mississippi, Des Moines River, Missouri
River, Iowa River
Iowa Lakes: Lake Red Rock
Highest Point: Ocheyeden Mound (in northwestern Iowa)
- 1,670 feet above sea level
Origin of the Name Iowa: From Ioway, the French word
for the Bah-kho-je Indian tribe.
State Nickname: Hawkeye State
State Motto: "Our liberties we prize and our rights
we will maintain."
State Song: The Song of Iowa
