List of cities in Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States. As of 2010, there are 943 incorporated cities in the U.S. state of Iowa. According to the 2020 United States census, Iowa has 3,190,369 inhabitants and 55,857.13 square miles (144,669.3 km²) of land.^[1]

Iowa is divided into 99 counties and has 943 cities. Every incorporated place in Iowa is called a "city", regardless of population. Incorporated cities can choose one of six forms of municipal government that differ primarily on how the legislative and administrative responsibilities are separated: mayor-council, mayor-council with an appointed manager, council-manager-at-large, commission, council-manager-ward, home rule charter or special charter. Most operate as mayor–council.^[2]

According to the 2020 Census, 2,014,831 of Iowa's 3,190,369 residents lived in urban areas, accounting for 63.1% of the population.^[1] The first city to incorporate was Farmington on January 11, 1841, while the most recent was Maharishi Vedic City on July 25, 2001.^[3] The largest city by population and by land area is Des Moines with 214,133 residents and 90.65 square miles (234.8 km²).^[4] The smallest city by population is Le Roy with 11 residents.^[1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Rank	City	Population	County	Description
1	Des Moines	214,133	Polk, Warren	Des Moines is a major center for the insurance industry and also has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. In fact, Des Moines was credited with the "number one spot for U.S. insurance companies" in a Business Wire article. The city is the headquarters for the Principal Financial Group, the Meredith Corporation, Ruan Transportation, EMC Insurance Companies, and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Forbes magazine ranked Des Moines as the "Best Place for Business" in 2010.
2	Cedar Rapids	137,710	Linn	Cedar Rapids is a major center for agricultural processing and food production in the U.S., with the largest concentration of cereal manufacturers in the world. It is also home to a sizeable technology and aerospace industry, anchored by the presence of Rockwell Aerospace (now part of Raytheon). Cedar Rapids is home to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, the Paramount Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance. It is also home to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Class A minor league baseball club affiliated with the Minnesota Twins), the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (hockey), and the Cedar Rapids Titans (IFL football).
3	Davenport	101,724	Scott	Located approximately halfway between Chicago and Des Moines, Davenport is on the border of Iowa and Illinois within the area known as the Quad Cities. The city is prone to occasional flooding due to its location on the Mississippi River. There are two main universities: Saint Ambrose University and Palmer College of Chiropractic, which is where the first chiropractic adjustment took place. The city has a Class A minor league baseball team, the Quad Cities River Bandits and hosts the Quad City Air Show, Iowa's largest airshow.
4	Sioux City	85,797	Woodbury, Plymouth	Sioux City is at the navigational head of the Missouri River, about 95 miles north of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Sioux City and the surrounding areas of northwestern Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota are sometimes referred to as Siouxland, especially by the local media. The city is home to several cultural points of interest including the Sioux City Public Museum, Sioux City Art Center and Sergeant Floyd Monument, which is a National Historical Landmark.
5	Iowa City	74,828	Johnson	Iowa City was the second capital of the Iowa Territory and the first capital city of the State of Iowa. The Old Capitol building is a National Historic Landmark, and it is a tourist attraction in the center of the campus of the University of Iowa, as well as being an integral part of the university. The University of Iowa Art Museum and Plum Grove, the home of the first Governor of Iowa, are other landmarks. In 2008, Forbes magazine named Iowa City the second-best small metropolitan area for doing business in the United States.^[5]
6	West Des Moines	68,723	Polk, Warren, Dallas	The West Des Moines area used to be home to the Sac and Fox tribes. West Des Moines is the second-largest city in the Des Moines metropolitan area and the sixth-largest city in Iowa. It ranked 94th in Money magazine's list of the "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" in 2008.^[6] It is one of Iowa's largest and wealthiest cities and one of Des Moines's richest suburbs.
7	Ankeny	67,887	Polk	A 2015 Special Census count conducted from December 2014 through March 2015 has the population at 54,598, a population growth of nearly 20% in the past 5 years.^[7] The population was 45,562 in the 2010 census, an increase of 68% from the 27,117 population in the 2000 census.^[8]^[9] It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
8	Waterloo	67,314	Black Hawk	The name "Waterloo" supplanted the original name, "Prairie Rapids Crossing" shortly after Charles Mullan petitioned for a post office in the town. Since the signed petition did not include the name of the proposed post office location, Mullan was charged with selecting the name when he submitted the petition. Tradition has it that as he flipped through a list of other post offices in the United States, he came upon the current name. The city is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.
9	Ames	66,427	Story	Ames is the home of the Iowa State University, a public research institution, and Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.^[10]^[11] Ames hosts a national site for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) which comprises the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) and the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB),^[12] and the Agricultural Research Service's National Animal Disease Center (NADC).^[13]
10	Council Bluffs	62,799	Pottawattamie	Council Bluffs, until 1852, was Kanesville—the historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trails. It is the county seat of Pottawattamie County,^[14] and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across from what is now the much larger city of Omaha, Nebraska.
11	Dubuque	59,667	Dubuque	The city lies at the junction of three states: Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region locally known as the Tri-State Area. It serves as the main commercial, industrial, educational, and cultural center for the area. Geographically, it is part of the Driftless Area, a portion of North America that escaped all three phases of the Wisconsinian Glaciation. It is one of the few large cities in Iowa with hills, and is home to a large tourist industry, driven by the city's unique architecture, and river location. Also, it is home to five institutions of higher education, making it a center for culture and learning.
12	Urbandale	45,580	Polk, Dallas	As of the 2000 census, the city population was 29,072; a special census taken by the city in 2005 counted 35,904 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 38,369 residents lived there in 2008.^[15] It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
13	Marion	41,535	Linn	Marion is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was named after Francis Marion, a hero of the Revolutionary War. The site was selected in 1839 to be the first county seat of the newly organized Linn County. After years of debate over moving the county seat to Cedar Rapids, it was put to a vote in 1919. The vote was 9,960 in favor of moving the seat and 4,823 not in favor.
14	Cedar Falls	40,713	Black Hawk	Cedar Falls is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by brothers-in-law William Sturgis and Erasmus D. Adams. Initially, the city was named Sturgis Falls. The city is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.
15	Bettendorf	39,102	Scott	Bettendorf is the fourth largest city in the Quad Cities. The first modern-day riverboat casinos in the United States were launched in Bettendorf on April 1, 1991, by local businessman Bernard Goldstein. He went on to found the Isle of Capri Casinos. Goldstein and his family members also operate Alter Companies, which is a scrap metal, barge and towboat company operating on the river waterfront.^[16] The Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center opened by the casino and hotel in 2009.^[17] It is owned by the city and operated by the Isle of Capri.
16	Waukee	23,940	Dallas	Waukee is part of the Des Moines – West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,790 at the 2010 U.S. Census; a fast growth has been measured since as it is estimated there were 19,284 people living in Waukee in 2016.
17	Marshalltown	27,591	Marshall	Marshalltown is the county seat of Marshall County.
18	Mason City	27,338	Cerro Gordo	Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County. Mason City has a very diverse employment base covering multiple sectors of the economy including manufacturing, health, financial services, technology, and education, with no one sector or employer dominating the market.
19	Ottumwa	25,529	Wapello	Ottumwa is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River.
20	Fort Dodge	24,871	Webster	Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S. Routes 20 and 169.
21	Clinton	24,469	Clinton	Clinton is the county seat of Clinton County.
22	Johnston	24,064	Polk	Johnston is the location of the headquarters of Pioneer Hi-Bred Seeds, Iowa Public Television, and The Gardeners of America/Men's Garden Clubs of America. Also located here are the Camp Dodge Military Reservation as well as the Paul J. and Ida Trier House, a private residence designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
23	Burlington	23,982	Des Moines	Burlington is the county seat of Des Moines County. It was the first capital of the Iowa Territory and also one of the oldest towns in Iowa. Burlington is the home of Snake Alley, once labelled the crookedest alley in the world.
24	Muscatine	23,797	Muscatine	Muscatine is located along the Mississippi River. The name Muscatine is unique in that it is not used by any other city in the United States.
25	Coralville	22,318	Johnson	Coralville is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coralville incorporated as a city in 1873. The city's name comes from the fossils that are found in the limestone along the Iowa River.
26	North Liberty	20,479	Johnson	The North Liberty area was first settled in 1838 by John Gaylor and Alonzo C. Dennison. It was originally known as "Big Bottom" or "North Bend" (in reference to its location near the bend of the Iowa River) by its earliest settlers and was later known as "Squash Bend" before the city was platted as North Liberty in 1857.
27	Altoona	19,565	Polk	Altoona is home of Adventureland, an amusement park, Prairie Meadows, a horse racing track and casino, and a Bass Pro Shops retail store, the first one in central Iowa. It is a suburb of Des Moines.
28	Clive	18,601	Dallas, Polk	Clive is known for its Greenbelt Trail system running through the entire community. Clive serves as the axis of the western Des Moines suburbs, being located between Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines along the major transportation corridors of I-35, I-80 and I-235. The City of Urbandale is to the north to northwest, the City of West Des Moines is to the southeast to southwest, the City of Waukee in Dallas County is to the west.
29	Indianola	15,833	Warren	Indianola is the county seat of Warren County.^[18] Simpson College, a liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church, is in Indianola. It is also the home of the National Balloon Classic and National Balloon Museum.
30	Newton	15,760	Jasper	Newton, established in 1846 and incorporated in 1856, serves as the county seat of Jasper County.^[18] The community is located on Interstate 80, just 30 minutes east of the Des Moines metro. It is the home of Iowa Speedway, Maytag Dairy Farms, the historic Capitol II Theatre and Valle Drive-In. F.L. Maytag started the Maytag Corporation in Newton.

†	County seat
††	State capital and county seat

Name	County	Discontinuance Year^[20]	Population at Discontinuance	Current Population^ε	Coordinates
Name	County	Discontinuance Year^[20]	Population at Discontinuance	Current Population^ε	Coordinates	Athelstan	Taylor	2004	25^γ	6	40°34′22″N 94°32′33″W
Center Junction	Jones	2015	111^δ	100	42°6′59″N 91°5′17″W
Delphos	Ringgold	2017	25^δ	26	40°39′47″N 94°20′25″W
Donnan	Fayette	1991	7^β		42°53′46″N 91°52′41″W
Green Island	Jackson	1993	54^β		42°09′13″N 90°19′19″W
Hurstville	Jackson	1985			42°05′38″N 90°40′55″W
Kent	Union	2003	52^γ	37	40°57′13″N 94°27′40″W
Littleport	Clayton	2005	26^γ		42°45′13″N 91°22′8″W
Millville	Clayton	2014	30^δ		42°42′15″N 91°4′34″W
Moneta	O'Brien	1999	29^β		43°07′45″N 95°23′26″W
Mount Sterling	Van Buren	2012	36^δ	33	40°37′5″N 91°56′2″W
Mount Union	Henry	2017	107^δ	120	41°03′28″N 91°23′29″W
Oneida	Delaware	1994	49^β		42°32′34″N 91°21′13″W
Plainview	Scott	1987	45^α	19	41°40′02″N 90°46′48″W

List of cities in Iowa

Most populous cities

List of cities

See also

Notes

Discontinued cities

References

Wikiwand - on

Name	Count(ies)^[a]	Population		Land area^[19]		Incorporated^[3]
Name	Count(ies)^[a]	2020	2010^[19]	sq mi	km²	Incorporated^[3]
Ackley	Hardin Franklin	1,599	1,589	2.45	6.3	August 28, 1869
Ackworth	Warren	115	83	0.29	0.75	May 9, 1881
Adair	Adair Guthrie	791	781	2.2	5.7	February 23, 1884
Adel	Dallas	6,153	3,682	3.27	8.5	June 27, 1877
Afton	Union	874	845	0.99	2.6	November 30, 1868
Agency	Wapello	620	638	0.65	1.7	January 6, 1859
Ainsworth	Washington	511	567	0.38	0.98	June 18, 1892
Akron	Plymouth	1,558	1,486	1.22	3.2	September 7, 1882
Albert City	Buena Vista	677	699	0.54	1.4	December 10, 1900
Albia†	Monroe	3,721	3,766	3.19	8.3	January 28, 1857
Albion	Marshall	448	505	0.6	1.6	March 8, 1870
Alburnett	Linn	675	673	0.82	2.1	June 29, 1912
Alden	Hardin	763	787	1.71	4.4	February 11, 1879
Alexander	Franklin	164	175	4.27	11.1	March 25, 1902
Algona†	Kossuth	5,487	5,560	4.49	11.6	January 31, 1872
Alleman	Polk	423	432	2.7	7.0	May 18, 1973
Allerton	Wayne	430	501	1.14	3.0	October 1, 1874
Allison†	Butler	966	1,029	2.93	7.6	July 25, 1881
Alta	Buena Vista	2,087	1,883	1.07	2.8	November 11, 1878
Alta Vista	Chickasaw	227	266	0.76	2.0	September 18, 1894
Alton	Sioux	1,248	1,216	1.85	4.8	March 8, 1883
Altoona	Polk	19,565	14,541	9.35	24.2	March 11, 1876
Alvord	Lyon	206	196	0.28	0.73	September 26, 1892
Ames	Story	66,427	58,965	24.21	62.7	December 20, 1869
Anamosa†	Jones	5,450	5,533	2.6	6.7	December 17, 1867
Andover	Clinton	109	103	0.19	0.49	January 12, 1910
Andrew	Jackson	380	434	0.27	0.70	August 4, 1863
Anita	Cass	963	972	1.7	4.4	May 19, 1875
Ankeny	Polk	67,887	45,582	29.33	76.0	February 27, 1903
Anthon	Woodbury	545	565	0.71	1.8	July 25, 1890
Aplington	Butler	1,116	1,128	0.83	2.1	November 9, 1877
Arcadia	Carroll	525	484	0.98	2.5	November 3, 1881
Archer	O'Brien	117	131	0.09	0.23	May 5, 1902
Aredale	Butler	62	74	0.99	2.6	June 5, 1920
Arion	Crawford	97	108	0.47	1.2	May 31, 1894
Arispe	Union	96	100	0.52	1.3	October 21, 1904
Arlington	Fayette	419	429	1.05	2.7	April 30, 1985
Armstrong	Emmet	875	926	0.88	2.3	March 30, 1895
Arnolds Park	Dickinson	1,110	1,126	1.57	4.1	March 30, 1897