USA
Midwest
Iowa

Central Iowa

Cradled between the Des Moines and Iowa Rivers, Central is a region with surprising variation, culture, and opportunity oft overlooked by the outside world.
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Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Des Moines and Ames.

Photo: Stephen Matthew Milligan, CC BY-SA 3.0.
, capital of , is in the western region of the American . is the largest city in Iowa and the annual site of the Iowa State Fair.

Photo: Malepheasant, CC BY-SA 2.5.
is a pleasant college town in Central , sitting astride the Skunk River roughly 30 miles north of . Life in follows the ebb and flow of the academic year at Iowa State University, which is the city's primary draw.

Photo: Kepper66, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a city in , United States and the county seat of the county. The population was 27,591 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 27,886 in 2024, making it the 17th-most populous city in Iowa.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Boone and Ankeny.

Photo: Dtbrey, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a city in , and county seat of , United States. It is the principal city of the , Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of County.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a city in , United States and a suburb of the state capital of . The population was 67,887 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 76,727 in 2024, making it the fifth-most populous city in Iowa.

Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is a wonderful community in Central Iowa. It lies just southwest of . It features some great antique shopping, breathtaking scenic shots of covered bridges from a bygone era and the typical small town city square with the merchant shops surrounding the square.

Photo: Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is the county seat of, and most populous city in, , United States. Located 30 miles east of , is in Central Iowa.

Photo: Iowahwyman, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a city in , United States. Most of the city is in , some of it is in , and small portions extend into and .

Photo: Aaron Tait, CC BY 2.0.
is a city in , United States. The population was 9,564 at the time of the 2020 census. It is best known for being the home of , a liberal arts college.

is a small town outside of in the state of . It has a nice swimming pool, a couple of parks and a good choice of shops.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0.
is a city in , United States, with a population of 10,464 at the time of the 2020 U.S. census. Founded by immigrants from the , it is forty miles southeast of .

Central Iowa

Latitude of center
41.6729° or 41° 40′ 22″ north
Longitude of center
-93.5678° or 93° 34′ 4″ west
Wiki­data ID
Q14210479
This page is based on Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.

Satellite Map

Discover Central Iowa from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Italian to Venetian—“Central Iowa” goes by many names.
  • Italian: “Iowa centrale”
  • Venetian: “Iowa sentrałe”

Iowa: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City, and Sioux City.

Explore These Curated Destinations

Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Central Iowa”. Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.