Iowa City, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

. Iowa City is located adjacent to the town of Coralville, and it surrounds the town of University Heights, with which it forms a contiguous urban area. Iowa City is the principal city of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Johnson County and Washington County, and this metropolitan area has a population of about 152,586.

Iowa City was the second capital of the Iowa Territory
Iowa Territory
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa.-History:...

, and it was also the first capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....

 of the State of Iowa. The Old Capitol building
Iowa Old Capitol Building
The Iowa Old Capitol Building is located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It was once the main government building for the state of Iowa, and it now stands as the most prominent landmark at the center of the University of Iowa's campus. It is a U.S...

 is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

, 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
Plum Grove Historic House
Plum Grove is a historic house located in Iowa City, United States. Plum Grove was the retirement home of Gov. Robert Lucas and the childhood home of the author Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. Built in 1844, Lucas lived there with his wife, Friendly, and several children and grandchildren...

, the home of the first Governor of Iowa, are other tourist attractions. In 2008, Forbes Magazine named Iowa City the second-best small metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

 for doing business in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

History

Iowa City was created by an act of Legislative Assembly of the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

 Territory on January 21, 1839, fulfilling the desire of Governor Robert Lucas
Robert Lucas (governor)
Robert Lucas was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of Ohio, serving from 1832 to 1836. He served as the first Governor of Iowa Territory from 1838 to 1841.-Early life:...

 to move the capital out of Burlington and closer to the center of the territory. This act began,

"An Act to locate the Seat of Government of the Territory of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

...so soon as the place shall be selected, and the consent of the United States obtained, the commissioners shall proceed to lay out a town to be called "Iowa City".

Commissioners Chauncey Swan and John Ronalds met on May 1 in the small settlement of Napoleon, south of present-day Iowa City, to select a site for the new capital city. The following day the commissioners selected a site on bluffs above the Iowa River
Iowa River
The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about from its mouth...

 north of Napoleon, placed a stake in the center of the proposed site and began planning the new capital city. Commissioner Swan, in a report to the legislature in Burlington, described the site:
"Iowa City is located on a section of land laying in the form of an amphitheater. There is an eminence on the west near the river, running parallel with it."
By June of that year, the town had been platted and surveyed from Brown St. in the north to Burlington St. in the south, and from the Iowa River
Iowa River
The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about from its mouth...

 eastward to Governor St.

While Iowa City was selected as the territorial capital in 1839, it did not officially become the capital city until 1841; after construction on the capitol building had begun. The capitol building was completed in 1842, and the last four territorial legislatures and the first six Iowa General Assemblies
Iowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...

 met there until 1857, when the state capital was moved to Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...

.

2006 Tornadoes

On the evening of April 13, 2006, a confirmed EF2 tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...

 struck Iowa City, causing severe property damage and displacing many from their homes, including many University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

 students. It was the first tornado ever recorded to hit the city directly. No serious injuries were reported in the Iowa City area, but one person in rural Muscatine County
Muscatine County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 42,745 in the county, with a population density of . There were 17,910 housing units, of which 16,412 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 died in a related storm.

A popular Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, who also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn. The name "Dairy Queen" is taken from the name of their soft serve product, which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or...

, which had been in business for 54 years, was a victim of the storm (but it reopened in late September), along with two large car dealerships, and several other businesses along Riverside Drive and Iowa Highway 1. The 134-year-old Saint Patrick's Catholic Church
Saint Patrick's Church (Iowa City)
Saint Patrick's Church is a Catholic parish located at 4330 St. Patrick Drive in Iowa City, Iowa. The church is part of the Diocese of Davenport. The parish was formally located at 228 East Court Street, near downtown Iowa City, before its church building was destroyed by a tornado in...

 was heavily damaged only minutes after Holy Thursday Mass, with most of its roof destroyed. The building was ruled a total loss and has since been demolished. The downtown business district as well as the eastern residential area and several parks suffered scattered damage of varying degrees.

Additionally, several houses in the sorority row area were destroyed. The Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...

 house was nearly destroyed, though no one was injured and the building was later razed. Cleanup efforts were under way almost immediately as local law enforcement, volunteer workers from all over the state, and Iowa City residents and college students worked together to restore the city. The total cost of damage was estimated at around $12 million.

2008 Flood

A local newspaper reported on June 11, 2008, that water exceeded the emergency spillway at the Coralville Reservoir outside of Iowa City. As a result, the City of Iowa City and the University of Iowa were seriously affected by unprecedented flooding of the Iowa River, which caused widespread property damage and forced evacuations
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...

 in large sections of the city. By Friday, June 13, 2008, the Iowa River had risen to a record level of 30.46 ft (5:00 PM CST) with a crest of approximately 33 ft predicted for Wednesday, June 18, 2008. Much of the city’s 500-year flood plain saw mild to catastrophic effects of the rapidly flowing, polluted water. Officials at the University of Iowa reported that up to 19 buildings were affected by rising waters. Extensive efforts to move materials from the University’s main library were undertaken as large groups of sandbagging volunteers began to construct a massive levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...

 near the building. Approximately $300 million worth of art, including work by Picasso, owned by the University was secretly moved to a holding place in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 area before the fine arts area was heavily hit with flood water.

On Friday, June 13, University employees were encouraged to stay home, and travel was strongly discouraged in Iowa City; one city statement advised, "If you live in east Iowa City, stay in east Iowa City; if you live in west Iowa City, stay in west Iowa City." The Burlington St. bridge was the only bridge that remained open, other than the I-80 bridge on the edge of town, to connect the east and west sides of the Iowa River
Iowa River
The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about from its mouth...

. On Saturday, June 14, officials at the University of Iowa began to power down the University's primary power generating plant along the Iowa River to prevent structural damage. Backup units continued to provide necessary power and steam services for essential University services, including the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a 762-bed public teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center affiliated with the University of Iowa. UIHC is part of University of Iowa Health Care, a partnership that includes the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A...

. Water began touching the bottom of the Park St. bridge forcing the Army Corp. of Engineers to drill several holes in the bridge to allow air trapped underneath to escape. Also on Saturday, Mayor Regenia Bailey issued a curfew restricting anyone except those authorized by law enforcement from being within 100 yards of any area affected by the flood between 8:30 PM and 6 AM.

Prior to the flood, a University of Iowa construction site was effectively damming the river just north of the bridge at Iowa Avenue and south of the train bridge crossing the river adjacent to the Iowa Memorial Union. The site had been erected ten months prior, presumably in order to work on the University of Iowa steam power and thermal control system. It is unknown whether the Army Corps of Engineers were persuaded by University officials to maintain water levels below 26 feet in order to maintain the work site in the 3 weeks preceding the major flood event, or if Army Corps of Engineers made the decision to preserve the site on their own. This is a fact that many of Iowa City's river side residents are aware of, particularly those living along Normandy Drive adjacent to City Park. This dam structure has been referred to as the "copper dam" because of its rusty orange color. The structure almost certainly impeded flow of the river, and the Army Corps of Engineers' decision to forgo the discharge of additional multi-thousands of cubic feet of water in weeks prior has been criticized by many, and displaced residents even attempted to bring a class action law suit against the Army Corps of Engineers and the University of Iowa.

Geography and climate

Iowa City is located along the Iowa River
Iowa River
The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about from its mouth...

.

The city has a total area of 25.2 square miles (65.3 km²), of which 25 square miles (64.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.08%) is water.

The elevation at the Iowa City Municipal Airport is 668 ft (203.6 m) above sea level.


Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 62,220 people, 25,202 households, and 11,189 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 2,575.0 people per square mile (994.3/km²). There were 26,083 housing units at an average density of 1,079.4 per square mile (416.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.33% White, 3.75% African American, 0.31% American Indian, 5.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.95% of the population.

There were 25,202 households out of which 21.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 2% were households with same-sex couples (2000 U.S. Census), 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 16.2% under the age of 18, 32.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,977, and the median income for a family was $57,568. Males had a median income of $35,435 versus $28,981 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $20,269. About 2.7% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Iowa City is commonly known as a college town
College town
A college town or university town is a community which is dominated by its university population...

. It is home to the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

 and a small campus of Kirkwood Community College. The population increases during the months when the two schools are in session.

Iowa City is tied with Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...

, for the US metropolitan area with the highest percentage of the adult population holding a bachelor's degree or higher; 44 percent of adults hold a degree.

Metropolitan area

The Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area
Iowa City metropolitan area
The Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Iowa anchored by the city of Iowa City...

 consists of Johnson
Johnson County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 130,882 in the county, with a population density of . There were 55,967 housing units, of which 52,715 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 and Washington counties in Iowa; Washington County was added to the MSA after the 2000 census. It had a 2000 census population of 131,676, and a 2010 population of 152,586.

Iowa City is flanked by Coralville
Coralville, Iowa
Coralville is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and North Liberty
North Liberty, Iowa
North Liberty is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area....

. University Heights
University Heights, Iowa
University Heights is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 987 at the 2000 census. It is completely surrounded by Iowa City, located near the campus of the University of Iowa...

 is completely contained within the boundaries of Iowa City, near Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, and known in the area simply as Kinnick, is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, in the sport of college football...

. Tiffin
Tiffin, Iowa
Tiffin is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 975 at the 2000 census. In recent years, Tiffin has begun to see rapid growth; its estimated population in 2006 was 1,561. F. W...

, Solon
Solon, Iowa
Solon is a city located in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. Part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, it is located a few miles from Lake MacBride State Park and the larger cities of Coralville and Iowa City. The population was 1,177 at the 2000 census.-History:Solon is named...

, and Hills
Hills, Iowa
Hills is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 679 at the 2000 census...

 are other small towns within a few miles.

Iowa City is one of the two namesakes of the "Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Technology Corridor", which includes the above communities plus Linn
Linn County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 211,226 in the county, with a population density of . There were 92,251 housing units, of which 86,134 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, Benton
Benton County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 26,076 in the county, with a population density of . There were 11,095 housing units, of which 10,302 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, and Jones
Jones County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 20,638 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,911 housing units, of which 8,151 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 counties. This area had a 2008 estimated population of 404,889.

Economy

Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a 762-bed public teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center affiliated with the University of Iowa. UIHC is part of University of Iowa Health Care, a partnership that includes the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A...

 (UIHC), the state's only comprehensive tertiary care medical center
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...

. The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center in Iowa City is an NCI-designated Cancer Center
NCI-designated Cancer Center
NCI-designated Cancer Centers are a group of approximately 66 cancer research institutions in the United States supported by the National Cancer Institute....

, one of fewer than 60 in the country.

ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...

 college testing services is headquartered in Iowa City.

In 2004. Forbes Magazine named Iowa City the third Best Small Metropolitan Area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

In June 2006, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance is a magazine that has been continuously published, on a monthly basis, from 1947 to the present day. It was the nation's first personal finance magazine, and claims to deliver "sound, unbiased advice in clear, concise language"...

rated Iowa City #10 on its list of the Top 50 Smart Places to Live.

Arts and culture

In the early 1970s, the Old Capitol was renovated and University administrative offices were relocated to Jessup Hall. All but one of the major rooms were restored to their appearance when Iowa City was the state capital. In November 2001 the cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....

 caught fire during the renovation of its gold leaf
Gold leaf
right|thumb|250px|[[Burnishing]] gold leaf with an [[agate]] stone tool, during the water gilding processGold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades...

 dome. The cupola was destroyed and the building was heavily damaged. In 2006, after an extensive restoration, the building re-opened to the public. The building now serves as the Old Capitol Museum, as well as a venue for speeches, lectures, press conferences and performances in the original state senate chamber.

This literary heritage is also shown in the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk, a series of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...

 relief panels that feature authors' words as well as attribution. The panels are visually connected by a series of general quotations about books and writing stamped into the concrete sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...

. All 49 authors and playwrights featured in the Literary Walk have ties to Iowa.

In November 2008 UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 designated Iowa City as the world's third City of Literature
City of Literature
UNESCO's City of Literature program is part of its Creative Cities Network which was launched in 2004. The Network was born out of UNESCO's Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity initiative which was created in 2002...

, making it a part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network
Creative Cities Network
Not to be confused with:*Creative Cities, an international European project designed and managed by the British Council.*Creative city, an urban planning concept.*Creative City, an urban development project in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates....

.

In 2004, the Old Capitol Cultural District was one of the first Cultural Districts certified by the State of Iowa. The district extends from the University of Iowa Pentacrest
Pentacrest
The Pentacrest is a collection of five buildings on the campus of the University of Iowa — the Old Capitol, Jessup Hall, Macbride Hall, MacLean Hall, and Schaeffer Hall — on a four-block-sized parcel of land in Iowa City, Iowa.-Description:...

, south to the Johnson County Courthouse, east to College Green Park, and north into the historic Northside Neighborhood.

Utne Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...

ranked Iowa City eighth in its 1997 survey of "America's 10 Most Enlightened Towns".

The February 2010 issue of The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...

 magazine feature an article titled "Gayest Cities in America" which subjectively ranked Iowa City third in a list of 15 cities with an abundance of gay-friendly resources, ahead of Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....

, and behind Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....

. The article was reported and discussed in The Daily Iowan
The Daily Iowan
The Daily Iowan is an independent, 19,500-circulation daily student newspaper serving Iowa City and the University of Iowa community. It has consistently won a number of collegiate journalism awards, including multiple National Pacemaker Awards, and is generally regarded as one of the finest...

.

Cultural events

Iowa City has a variety of cultural events. It has a strong literary history and is the home of the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...

, whose graduates include John Irving
John Irving
John Winslow Irving is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978...

, Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor
Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries...

, T.C. Boyle, and many other prominent American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 authors; the nation's leading Non-Fiction Writing Program; the Iowa Playwrights' Workshop; the Iowa Summer Writing Festival; and the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...

-nominated International Writing Program
International Writing Program
The International Writing Program is a writing residency for international artists in Iowa City, Iowa. Since its inception in 1967, the IWP has hosted over 1,100 emerging and established poets, novelists, dramatists, essayists, and journalists from more than 120 countries...

, a unique residency program that has hosted writers from more than 120 countries.

Iowa City also sponsors a variety of events in the Summer of the Arts program. These include a nationally renowned jazz festival, a festival of the arts, open-air summer movies and free concerts every Friday night in the pedestrian mall (Ped Mall
Ped Mall (Iowa City)
The Ped Mall, also known as the Pedestrian Mall, is a pedestrian mall located in downtown Iowa City, Iowa, near the University of Iowa campus. Spanning from Burlington Street to Washington Street and Clinton Street to Linn Street, the Ped Mall serves as a gathering place for students, locals,...

).

The Iowa Biennial
Iowa Biennial
The Iowa Biennial Exhibition and Archive began in 2004 as an international survey of contemporary miniature printmaking with its initial exhibition held at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Works juried for the exhibition travel for exhibitions within the U.S...

 Exhibition [TIBE] began in 2004 as an international survey of contemporary miniature printmaking held its initial exhibition at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

. The 2006 exhibition, received a 2007 "ICKY" award nomination in Visual Arts Programming from the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance for its exhibition at the University of Iowa’s Project Art Gallery.

In 2007 Landlocked Film Festival
Landlocked Film Festival
Landlocked Film Festival is an annual film festival hosted in Iowa City, Iowa. The Festival was founded in 2007. Landlocked Film Festival was created to support independent filmmaking by bringing the best of independent world cinema to the American heartland, by providing workshops led by experts...

 was founded as an independent organization. Summer of the Arts was one of several sponsors. Many Landlocked Film Festival events are held at the historic Iowa City Englert Theatre
Iowa City Englert Theatre
The Englert Theatre in Iowa City, Iowa opened in 1912 when William Englert and his wife bought the former livery stable and turned it into a unique entertainment spot. At its opening the Theatre seated 1079 people and college students flocked in to the only theatre of its kind in Iowa City.The...

.

Local Landmarks

  • Hancher Auditorium often hosts nationally touring theater, dance and musical shows, and has commissioned more than 100 works of music, theater and dance during the last 20 years. This facility was badly damaged during the Iowa flood of 2008
    Iowa flood of 2008
    The Iowa flood of 2008 was a hydrological event involving most of the rivers in eastern Iowa beginning around June 8, 2008 and ending about July 1. Flooding continued on the Upper Mississippi River in the southeastern portion of the state for several more days...

     and plans are being made to rebuild the facility farther uphill, away from the Iowa River
    Iowa River
    The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about from its mouth...

    .
  • Hamburg Inn No. 2
    Hamburg Inn No. 2
    The Hamburg Inn No. 2 is a small family diner located near downtown in Iowa City, Iowa, in the United States. The Hamburg Inn is a regular stop for presidential candidates during the Iowa Caucuses...

     is a favorite campaign stop for political candidates. It was featured in a 2005 episode of the political drama The West Wing
    The West Wing (TV series)
    The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...

    . It has also been a favored campaign stop for many U.S. Presidents, including Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton
    William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

     and Ronald Reagan
    Ronald Reagan
    Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

    . It was featured in The New York Times
    The New York Times
    The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

    for its widely renowned "pie shakes."
  • Oakland Cemetery
    Oakland Cemetery (Iowa City, Iowa)
    Oakland Cemetery is located on the north side of Iowa City, Iowa, and has served as the main cemetery for Iowa City since 1843.-Cemetery history:...

     contains graves of notable locals as well as the "Black Angel" statue.
  • Plum Grove Historic House
    Plum Grove Historic House
    Plum Grove is a historic house located in Iowa City, United States. Plum Grove was the retirement home of Gov. Robert Lucas and the childhood home of the author Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. Built in 1844, Lucas lived there with his wife, Friendly, and several children and grandchildren...

     was the residence of Robert Lucas
    Robert Lucas (governor)
    Robert Lucas was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of Ohio, serving from 1832 to 1836. He served as the first Governor of Iowa Territory from 1838 to 1841.-Early life:...

    , the first territorial governor of Iowa, and the novelist Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd
    Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd
    Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd was an American author of the early 20th century. She published at least 10 novels, mostly written for young women.- Childhood :...

    .
  • Moffitt cottages, built in a unique vernacular architectural style, are scattered around eastern Iowa City. "These mystical dwellings look as if Germanic elves constructed houses for Irish pixies," is how one writer described them.



Historic Places on the National Register




Pedestrian Mall

City Plaza (commonly called the Pedestrian Mall or simply Ped Mall) serves as a gathering place for students and locals and draws large crowds for its summertime events such as the Friday Night Concert Series and the annual Iowa City Jazz Festival and Iowa City Arts Festival. The Ped Mall area contains restaurants, bars, retail, hotels, and the Iowa City Public Library
Iowa City Public Library
Established in 1896, the Iowa City Public Library has served the people of Iowa City, Iowa, for over a century. Currently located in a new facility at the intersection of College and Linn Streets on the downtown pedestrian mall, ICPL serves a population 69,000 residents of Iowa City, and through...

. It is known for its appeal to various local artists and musicians.

The first Panchero's was opened in 1992 next to the University of Iowa campus and is a main stay in Iowa City late night food.

Sports

Iowa City is home of the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

's athletic teams, known as the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...

. A member of the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

, the football team plays at Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, and known in the area simply as Kinnick, is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, in the sport of college football...

, while men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and the wrestling teams compete at Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Carver–Hawkeye Arena is a 15,500-seat multi-purpose indoor arena located in Iowa City, Iowa. Opened in 1983, it is the home court for The University of Iowa Hawkeyes men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the university's wrestling, gymnastics, and volleyball teams. It was named for the...

.

Iowa City's two public high schools, City
Iowa City High School
Iowa City High School is a public high school in Iowa City, Iowa. It was built in 1937 as part of the Public Works Projects started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs. The first classes were held in the fall of 1939....

 and West
Iowa City West High School
Iowa City West High School is a public high school in Iowa City, Iowa. It is currently home to over 1900 students, in grades 9 through 12, and nearly 200 teachers, administration, and support staff...

, are members of the Mississippi Valley Conference.

Parks and recreation

Hickory Hill Park
Hickory Hill Park
Hickory Hill Park is a large natural area in northeast Iowa City, Iowa consisting of of forest, abandoned fields, reconstructed prairie, wetlands, and parkland centered around Ralston Creek and its tributary drainages. It is owned and administered by the city, with help from Friends of Hickory...

 is a large wooded park on the north side of town.

City Park is located across the river from north Dubuque Street, and contains walking paths, baseball diamonds and an outdoor pool complex.

Hubbard Park is directly adjacent to the south side of the Iowa Memorial Union building and is a large green space utilized by many students for team activities and events.

Thornberry Dog Park is on the east side of the river in-between two bends in the river referred to by developers as "the peninsula" upstream of City Park. This area is also home to a small Frisbee golf park which is often flooded.

College Green Park is located two blocks directly north of Burlington Street and two blocks east of Gilbert Street and is host to an annual gay pride parade during the spring or summer season.

Mercer Park is on the south east side of town directly adjacent to South East Junior High off of 1st Avenue. It contains play equipment, baseball diamonds and an indoor pool and recreation complex.

Scott Park is on the far east central side of town along Scott Boulevard to the east. It's a large park area with soccer fields, baseball diamonds, and lots of green space where many people walk their dogs.

Napoleon Park is on the very south side of Iowa City along Gilbert Street and hosts many baseball diamonds.

Whispering Prairie Wetlands Park is a nice pond and marsh area on the southeast side of town. It hosts many species of resident and migrating birds, including water fowl.

Court Hill Park is located south of Court Street and extends all the way to Ralston Creek on the south side of Friendship Street. It contains three pavilions, foot ball field with uprights, an incomplete baseball diamond, and play equipment. Newly developed walking trail traverses this park.

Happy Hollow Park, created in 1945, is in Iowa City's historic North Side district at the corner of Brown Street and Governor Street. The facilities include a shelter with restrooms, a pavilion and seating for barbecues and other events, a softball diamond, and playground equipment.

Government

Iowa City is governed by an elected city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...

 of seven members: four council members at large and three district members. The two council members at large who receive the most votes and the three district council members serve four year terms. The other two council members at large serve two year terms. A mayor and mayor pro tem are elected by the council from within its members to serve terms of two years. Current Iowa City Council members are:

  • Matt Hayek (Mayor, At-Large)
  • Ross Wilburn (Mayor Pro Tem, District A)
  • Connie Champion (District B)
  • Regenia Bailey (District C)
  • Mike Wright (At-Large)
  • Terry Dickens (At-Large)
  • Susan Mims (At-Large)


Under this form of council-manager government
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...

 the powers of the city are vested in the city council. The council is responsible for appointing the city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...

 (currently the City Manager is Tom Markus) who implements the policy decisions of the city council, enforces city ordinances and appoints city officials. The council also appoints the city attorney and city clerk.

Iowa City is unusual in that it is one of only four cities in Iowa in which the mayor is chosen by the city council. The mayor of Iowa City serves a two-year term and has a vote on council, representing the district or at-large position from which he or she was elected. The mayor is primarily a figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...

 or a "first among equals"
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...

, with some power to set agendas and lead meetings, as well as serving as the public face of city government.

Media


Three radio stations are based out of the University of Iowa. Two have become part of the statewide Iowa Public Radio
Iowa Public Radio
Iowa Public Radio is a state network in the U.S. state of Iowa that combines the operations of current Public Radio stations run by Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa...

 network: WSUI
WSUI
WSUI is a public radio station in Iowa City, Iowa, in the United States. It is operated by the University of Iowa and a member of Iowa Public Radio. Its signal serves most of eastern Iowa. WSUI is one of two National Public Radio member stations serving eastern Iowa, the other being KUNI in...

 910 AM, a National Public Radio affiliate and originator of some Iowa Public Radio news and talk programming; and KSUI
KSUI
KSUI is a radio station broadcasting a Classical music format. Located near Iowa City, Iowa, USA, the station serves the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas. The station is currently owned by The University of Iowa....

 91.7 FM, which broadcasts classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...

 and concerts by Iowa classical orchestras, opera companies, and other artists, as well as interviews. KRUI
KRUI-FM
KRUI-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, the station is licensed to Student Broadcasters Inc. KRUI began at the University of Iowa in 1952 as KWAD, and in 1968 the station's call letters changed to KICR...

 89.7 FM is the University's student-run radio station.

Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...

 owns two of the Iowa City area's commercial radio stations: KXIC
KXIC
KXIC is a radio station licensed to serve Iowa City, Iowa. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Citicasters Licenses, Inc. It airs a News/Talk radio format....

 800 AM, a news/talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

 station, and KKRQ
KKRQ
KKRQ is a radio station licensed to Clear Channel Communications, broadcasting at 100.7 MHz from Iowa City, Iowa. It currently carries a classic rock format, going by the moniker "100.7 The Fox". The music format includes Rock from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Occasionally, some music even from...

 100.7 FM, a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...

 station. KCJJ
KCJJ
KCJJ is a radio station licensed to serve Iowa City, Iowa, USA. The station is owned by Steve Bridges' River City Radio. The station was assigned the KCJJ call sign by the Federal Communications Commission in 1982.-Programming:...

 1630 AM is an independently-owned, 10,000-watt talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

 and hot adult contemporary station that broadcasts from studios in Coralville. Another Iowa City-licensed station, KRNA
KRNA
KRNA is a radio station licensed to Iowa City, Iowa, with studios in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The transmitter for the station is located west of Oxford, Iowa. The station currently has an active rock format. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media.-History:...

 94.1 FM, now broadcasts from Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

 and is operated by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...

. Radio signals from other cities, including Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...

, also reach the Iowa City area.

Iowa City and Johnson County are part of the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...

-Iowa City-Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....

 media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...

, which was ranked 87th by Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...

 for the 2007-2008 TV season. Two television stations, KIIN
Iowa Public Television
Iowa Public Television is a state network of Public Broadcasting Service member non-commercial educational Public television stations in the state of Iowa. A member of the PBS, it is owned by the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board, an agency of the state education department which holds the licenses...

 channel 12 (PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

) and KWKB
KWKB
KWKB is a television station that broadcasts on digital channel 25 and is the CW affiliate for Eastern Iowa. KWKB is licensed to Iowa City, but its studios and transmitter are located north of West Branch. KWKB serves the greater Eastern Iowa area including Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and...

 channel 20 (CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...

 and MyNetwork TV), are licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....

 to Iowa City. KCRG-TV
KCRG-TV
KCRG-TV, channel 9, is a television station, operating as the ABC affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area, and the nearby cities of Waterloo, Iowa City and Dubuque....

 9, the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 affiliate in Cedar Rapids, maintains a news bureau at Old Capitol Mall
Old Capitol Mall
The Old Capitol Mall is a shopping mall in the downtown area of Iowa City, Iowa during the late 20th century...

 in downtown Iowa City.

Mediacom
Mediacom
Mediacom is a cable television and communications provider in the United States. Founded in July 1995, it serves primarily smaller markets in the Midwest and Southern United States. Formerly a publicly traded firm, it went private in a $600.0 million transaction in March 2011 and is, as of 2011,...

, the local cable television company, provides seven Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...

 (PEG) cable TV channels in Iowa City: City Channel 4, Infovision (channel 5), the Iowa City Public Library
Iowa City Public Library
Established in 1896, the Iowa City Public Library has served the people of Iowa City, Iowa, for over a century. Currently located in a new facility at the intersection of College and Linn Streets on the downtown pedestrian mall, ICPL serves a population 69,000 residents of Iowa City, and through...

 Channel (channel 10), Kirkwood
Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood Community College is a two-year Liberal Arts college serving seven counties in Iowa. Kirkwood's main campus is in Cedar Rapids, with additional campuses in Marion, Iowa City, Belle Plaine, Monticello, Tipton, Vinton, Washington and Williamsburg....

 Television Services (channel 11), University of Iowa Television (channel 17), Public Access Television (channel 18), and the Iowa City Community School District's channel 21.

Two daily newspapers are published in Iowa City. The Iowa City Press-Citizen
Iowa City Press-Citizen
The Iowa City Press-Citizen is a daily newspaper published in Iowa City, Iowa, that serves most of Johnson County and portions of surrounding counties...

, owned by Gannett, publishes seven days a week with a Sunday edition that is packaged with Gannett's Des Moines Sunday Register. The Daily Iowan
The Daily Iowan
The Daily Iowan is an independent, 19,500-circulation daily student newspaper serving Iowa City and the University of Iowa community. It has consistently won a number of collegiate journalism awards, including multiple National Pacemaker Awards, and is generally regarded as one of the finest...

, an independent newspaper based at the University of Iowa, publishes Monday through Friday while classes are in session. In addition, The Gazette
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
The Gazette is a daily newspaper published in the American city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The first paper was published as an evening journal, as the Evening Gazette on Wednesday January 10, 1883 and sold for 3¢; it presently sells for 75¢. The newspaper is distributed throughout northeast and east...

of Cedar Rapids maintains a news bureau in Iowa City.

Transportation

Iowa City has a general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

 airport - the Iowa City Municipal Airport
Iowa City Municipal Airport
Iowa City Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport located in the southwest portion of the city of Iowa City in Johnson County, Iowa, USA. It is located at , along the Iowa River...

 - on the south side of the city. The nearest airport with passenger service is The Eastern Iowa Airport
The Eastern Iowa Airport
The Eastern Iowa Airport is a commercial airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the United States. The airport serves Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and other communities in eastern Iowa...

 in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

, about 20 miles to the northwest via Interstate 380
Interstate 380 (Iowa)
Interstate 380 is a auxiliary Interstate Highway located in eastern Iowa. The route extends from Interstate 80 near Coralville to Waterloo. I-380 connects the cities of Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, the second- and fifth-largest cities in the state, respectively, to the Interstate Highway System. ...

.

Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...

 runs east-west along the north edge of Iowa City. U.S. Highway 218
U.S. Route 218
U.S. Route 218 is an original United States Highway, created in 1926. Although technically a spur of U.S. Route 18, US 218 neither begins nor ends at US 18, but overlaps US 18 for near Charles City, Iowa. US 218 begins at U.S. Route 136 in downtown Keokuk and ends away at...

 and Iowa Highway 27 (the Avenue of the Saints
Avenue of the Saints
The Avenue of the Saints is a highway in the Midwestern United States that connects St. Paul, Minnesota, and St. Louis, Missouri.-Missouri:Within Missouri, the Avenue of the Saints is Interstate 64, U.S...

) are co-signed along a freeway bypassing Iowa City to the west. U.S. Highway 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...

 and Iowa Highway 1 also run through Iowa City.

Iowa City is served by the freight-only Iowa Interstate Railroad
Iowa Interstate Railroad
The Iowa Interstate Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in the central United States. The railroad is owned by Railroad Development Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-History:...

 and the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway , also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa.-History:...

 (CRANDIC). The historic Iowa City Depot, shown in the picture at left, is no longer in use for railway services; it has been modified into a commercial office building.

Iowa City Transit, Coralville Transit, and the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

's Cambus
Cambus
Cambus is a public transport bus system, primarily serving the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, IA. The service is intended to provide transportation for students, faculty, and staff around the main campus, University of Iowa Research Park, residence halls, and commuter parking lots. Cambus...

 system provide public transportation.

Notable people


  • Nancy C. Andreasen
    Nancy C. Andreasen
    Nancy Coover Andreasen is an American neuroscientist and neuropsychiatrist. She currently holds the Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.-Early life:...

    , world known psychiatrist and professor at University of Iowa
    University of Iowa
    The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

  • Bob Barr
    Bob Barr
    Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr, Jr. is a former federal prosecutorand a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003. Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of...

    , former Georgia
    Georgia (U.S. state)
    Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

     congressman and 2008 presidential candidate
  • Brian Bell (musician)
    Brian Bell (musician)
    Brian Bell is an American guitarist and songwriter. Active since 1989, he is best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American alternative rock band Weezer. Bell joined Weezer in 1993 following the departure of founding member Jason Cropper...

    , guitarist of the alternative rock
    Alternative rock
    Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

     band Weezer
    Weezer
    Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...

  • Moses Bloom
    Moses Bloom
    Moses Bloom was a Jewish American politician, member of both houses of the Iowa General Assembly, and mayor of Iowa City, United States. Various publications name him as the first Jewish mayor of a major American city.- Biography :...

    , former mayor of Iowa City and the first Jewish mayor of any major American
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     city.
  • Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd
    Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd
    Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd was an American author of the early 20th century. She published at least 10 novels, mostly written for young women.- Childhood :...

    , popular novelist
  • Greg Brown, folk musician
  • Ethan Canin
    Ethan Canin
    Ethan Andrew Canin is an American author, educator, and physician. He is a member of the faculty of the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa....

    , writer
  • Thomas R. Cech, 1989 Nobel Prize
    Nobel Prize
    The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...

     winner in chemistry
  • Tim Dwight
    Tim Dwight
    Timothy Deutch Dwight, Jr. is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...

    , NFL
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     player with Atlanta Falcons
    Atlanta Falcons
    The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

    , San Diego Chargers
    San Diego Chargers
    The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    , New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

    , New York Jets
    New York Jets
    The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    , and Oakland Raiders
    Oakland Raiders
    The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    ; played high school football at Iowa City High School
    Iowa City High School
    Iowa City High School is a public high school in Iowa City, Iowa. It was built in 1937 as part of the Public Works Projects started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs. The first classes were held in the fall of 1939....

     and college football at University of Iowa
  • Kenny Fields
    Kenny Fields
    Kenny Fields is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1st round of the 1984 NBA Draft. A 6'5" guard-forward from UCLA, Fields played in 4 seasons in the NBA from 1984-1988. He played for the Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers...

    , former NBA player; born in Iowa City
  • Dan Gable
    Dan Gable
    Dan Gable is an American amateur wrestler. He is famous for having only lost one match in his entire Iowa State University collegiate career—his last, and winning gold at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany while not giving up a single point...

    , U.S. Olympic
    Olympic Games
    The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

     gold medalist; NCAA champion from Iowa State University
    Iowa State University
    Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...

    ; former head wrestling coach for Iowa Hawkeyes
    Iowa Hawkeyes
    The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...

    , leading program to 21 Big Ten Conference
    Big Ten Conference
    The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

     championships and 15 national championships; Waterloo
    Waterloo, Iowa
    Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...

     native
  • Janet Guthrie
    Janet Guthrie
    Janet Guthrie is a retired professional race car driver and the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500....

    , female NASCAR
    NASCAR
    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

     driver
  • Andy Haman
    Andy Haman
    Andy Haman is an American professional bodybuilder who competes in the superheavyweight class.Born in Iowa City, Iowa, Haman was a member of the University of Iowa wrestling team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in health. He competed in bodybuilding tournaments, winning the 1987...

    , bodybuilding champion
  • Hill Harper
    Hill Harper
    Francis Harper , known professionally as Hill Harper, is an American film, television and stage actor, and author. An alumnus of Harvard Law School, he is best known for his portrayal of Dr...

    , actor
  • Jay Hilgenberg
    Jay Hilgenberg
    Jay Walter Hilgenberg is a former American football player in the NFL. He played center for the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints from 1981 to 1993.-Football career:...

    , former center for the Chicago Bears
    Chicago Bears
    The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     and broadcaster
  • John P. Irish
    John P. Irish
    John Powell Irish, known as John P. Irish, was a leader of the Democratic Party in Iowa, a landowner in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region of California, a fiery and influential public speaker, and an opponent of prejudice against Japanese, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, women's suffrage ...

     (1843–1923) Iowa and California editor
    Editing
    Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...

    , orator
    Public speaking
    Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...

     and activist
    Activism
    Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...

  • Zach Johnson
    Zach Johnson
    Zach Johnson is an American golfer, winner of the 2007 Masters Tournament.Zach Johnson may also refer to:* Zack "Jick" Johnson, one of the creators of Kingdom of Loathing* Zachary Johnson, former drummer for The Fray...

     (1976– ) American
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     professional golfer
    Professional golfer
    In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...

     on the PGA Tour
    PGA Tour
    The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...

     and the 2007 Masters
    2007 Masters Tournament
    The 2007 Masters Tournament was contested from April 5-8 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 71st Masters Tournament, and the first major contested in the 2007 season...

     champion
  • Nate Kaeding
    Nate Kaeding
    Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...

     (1982– ) NFL
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     kicker for San Diego Chargers
    San Diego Chargers
    The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    ; played at Iowa City West High School
    Iowa City West High School
    Iowa City West High School is a public high school in Iowa City, Iowa. It is currently home to over 1900 students, in grades 9 through 12, and nearly 200 teachers, administration, and support staff...

     and University of Iowa
  • Alex Ko
    Alex Ko
    Nicholas Alexander Ko is an American actor, dancer and singer. He won the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical on Broadway in 2009.-Early life:...

    , Broadway actor
  • Laura Leighton
    Laura Leighton
    Laura Leighton is an American actress. She is best-known for the role of Sydney Andrews, introduced in the 1990s television series Melrose Place. She reprised the role in the 2009 series of the same name...

    , actress
  • Nia Long
    Nia Long
    Nia Talita Long is an American actress and occasional music video director. She is best known for her roles in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Third Watch, and the films Boiler Room, Soul Food, Love Jones, The Best Man, Big Momma's House, Big Momma's House 2, Are We There...

    , actress
  • Frank H. Maynard
    Frank H. Maynard
    Francis Henry Maynard, known as Frank H. Maynard , was an old-time cowboy of the American West who claimed authorship of the revised version of the well-known ballad, "The Streets of Laredo". After a decade of roaming the West, Maynard settled down with his wife, the former Flora V...

    , old-time cowboy
    Cowboy
    A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...

     author born in Iowa City in 1853.
  • Dan McCarney
    Dan McCarney
    -External links:* * * * *...

    , former head football coach for Iowa State Cyclones
    Iowa State Cyclones
    The Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports...

    , 1995–2006; current defensive line coach for Florida Gators Football
    University of Florida
    The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

  • James Alan McPherson
    James Alan McPherson
    -External links:*...

    , writer
  • Corine Mauch
    Corine Mauch
    Corine Mauch is a Swiss Social Democrat politician who serves as mayor of Zürich. She is the first female and first openly gay person to be elected mayor of the city....

    , mayor of Zurich
    Zürich
    Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

  • Stephanie Novacek
    Stephanie Novacek
    Stephanie Novacek is an American operatic mezzo-soprano who has appeared at many of the world's opera houses. A regular performer at the Houston Grand Opera and Opera Atelier, Novacek is especially known for her performances in contemporary operas and in obscure operas, particularly baroque works,...

    , operatic mezzo-soprano
  • Joseph M. Petrick
    Joseph M. Petrick
    Joseph M. Petrick is an American writer and director best known for his film collaborations with Andrew Bowser, including writing and co-directing the independent comedy The Mother of Invention.-Early life and career:...

    , writer/co-director of The Mother of Invention
    The Mother of Invention
    The Mother of Invention is a 2009 American "mockumentary" style comedy film directed by Joseph M. Petrick & Andrew Bowser, the screenplay by Petrick. The film starred Bowser, Jimmi Simpson, Kevin Corrigan, Mark Boone Junior, Dee Wallace, Craig Anton, Ruby Wendell, F. Jason Whitaker and Chris Hardwick...

  • Jason Reeves
    Jason Reeves (songwriter)
    Jason Reeves is an ASCAP award-winning, American singer-songwriter and musician.  He grew up in Iowa City, Iowa before locating to California in 2005, where he began a long-standing working relationship with producer Mikal Blue and singer Colbie Caillat. He co-wrote many songs with Caillat, most...

    , singer-songwriter
  • Marilyn Robinson, Pulitzer Prize
    Pulitzer Prize
    The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

    -winning author of Gilead
    Gilead
    In the Bible "Gilead" means hill of testimony or mound of witness, , a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, situated in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is also referred to by the Aramaic name Yegar-Sahadutha, which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew . From its mountainous character...

  • Russell Stover
    Russell Stover
    Russell Stover was the founder of the Russell Stover Candies.-Early life:Stover was born in a sod house south of Alton, Kansas in Osborne County, Kansas...

    , candy maker
  • David Strackany, folk singer-songwriter
    Singer-songwriter
    Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

     aka Paleo
    Paleo
    Paleo, aka David Strackany, is an American singer of folk music who is notable for writing a song every day for 365 days using a "half-size children's guitar" while living out of his car and being essentially homeless...

  • John T. Struble
    John T. Struble
    John T. Struble was a builder and farmer during the formative years of the state of Iowa. He was an older brother of two prominent Iowa politicians: Congressman Isaac S. Struble and Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives George R...

    , pioneer builder, rancher, and farmer
  • James Van Allen
    James Van Allen
    James Alfred Van Allen was an American space scientist at the University of Iowa.The Van Allen radiation belts were named after him, following the 1958 satellite missions in which Van Allen had argued that a Geiger counter should be used to detect charged particles.- Life and career :* September...

    , physicist and astronomer—discoverer of the Van Allen Belts
  • Grant Wood
    Grant Wood
    Grant DeVolson Wood was an American painter, born four miles east of Anamosa, Iowa. He is best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest, particularly the painting American Gothic, an iconic image of the 20th century.- Life and career :His family moved to Cedar Rapids after his...

    , world reknowned American artist and painter of the famous painting "American Gothic
    American Gothic
    American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that...

    "
  • Joey Woody
    Joey Woody
    Joey Woody is an American track and field athlete in the 400 meter hurdles event.Woody attended the University of Northern Iowa, where he was the 1997 NCAA champion in the 400 m hurdles. Woody placed third in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and qualified for the 1997 World...

    , world champion sprinter

See also

  • Iowa City Public Library
    Iowa City Public Library
    Established in 1896, the Iowa City Public Library has served the people of Iowa City, Iowa, for over a century. Currently located in a new facility at the intersection of College and Linn Streets on the downtown pedestrian mall, ICPL serves a population 69,000 residents of Iowa City, and through...

  • University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
    University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
    The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a 762-bed public teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center affiliated with the University of Iowa. UIHC is part of University of Iowa Health Care, a partnership that includes the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A...

  • University of Iowa
    University of Iowa
    The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

  • Kirkwood Community College
    Kirkwood Community College
    Kirkwood Community College is a two-year Liberal Arts college serving seven counties in Iowa. Kirkwood's main campus is in Cedar Rapids, with additional campuses in Marion, Iowa City, Belle Plaine, Monticello, Tipton, Vinton, Washington and Williamsburg....

  • Coralville, Iowa
    Coralville, Iowa
    Coralville is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area...

  • Iowa City Community School District

External links





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