On both banks of the Des Moines River, the seat of Wapello County grew up on the back of coal mining, which powered the economy into the early 20th century. In the 1890s the giant Coal Palace, a temporary exhibition center, was built by the river to showcase the local coal industry, and 23rd President …
Settled in 1846, the very year Iowa became a state, Johnston is a northern suburb of Des Moines that has tripled in population since 2000. The city grew up around a station on the Des Moines & Central Iowa Railway, and was incorporated in 1969. Around that time Saylorville Lake was constructed, and this giant …
In a stunning location just downstream from the widest stretch of the Mississippi River, Clinton is a city that has always depended on that great waterway. In the final decades of the 19th century, the town was dubbed the “Lumber Capital of the World”, and it was here that sawmills processed the monumental amounts of …
Growing at high speed, the small city of Waukee is on the western fringe of the ever-expanding Des Moines metropolitan area. In Waukee you have the best of both worlds: All the shopping, culture and landmarks of a regional urban center are close by. Meanwhile rural Iowa rolls out to the west, and can be …
A few miles downstream from the Quad Cities, Muscatine is a place with volumes of history, going back to the early days of Euro-American settlement in Iowa. One resident in the 19th century was Mark Twain, who adored the sunsets over the Mississippi, and you can find out why at the scenic Riverside Park and …
Laid out on the bluffs by the mighty Mississippi River, Burlington is at the spot where in 1805 explorer Zebulon Pike first raised the American flag on what would become Iowan soil. A century later the city was flourishing as a nexus point for river and rail transport networks. Burlington has a lot of fine …
At the tip of the Iowa City metro area, North Liberty is a suburban city with a residential character and a highly educated populace. The city has grown at a staggering rate in the new millennium, tripling to more than 20,000 at the last count in 2020. To the east lies the immense Coralville Lake, …
Northeast of Des Moines, Altoona is on the map for a few attractions that bring millions of people to the city every year. One is Adventureland, Iowa’s top theme park, with an exciting arsenal of thrill rides and a water park included with admission. The enormous gaming complex, Prairie Meadows combines a one-mile racetrack with …
A town of 16,000 not far south of Des Moines, Indianola punches well above its weight. First off, the big skies over Indianola are the venue for the National Balloon Classic, a summer hot air ballooning festival drawing 25,000 people to the city. There’s a museum dedicated to the art and history of ballooning, and …
Sitting 30 miles east of Des Moines, Newton is a city that developed quickly in the early 20th century as the “Washing Machine Capital of the World”. A driving force behind that was the Maytag Washing Machine Company, which was eventually bought out by Whirlpool. Even today, the Maytag name is omnipresent in Newton, given …