Iowa

Iowa is a Midwestern US state at the heart of the Corn Belt, one of the nation's most productive agricultural regions. Its capital and largest city is Des Moines. Nicknamed the Hawkeye State, it is also known for kicking off the presidential nominating season with its caucuses.

Iowa is a land of gently rolling plains between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, with some of the richest, deepest topsoil on Earth. Nearly the entire state is farmland. The climate is humid continental, with hot summers and cold winters.

Iowa culture is grounded in farming, small-town life and Midwestern values, with the State Fair a beloved annual tradition. The Iowa caucuses give the state outsized political attention every four years.

Home to the Ioway, Sauk and Meskwaki peoples, Iowa became the 29th state in 1846. It grew as an agricultural powerhouse, and its fertile land continues to make it a leader in corn, soybean and pork production.