Iowa Almanac: Facts and Figures

Quick Facts and Figures on the State

Iowa Almanac furnishes quick facts and figures on the state, its geography, climate and weather, elevation, land area, bordering states, electoral votes, number of senators and representatives to the US Congress, and other statistical data. Use this almanac of Iowa for information on local issues, politics, events, celebrations, people and business pertaining to the state of Iowa that can be found online.

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Iowa is one of the West North Central states of the US. Iowa entered the Union on Dec. 28, 1846, as the 29th state. President Herbert C. Hoover was born in Iowa. Possessing some of the richest farmland in the US, Iowa has always had an economy dominated by farming and has been known for its production of corn, hogs, and cattle. In the 1990s, farming and related industries remained central to the economy, and Iowa was still one of the top agricultural states of the US The state's name is taken from the Iowa R., which is named for the Iowa Indians. Iowa is called the Hawkeye State.

Iowa Almanac
Official Name	Iowa
Capital	Des Moines
Nick Name	Hawkeye State
Motto	Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain
Location & Region	41.57673 N, 093.61740 W			Midwest
Constitution Ratified	1857
Date Admitted - Union:	December 28, 1846			29th state
Population	2,926,324	52.37		30th
Largest City (by population)	Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City
Bordering States	North: Minnesota East: Wisconsin and Illinois (Mississippi River forms the entire Eastern border) South: Missouri West: Nebraska and South Dakota (Missouri River forms much of the Western border)
Number of Counties	99 Counties in Iowa
Largest County (by population)	Polk County	374,601		570 sq mi.
Electoral Votes	7
US Congress	2 Senators; 5 Representatives
Time Zone	Central Standard Time
Iowa Climate and Weather
The weather in Iowa varies greatly from season to season, with cold winters and hot summers. Each year the temperature drops to -20 F/-28 C and rises to 100 F/38 C somewhere in the state. Although travel is generally pleasant from late spring to early fall, we recommend visiting from late August through October to enjoy comfortable temperatures and humidity. Spring can be unsettled and stormy, though temperatures are comfortable. July can afflict Iowa with high temperatures and high humidifies, and that's the month that sees the greatest number of visitors.
Highest Temperature	118 degrees July 20, 1934 - Keokuk
Lowest Temperature	47 degrees January 12, 1912 - Washta
Avg Temp: High - Low	86.2 degrees		6.3 degrees
Iowa Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations (Feet)
Mean Elevation	1,100
Highest Point	Sec. 29, T100N, R41W, Osceola County			1,670
Lowest Point	Mississippi River			480
Iowa Land Area (Square Miles)
Geographic Center	Located in Story County, 5 miles NE of Ames.
Total Area	56,271.55			26th
Land Area	55,869.36			99.29%
Water Area	402.2			0.71%
Forested Land Area			5.7%
Dimensions (Length - Width)	310 miles		200 miles
Source:(US Census, April 1, 2000)

Almanac Online

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Almanac: Facts and Figures

The origin of the almanac can be traced back to ancient Babylonian astronomy, when tables of planetary periods were produced in order to predict lunar and planetary phenomena.

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